Ian Gracie's Journey Through Addiction and Recovery

The cockpit of a commercial airliner might be the last place you'd expect to find someone battling addiction. Yet Ian Gracie's powerful story reveals that pilots face the same human challenges as everyone else – often with far higher stakes.

Ian's aviation journey began in the rugged wilderness of Northern Canada, flying float planes for operations like Pine House Airways with barely 400 hours in his logbook. As he progressed through increasingly sophisticated aircraft and operations, eventually reaching the captain's seat at WestJet, a parallel story was unfolding: his struggle with alcoholism.

The shocking reality Ian shares is that his addiction once led him to report for duty intoxicated. "I walked into dispatch drunk. Nobody said a word. I walked through the CSAs in the terminal drunk. Nobody said anything," he recounts. It wasn't until his first officer noted the smell of alcohol that reality began to set in. For Ian and other pilots battling substance use disorders, the fear of losing their medical certification – essentially ending their careers – often prevents them from seeking help until they reach catastrophic breaking points.

What makes Ian's story particularly valuable is his transformation from a pilot in crisis to a champion for recovery. After hitting rock bottom and finding sobriety in 1999, Ian became instrumental in developing WestJet's Pilot Recovery Program (PRP). This program provides a pathway for pilots struggling with substance use disorders to get help and eventually return to the flight deck – something previously unimaginable in an industry where such issues were career-enders.

Ian's work didn't stop there. Recognizing the need for a national approach, he founded Air Crew Recovery Canada (ARC), which extends support to all pilots across the country. The Carson Air crash in 2015, where a captain with a blood alcohol level of 0.24 crashed a Metro airliner, underscored the critical importance of his work. As Ian points out, "This is not a failure of Carson Air, this is a failure of Canadian aviation." Had there been a national program in place, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Beyond the safety implications, Ian's story highlights profound lessons about identity and purpose. "I used to be a pilot, and now I'm just a guy that flies airplanes," he shares, quoting advice from another recovering pilot. This distinction – separating one's career from one's identity – proved transformative in his recovery.

For those in recovery, regardless of profession, Ian's message resonates deeply: "You're loved, you matter." These simple words often reduce hardened aviation professionals to tears, speaking to the universal human need for connection and worth beyond professional accomplishments.

Ian's journey reminds us that behind the uniforms and technical expertise, pilots are people first. By creating systems that acknowledge this reality and provide pathways to help without punishment, aviation becomes not just safer, but more humane. As he continues his work with Air Crew Recovery Canada while maintaining his own sobriety and flying career, Ian embodies his closing message for a fulfilling life: "Love, laughter, adventure, and joy."