Jessica James said growing up in the remote community of Nimpo Lake, west of Williams Lake, made her who she is B次元官网网址� which at just 27, is the star pilot in the new reality television series Lost Car Rescue.

She spent her early years in the tiny town, leaving with her parents when she was 14, eventually settling on Vancouver Island, where she graduated from high school in Ladysmith.

But she would continue to return to work for summers at the resort The Dean on Nimpo.

B次元官网网址淣impo and the Chilcotin has such a big piece of my heart,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ecause NimpoB次元官网网址檚 such a small community, everyone kind of feels like family B次元官网网址� I feel so fortunate being able to grow up there.B次元官网网址�

She appreciates the practical skills she gained in her Chilcotin childhood, from the exposure to aviation B次元官网网址� Nimpo Lake being the float plane capital of B.C. for a long time B次元官网网址� to fishing, boating and four-wheeling.

She started out young, her first flight was at just six months old.

Her dad was a pilot throughout her childhood, and her mom was copilot.

B次元官网网址淚 have very fond memories of going flying with the both of them and going on family trips.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hey were a good team up in the cockpit,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview with the Tribune.

This exposure likely helped James consider flying as something she might grow up to do.

When she was just little, her father Stephen James even made her a plane cockpit out of paper and cardboard to play with, not something many little girls could likely say.

James got her private pilotB次元官网网址檚 license while she was trying to decide what to pursue in post-secondary education.

She then fell in love with flying and decided to go on to get her commercial license.

James said women can find it hard to break into commercial aviation, even more so in the area she decided to work in, flying float planes where there are even fewer women, but she said she hopes this is changing.

B次元官网网址淵ou definitely have to have the passion for it,B次元官网网址� she said, given that women experience more obstacles in the industry still.

James also said that while she may not have had any female pilot role models growing up, she has had some female mentors and been supported by fellow aviators, both male and female, who have helped her in getting to where she is now.

She hopes her role in the television series may also help change some minds about women doing this kind of flying.

B次元官网网址淚 feel very, very grateful that I have this opportunity,B次元官网网址� said James.

The team has turned into family for James during the project.

B次元官网网址淒ave is like another grandfather I found along the way and the other three are like brothers,B次元官网网址� she said, something she appreciates as an only child.

While James is only one of a crew of five, she plays a key role as the pilot, helping Matt Sager, who is the team leader and the one who started the salvage business which then led to the reality series.

Sager started out hunting for rare cars by himself with one pickup truck, a car trailer and $1,000, seven years ago.

From those beginnings he has built the business and his current team, which now includes using his 1948 Stinson taildragger airplane to help search from the air.

Watch the trailer:

Once he began using the airplane as a tool, Sager said he came to realize he would need someoneB次元官网网址檚 help flying after a few close calls.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lot to handle,B次元官网网址� said Sager. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 hunt cars, fly a plane and talk on the radio at the same time.B次元官网网址�

Sager had known James for years B次元官网网址� they met in flight school and James lived with Sager and his then-girlfriend as roommates.

SagerB次元官网网址檚 parents even purchased her childhood home on Nimpo Lake, which the family spends a couple of months at each winter and where James joins them for their New YearB次元官网网址檚 party each year. James is still close with both Sager and his now-wife.

B次元官网网址淛ess is probably the sweetest person IB次元官网网址檝e ever met B次元官网网址� almost too sweet,B次元官网网址� joked Sager, describing her as B次元官网网址渁 rare little gem.B次元官网网址�

He also described her as somewhat of a kindred spirit to himself, in that they both enjoy engaging with the people they meet and the stories along the way in the search for cars.

Since they met, Sager had been flying privately, but James had gone on to gain her commercial license and log hours flying commercially.

They had flown together many times since they were roommates and he had a lot of respect for her as a pilot.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no room for a softie up there in the air,B次元官网网址� he said, describing James as someone who doesnB次元官网网址檛 rush and is not a pushover in the cockpit.

B次元官网网址淚 like to take control and Jess will feed it right back to me if I take control of her plane,B次元官网网址� said Sager.

While he knew she would be a good fit for the project when he was growing his team, Sager also said he didnB次元官网网址檛 want to get in her way when she was doing so well in her profession and if she left her position, her spot would get filled.

B次元官网网址淚t seems like itB次元官网网址檚 a hard thing to advance in aviation as a female,B次元官网网址� said Sager. B次元官网网址淚t always seems like theyB次元官网网址檙e working so much harder to do the exact same job.B次元官网网址�

But when she was laid off from her job flying commercial float plane trips between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, he wanted her to join the team as the pilot.

James said operating the classic airplane and trying to get Sager a good look at the cars from the air, at just over 500 feet in altitude, combined with all of the obstacles that can come up when landing in fields and on roads was challenging flying that B次元官网网址渒ept her on her toesB次元官网网址� especially in northern B.C.

B次元官网网址淚 definitely got good practice at my cross-wind landings,B次元官网网址� she laughed, adding that the taildragger aircraft requires you to have fast hands and feet.

But these were less likely to phase James than some other young pilots, perhaps.

B次元官网网址淚 feel very grateful because I grew up listening to all the bush pilot stories,B次元官网网址� said James.

For Sager, there was no question James was the pilot for the job.

B次元官网网址淛ess was my first-round pick,B次元官网网址� said Sager.

The show Lost Car Rescue premieres Thursday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. on History and will document a team of men and one woman B次元官网网址� James B次元官网网址� who spent the summer locating and salvaging rare cars in the Peace Country of B.C.

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ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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