Fort Smith (Feb 2o/06) - Ivan Bourque always wanted to be a bush pilot.

That's because his father, Billy Bourque, was a bush pilot in Northern Canada for almost 30 years and Ivan grew up around airplanes.

"I wanted to be a pilot my whole life," says the co-owner of Reliance Airways Ltd. in Fort Smith.

His dream didn't fall by the wayside when his father died in a plane crash just outside of Edmonton in 1993.

Despite that family tragedy, Bourque says he doesn't dwell on the danger of flying.

"If you grow up doing anything, it just seems normal," he says.

His father owned Loon Air, which the family sold to employees after his death. It eventually became Big River Air.

Bourque says he has had some close calls with danger while flying.

"Anyone who flies in the bush has close calls," he says. "I have one or two a year."

For Bourque, being a bush pilot is more than just a job.

"It's a lifestyle," he says. "It's not easy work, by no means. You do it for the love of it. I pride myself on being a bush pilot."