About this season
Born from the need to transport patients and people from Indigneous communities in Canada, Northern Air Rescue documents life inside Missinippi Airways, a Manitoba airline providing air ambulance, passenger and cargo services to the north.
Episodes (13)
1. Welcome to Missinippi Airways
Aired 9 January 2024
Operating in some of Canada’s most challenging aviation conditions, a young pilot fresh out of flight school takes off on her first exciting adventure with Missinippi Airways.
2. A Mom First, Then a Pilot
Aired 16 January 2024
Follow a medivac flight crew as they work through a demanding 13-day rotation. While the crew responsibilities are challenging enough, for captain and single mom Robyn Shlachetka, balancing the needs of two young daughters adds to the demands.
3. Mechanics to the Rescue
Aired 23 January 2024
Harsh weather and gravel runways make flights difficult for pilots and their planes. When one medivac plane suffers a mechanical issue, Missinippi Airways’ maintenance team swings into action, swapping parts and equipment to prepare a replacement plane.
4. A First Nation and a First Officer
Aired 30 January 2024
After a year honing her aviation skills on a passenger service to Pukatawagan, a young pilot fights for a spot in Missinippi Airways’ air ambulance program.
5. At the Mercy of Mother Nature
Aired 6 February 2024
At Grace Lake Airport, low-lying fog is grounding Missinippi Airways’ flights to Pukatawagan. With customers and baggage backing up in the terminal, pilots and customer service reps wait patiently for the weather to improve.
6. Moving Up the Ranks
Aired 13 February 2024
As a small Indigenous-owned airline, Missinippi Airways’ success depends on training pilots who can handle the unique challenges of northern aviation. However, retaining pilots can be challenging when you’re competing against the lure of big airlines.
7. A New Pilot Gets His Wings
Aired 20 February 2024
Flight training is a team effort, conducted under the watchful eye of management and experienced pilots. Starting in the dispatch centre in Winnipeg, new pilots wait for the call that takes them from a desk job into the Missinippi Airways cockpits.
8. When Winter Arrives
Aired 27 February 2024
In northern Manitoba, flying through bad weather and poor visibility is part of life. However, when the first winter storm hits the Grace Lake terminal, Missinippi Airways encounters a whole new set of aviation challenges.
9. Keeping the Runway Open
Aired 5 March 2024
For Missinippi Airways, maintaining their Grace Lake runway is essential to keeping their passenger and medivac fleet in the air. But when the deep freeze arrives in this part of Canada, planes and machinery start to break down.
10. Growing Pains
Aired 12 March 2024
After a record number of medivac flights this year, Missinippi Airways is expanding, but with this growth comes a few growing pains. Inspired by the airline’s evolution, senior management decides to rebrand their fleet of planes.
11. A Lifeline to the North
Aired 19 March 2024
A cold snap impairs railway service from The Pas to Pukatawagan, so Missinippi Airways becomes the only way for people to get in or out of their community. An Indigenous medivac captain returns to Missinippi and flies a demanding rotation with a new crew.
12. A Medivac Captain is Born
Aired 26 March 2024
At Missinippi Airways, medivac pilots do much more than fly planes. When a job-related injury sidelines one of their crew members, a talented young pilot earns her shot at moving up to the medivac program.
13. A Departure and an Arrival
Aired 2 April 2024
With the surprising resignation of one of Missinippi Airways’ senior managers, others line up seeking an opportunity for advancement. Later, a new first officer arrives from South America and gets a crash course in the unique challenges of northern aviation.