Ken Lett, a 97-year-old veteran and Spitfire pilot in the Second World War, has donated $2.4 million to the Mount Royal University (MRU) aviation diploma program..Lett served as a Spitfire pilot in combat, survived the invasion of Normandy, served in the Cold War, and finally excelled in a career in the aviation support industry..“Aviation has been my life, I just love flying” said Lett..“My heart is full of joy when I think of helping young people have careers in aviation.”.Lett’s donation will support MRU’s two-year aviation diploma program through scholarships and bursaries, mainly focused on underrepresented groups such as Indigenous Peoples and women..Lett expressed gratitude to MRU’s program..“I’m glad MRU is expanding the aviation curriculum to include more business management training.”.“This will provide great value to the students in their careers so they can go beyond being pilots if they wish. The aviation sector’s greatest deficiency is in people who can manage, at all levels. Every airline, every airport, every aviation services operation needs good business leaders who understand flying.”.Prior to the pandemic, there was a100% employment rate for students entering the second year of the program..Alissa Stirling, a former flight attendant for Air Canada, said she’ll start her second year of the MRU Aviation Diploma in the fall and expressed gratitude for Lett’s student-focused donation..“I would like to sincerely thank Ken from all of the students. His generosity greatly contributes to the future careers of all of us lucky enough to be enrolled in the program,” she said..Born in 1923 in the farming community of Carp, Ont., Lett grew up playing hockey and helped his mother selling chickens and eggs at a weekend market.. Screen-Shot-2021-06-29-at-1.38.57-PMKen Lett receiving his wings from Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1942. .At 18, Lett was swept up in a sense of duty towards his nation – partially influenced by his admiration of First World War pilot Billy Bishop. Lett and his brother enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force; a good way to escape their farming life, said Lett..“I was glad I didn’t have to milk anymore cows” Lett said, and after he got the hang of some complicated maneuvers, he remembered he “knew flying was for me and I never looked back.”.After entering the military Lett flew a Spitfire with the 402 Squadron, and was in the thick of the action through Normandy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany..Lett came to Calgary in 1978 and joined the aviation industry, with him and partners focusing on refuelling operations and related services through Executive Flight Centre Fuel Services..Jackie Conroy is a Correspondent for the Western Standard.jconroy@westernstandardonline.com
Ken Lett, a 97-year-old veteran and Spitfire pilot in the Second World War, has donated $2.4 million to the Mount Royal University (MRU) aviation diploma program..Lett served as a Spitfire pilot in combat, survived the invasion of Normandy, served in the Cold War, and finally excelled in a career in the aviation support industry..“Aviation has been my life, I just love flying” said Lett..“My heart is full of joy when I think of helping young people have careers in aviation.”.Lett’s donation will support MRU’s two-year aviation diploma program through scholarships and bursaries, mainly focused on underrepresented groups such as Indigenous Peoples and women..Lett expressed gratitude to MRU’s program..“I’m glad MRU is expanding the aviation curriculum to include more business management training.”.“This will provide great value to the students in their careers so they can go beyond being pilots if they wish. The aviation sector’s greatest deficiency is in people who can manage, at all levels. Every airline, every airport, every aviation services operation needs good business leaders who understand flying.”.Prior to the pandemic, there was a100% employment rate for students entering the second year of the program..Alissa Stirling, a former flight attendant for Air Canada, said she’ll start her second year of the MRU Aviation Diploma in the fall and expressed gratitude for Lett’s student-focused donation..“I would like to sincerely thank Ken from all of the students. His generosity greatly contributes to the future careers of all of us lucky enough to be enrolled in the program,” she said..Born in 1923 in the farming community of Carp, Ont., Lett grew up playing hockey and helped his mother selling chickens and eggs at a weekend market.. Screen-Shot-2021-06-29-at-1.38.57-PMKen Lett receiving his wings from Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1942. .At 18, Lett was swept up in a sense of duty towards his nation – partially influenced by his admiration of First World War pilot Billy Bishop. Lett and his brother enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force; a good way to escape their farming life, said Lett..“I was glad I didn’t have to milk anymore cows” Lett said, and after he got the hang of some complicated maneuvers, he remembered he “knew flying was for me and I never looked back.”.After entering the military Lett flew a Spitfire with the 402 Squadron, and was in the thick of the action through Normandy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany..Lett came to Calgary in 1978 and joined the aviation industry, with him and partners focusing on refuelling operations and related services through Executive Flight Centre Fuel Services..Jackie Conroy is a Correspondent for the Western Standard.jconroy@westernstandardonline.com
