Mike has held a Commercial Pilot License for over 40 years with multi-engine land and sea ratings and an instrument endorsement. He was a glider instructor for a number of years and ran Private and Commercial Pilot ground schools for several Flight Training Units.

Mike graduated with a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering and has worked as an experimental test engineer for aircraft power plants (Pratt and Whitney Canada), an aircraft design engineer (Bombardier Aerospace), a flight simulator project engineer (CAE Electronics), a space systems training analyst (Canadian Space Agency) and an avionics product marketing manager (CMC Electronics).