For the next installment of Voices of Volatus, we are pleased to introduce Brooke Standeven, Deputy Chief Pilot – Fixed Wing in Flight Operations, based in Villeneuve, Alberta.
With more than two and a half years at Volatus Aerospace, Brooke plays an integral role in supporting the safe operation of our crewed aircraft and fixed-wing flight operations. Drawn to the opportunities that come with aviation, Brooke values the opportunity to see new places and connect with the people she meets through her work.
Read on to learn more about Brooke’s career, experiences in flight operations and what inspires her work.
What do you enjoy most about working with your team?
I enjoy the variety of experiences we get to have and the time we spend getting to know each other on patrol. Our team has the opportunity to travel to many small airports and new towns, and embarking on those adventures with people that I trust and enjoy hanging out with makes the work feel less like work.
What is one project or accomplishment at Volatus you are especially proud of?
I’m especially proud of our team’s work in the United States; I was fortunate enough to be selected for the first crew pioneering our US work and had the amazing opportunity to lay the groundwork for business from the US/Canada border all the way to the southern states. This work has supported the establishment of our new base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where crewed aircraft operations serve the oil and gas sector. This job not only created amazing opportunities for new experiences and training for our team but also opened the door for more expansions and business in the US.
What excites you most about the work you do?
I’m proud to play a role in work that helps protect the environment. Through our operations, we support the detection of gas leaks before they can become a larger environmental or operational risk. Knowing that our work can help identify potential issues early, support safer infrastructure operations and reduce the risk of emissions makes the role especially meaningful.
At the same time, the work continues to develop my flying skills in ways that many other aviation roles would not. Flying at low level using hands-and-feet skills requires a high degree of precision, focus and situational awareness. The level of multitasking, safety discipline and decision-making involved has strengthened my experience as a pilot and prepared me for the next stages of my career.
What skills or experiences have shaped your career the most?
The obvious answer would be my flying skills, and while this is of course true, I believe that something essential in my career progression has been people skills; communication is key in any work environment, but in aviation it is even more critical as we deal with complex systems and dangerous situations every day. Being able to communicate effectively and calmly can make all the difference in an emergency, but as I’ve learned at Volatus, it also makes a huge difference in the day-to-day of work and relationships with my team.
One Response
This deputy chief pilot sounds extremely and well suited for her job! Synergy Aviation has chosen a woman who has high ethics, people skills and control of very difficult situations.
If she has stories of past flying experiences, I would love for them to be printed/published for others to gain from her knowledge of those ‘events’ .
Power on Brooke, congratulations on your position and great team work!