Yellowknife (Jul 07/06) - He flew first with Air Tindi all around the North but he made his comeback on a different airline.

On July 4, first class pilot Rob Simms, a 1993 graduate of St. Patrick high school, flew in the first Air Canada Jazz flight into Yellowknife.

First class pilot Rob Simms, who grew up in Yellowknife, had the honour of flying in the inaugural Air Canada Jazz flight from Calgary. - Emily Watkins/NNSL photo

"I have never worked for a company as generous as Air Jazz," says Simms, who has worked with the Air Canada discount carrier since December 2005. "When I found out they were flying to Yellowknife, I asked if I could fly here - and they immediately said yes."

The flight in went very smoothly, though it was very cloudy, he says. The clouds broke just as the city came into view, says Simms, who lives in Toronto.

"It was fantastic," Simms says.

"This is a point in my career that I'll always remember," he says.

Jazz is now servicing Yellowknife with flights to and from Calgary and Edmonton.

July 4 was the inaugural flight to Yk from Calgary. Passengers and crew were greeted by staff and presented with a large cake surrounded by balloons.

It had been five years since Simms had made his way back to Yellowknife. "It's really nice to be back," Simms says. "My family lives here and I've still got lots of friends from high school."

"There is something about being from Yellowknife - the camaraderie, people tend to keep in touch up here."

Simms says that from what he hears, things have changed quite a lot - including the airport, which has a new section and has been nicely renovated since he left in 2001.

"I hear that there are housing developments all around Niven Lake now," Simms says.

"When I was here it was just a mosquito-infested swamp."