Meet The Team
The CASARA YT team is dedicated to leading our volunteers located in the North. These are the members who dedicate their time and effort into managing and leading the YT Member Organization to make successful search and rescue taskings possible.
Director of YK: David Downing
Deputy Director: Ian Robertson
Ian D. Robertson has been a member of CASARA Yukon since January 1991 based in Whitehorse. He is a pilot and owns a 1975 C-177B. He has served as a spotter, navigator and is in training as a pilot. He has served as Safety Officer, vice-President and President of the Yukon MO and as Director and Deputy Director nationally over the years. He learned to fly at the Edmonton Flying Club and achieved his commercial license while living and working in Yellowknife, NWT. During his 46 year career he has worked in both the public and private sector in 5 provinces and all 3 northern territories.
Vice President: Murray Adams
Murray Adams is a private pilot, having obtained his license in 1975 via the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He has held numerous positions with CASARA Yukon over the years. This is his second time being a CASARA Yukon member, having taken time away from the organization to build up his PIC hours and buying his Cessna 182. Alas, his Cessna 182 was sold in 2020 to a pilot that is active with CASARA Manitoba, Zone 2. Murray can sometimes be found occupying the left seat of Ian’s C-177B Cardinal.
Provincial Training Officer: Dan Robinson
Provincial Safety Officer & Treasurer: Alex Kohler
Secretary & Communications: Donna Clayson
I have always had a great interest in aircraft. It was great fun as a pre-teen building toy airplanes, especially the military ones that I could place decals on. During my teenage years I had dozens of my projects hanging by a thread from the ceiling in my bedroom. I left the Yukon in 1979 and stored my ‘toy airplanes’ in a shed. When I returned for good in 2008 the shed was cleared out along with the box holding my treasures.
I heard about CASARA not long after setting up permanent roots in Whitehorse. I joined and started with spotter training. I loved being a part of a family-oriented organization and flying in not only private aircraft but military ones as well. Eventually I took on the role of Zone Commander for a short time, then secretary and finally President for 2.5 terms. I took part in as many SARex’s as possible, not only in the Yukon but in Yellowknife as well. The most exciting role I took part in was in Bechoko where I played a victim in a military medical training SAREX.
In 2018 I left the position of President due to health reasons but have remained with CASARA Yukon as spotter. I enjoy writing and one article I am quite proud of was the history of the 1929 Super Universal Fokker (CF-AAM). It took me 6 months to gather all the information, photos and speaking to numerous people that knew the history of this most interesting aircraft. The article was eventually condensed in the Canadian Aviation Historical Journal with the grand lady displayed on the front cover flying over Schwatka Lake in Whitehorse. I also wrote the history of our iconic weather vane here in Whitehorse, the DC3 (CF-CPY). My future plans include writing the history of how the DC3 made its mark as a supply aircraft here in the north.
Zone Commander: Michael Templeton
