Zoey Williams, Air Canada's first Black woman pilot, follows trailblazing father flight path
January 29, 2025
Black airline pilots are a rarity, particularly in Canada where there are about 30.
Before November 2022, there were no Black women on Air Canada flight decks.
That changed when Zoey Williams broke the glass ceiling, becoming Canada’s largest airline first Black woman pilot.
With the odds so daunting, what motivated her to become a pilot?
“I don’t think I thought about the odds,” Williams said with a smile. “That was not on my mind when I began my aviation journey. Also, I didn’t pursue my first aviation license with the idea that it would become my career. I did it because I wanted to overcome the fear of flying.”
As the middle daughter of a trailblazing pilot who is a single father raising three children, she spent much of her childhood travelling on large aircraft.
However, aviation was not on Williams’ radar until her dad suggested she and her sisters try an introductory flight.
“The only reason I took up that offer was because I didn’t have to pay for it and I like free things,” she said.
Flying in a small Cessna aircraft was an experience Williams didn’t relish.
“The weather was not good and the ride was bumpy,” she recalled. “I didn’t enjoy it. I was terrified and I told dad that was not for me.”
Sometimes, the best way to overcome fear is to confront it which is exactly what Williams did.
“I went back to dad and told him I wanted to get a license so I could get over the fear of that first flight,” she said. “That was when I made the decision that I would become a pilot.”
Williams secured her recreational pilot permit and, with her father’s advice, worked in flight operations at a small airport while in secondary school before enrolling in a two-year Aviation Flight Management diploma program.
By her late teens, Williams – the recipient of the Jazz Aviation inaugural Aviation Pathway Award in 2016 -- was a certified flight instructor teaching college-level education aviation courses while enhancing her flight time through airborne flight instruction.
With credits and experience, she entered Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2017 and completed a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics & Aviation Management and a Master of Business Administration in Aviation & International Business.
Williams did the programs online while working.
“Embry-Riddle was an amazing opportunity,” the 2015 Urban Pilots Network/Dream Never Dies Foundation scholarship winner said. “I had my license, but I always wanted to continue my education because I had set a standard of what I wanted to accomplish. Embry-Riddle allowed me to work in the field as a pilot but still have flexibility and course content available in a way that I could manage both. It was not easy because I flew long hours daily and studied at night. I also had to balance the responsibility of being fit to fly with being rested and being mentally prepared to fly. In addition, I had professors who were pilots who I could reach out to if I had issues at work. They allowed flexibility or extensions with my assignments.”
Last September, Williams -- who also holds an Associate of Science in Aviation degree -- achieved another first, joining the University of Waterloo as Canada’s inaugural Pilot-in-Residence.
Housed in the Faculty of Science, the position enhances Waterloo’s accomplished aviation program established in 2007.
The role presents an opportunity for an industry leader to guide the next generation of aviators by teaching courses that align with their expertise.
“We’re thrilled about Zoey stepping into this new role for several reasons,” said Dr. Suzanne Kearns who is the Founder & Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics. “Historically, aviation education in Canada has been delivered primarily at the college level. About 20 years ago, the first Canadian universities began offering combined four-year degrees with professional pilot training. This is quite different from the United States where aviation is rooted in a strong military culture where military pilots are officers who require university degrees. Because of this, there are over 100 pilot-focused university degree programs across the United States.
“In contrast, Canada’s aviation culture has deep ties to our northern regions where many new pilots begin their careers supporting remote communities through bush flying which is an essential role that does not require a university degree. As a result, most aviation programs in Canada remain at the college level. While college-based aviation education is impactful and necessary, it leaves a gap. These programs rarely produce pilots who pursue advanced degrees like Master’s or PhDs, nor do they foster strong connections between Canada’s research community.”
Kearns said Williams’ role at the University of Waterloo is pivotal for bridging the gaps.
“She will mentor and guide our student pilots, offering practical industry-based insights,” the university’s Aviation Professor added. “She will also engage with our research ecosystem, supporting data collection in our on-campus flight simulator. This is vital for researchers exploring pilot performance, human factors and human-computer interaction as their studies require aviation expertise to ensure accuracy and relevance. Overall, we are excited about Zoey’s potential to connect academia and industry, fostering future-ready pilot graduates and producing research with real-world impact.”
Outside flying, Williams has other interests, including music.
“Music has always been a part of me and, as I got older, I learnt I have an affinity for it,” said the Society of Composers, Authors & Music Publishers of Canada member who performed on two occasions with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. “It provides some balance in my life. Though busy, I share music online and collaborate with musicians and friends throughout the province. I enjoy the welcoming community I have in music. I do enjoy that creative side of my life.”
Williams also designed and partially constructed an eco-friendly short-term rental, The Piper Tiny House’ that is being relocated, and is working on a motivation book, ‘Go Where You Belong’.
In the last few months, Williams has been recognized for making aviation history in Canada.
She made the 2024 list of Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada and was among 100 distinguished Black Canadian women recognized last September. She was also honoured with the Rising Star Award at last October’s Northern Lights Gala celebrating Canadian women in aviation.
Zoey Williams was recognized as a 2024 Woman of Influence in Canada (Photo contributed)
While Williams and her father had been in small aircraft cockpits, she yearned for the day when the duo would be on the flight deck operating a commercial airliner.
Captain Orrett Williams and his daughter Zoey Williams in the cockpit (Photo contributed)
Her dream came true on September 22, 2023 when Captain Orrett Williams proudly announced that his First Officer was Zoey Williams on Air Canada Flight 857 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Toronto. (There was also a Relief Pilot in the cockpit on the eight-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean).
“We were both excited for this opportunity,” she said. “I had no concerns about our ability to operate professionally and work together. That was a given, but it was a great feeling to be in uniform flying together on a large aircraft. We were scheduled to go to Europe and back, but there was a last-minute operational change.”
For safe and successful flying, mindset matters for pilots.
Personal familiarity takes a backseat the moment a captain enters the cockpit.
“I get into an operational mind switch where protocols have to be followed to fly an aircraft safely,” said Williams’ father. “We are in the roles of pilot flying and pilot not flying. That is the way we are trained. It was only after the fact when people mentioned that I and my daughter flew together in the same cockpit and it was so amazing did I realize the significance of it. During the flight, I was just thinking about getting the job done.”
There was a funny moment on the historic flight.
When a pilot passes control of the plane to another, they use the phrase ‘You have Control’ and the receiving pilot replies ‘I have Control’.
While handing over to her dad to go to the cabin after the flight was at cruise altitude, Williams turned to him saying ‘Dad, You have Control’.
“I did not pick up on that right away, but the Relief Pilot did and told Zoey the operating criteria should be changed when she works with her father,” the veteran pilot recalled.
Back in the day, Jamaicans flocked to the waving gallery at Palisadoes Airport in Kingston which became Norman Manley International Airport in 1972 to see family members arrive and depart.
After one such trip, Orrett Williams told his mom he wanted ‘to drive an airplane’.
Just five years at the time, he never wavered from that position.
Living close to the airport, Williams often climbed an ackee tree next to his home, sat on a sturdy branch and watched planes soar into the sky.
In high school at Wolmer’s, he built model planes, using his lunch money to buy materials.
With Jamaica politically unstable in the early 1970s, Williams’ mother brought her six children to Toronto in April 1974.
On his first flight, he went into the Lockheed L-1011 cockpit.
“The captain asked if anyone was interested and I put my hand up,” said Williams. “I asked questions and was very intrigued. I walked out of that cockpit knowing I would be a pilot.”
While completing high school at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, the Guidance Counsellor inquired about his career goals.
“I told him I was thinking about becoming a pilot and this man said that is all well and good, but maybe I should set myself on something more achievable like being a carpenter,” said Williams. “That was the first time I was told I should not pursue my dream.”
Dejected, he walked out of the office vowing never to interact again with the Guidance Counsellor.
Soon after earning his Private Pilot’s License while navigating three jobs, Williams injured his knee while playing basketball and had to pause flight training studies at Seneca College.
After taking an Avionics Technician course and working in the field for a few years, he completed his Pilot’s License and Instructor Endorsement certification and was the first Black instructor in Oshawa for two years.
In an industry in which people of colour are traditionally underrepresented, support from experienced aviators is essential.
“When I started flying, there were some instructors from Pakistan who were teaching in Oshawa,” Williams said. “They helped build my confidence as were a couple of pilots who were role models for me. They included Mike Dell, Murray Garrison and Larry McAllister who were helpful when I began flying and became a Flight Instructor at the Oshawa Flying Club. Because of them, I became more familiar with airline operations at an early stage in the business.”
He was the first Black pilot to fly Medevac air ambulance flights in Northern Ontario before joining a regional carrier.
In 1996, Williams became Air Canada’s second Black pilot.
Three-and-a-half years later, he transitioned to Captain.
Once a pilot has flown for a long time, you can bet they have a few interesting stories to share.
“I have had births, deaths and diversions because of ill passengers,” said Williams whose longest flight was just over 17 hours from Toronto to Hong Kong in a snowstorm. “On one occasion, a passenger began having urological issues halfway across the Atlantic Ocean and started screaming in pain. Luckily for him, there were seven urologists on board the flight returning to Toronto from a conference in London. They looked after him at the back of the plane on a full flight.”
As Williams climbed, he lifted many other young aviators.
“I first met Orrett at an Urban Pilots & Professionals Network gathering while I was still serving as a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot in 2012,” recalled Air Canada Captain Damar Walker. “Over the years, he has been a wealth of knowledge and a consummate professional in his role at Air Canada. From our first conversation to witnessing his dedication firsthand in the community and as a pilot, he has had a profound impact on my journey to Air Canada. He has inspired me to uphold the highest standards of professionalism as an A320 Captain.”
Sergeant Jermaine Watt ran into Williams three years ago while on patrol in the community.
“I learned that he is Jamaican-born and a pilot just like I am,” said the Toronto Police Service officer who acquired his pilot’s license 18 years ago. “The more we shared our journeys and passion for aviation, the more I learnt how much we have in common. We are members of the Urban Pilots & Professional Network that hosts a youth program, Taking Flight. He is always there, offering the youths his time and advice. Orrett is a humble and modest man who puts the needs of others before his own.”
What advice would the experienced pilot give to young people interested in an aviation career?
“I believe they should be encouraged to aspire for whatever career they are interested in,” Williams said. “They should also seek out people who are in the field to get a sense of what it is like and what it takes to get into it.”
Single mothers are often praised for their role in raising their children, but single fathers rarely receive the praise they deserve for doing the same thing.
“I try to do my best when it comes to my children,” Williams said. “Growing up, my parents gave me as much as they could afford. They did everything they could for their six children. When I had to go away for two to three days for work, my family chipped in and helped out. I don’t know anything else.”
Most pilots have a favourite plane.
For Williams who has flown the venerable DC-9, the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 767 and 777, it is the Boeing 747 dubbed ‘The Queen of the Skies’.
“It was majestic and the easiest airplane I have ever flown,” he said. “It moved through the sky gracefully and was easy to land. It didn’t do anything relatively fast when you try to get it set up and going.”
Air Canada retired the last of the 747 fleet in 2004.
Williams retires in July and his First Officer on that last flight is likely to be his daughter who is the keynote speaker at the second annual Onyx Initiative Gala on February 22 at the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.
Flying for nearly three decades with Air Canada has allowed him see many countries.
Williams plans to relax, travel, spend winter in the Caribbean and South Pacific and continue mentoring young people.
