Future in Flight: Joseph Kennedy

This Future in Flight edition introduces @Kjo Kennedy, a fourth-year Electrical Engineering student at Carleton University who joined DHC as a Technical Publication Intern. Working alongside his manager, Gary Bresil, Joseph has supported his team while getting firsthand experience with the collaborative work that helps keep our aircraft documentation accurate and up to date. Continue reading to learn how his internship has strengthened his appreciation for teamwork, expanded his perspective on careers in aerospace, and helped him grow both professionally and personally.

1. What’s one thing you’ve learned in school that you’ve already used at DHC?

One thing I’ve learned in school that I’ve used at DHC is my python program making skill. In first year, all engineering students at Carleton are required to learn python, but most never use it after that. I was able to use it again at DeHavilland to make python Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Last summer during my first four-month internship in Avionics, I created a GUI for the CL-415 and DHC-515 that maps real time power distribution, circuit configurations, contactors and batteries, allowing users to interact with real live panels. Returning this summer as a Technical Publications intern, with the Technical Publications team I was able to build two more applications: an interactive process map with step-by-step screenshots tracing cases from open to close, and a daily case filtering tool. This was a great skill that I learned in school that I was able to apply at DHC.

2. Has this internship changed the type of career you want after graduation?

Working at DHC has not changed the type of career that I want to pursue but has shown me the variety of careers that are out there and experiences outside of my degree. Working in Technical Publications specifically has shown me that DHC is made up of many people with many different skillsets, and everyone is needed for DHC to complete its goals.

3. What’s something you’ve experienced here that most people wouldn’t expect?

One thing I experienced here is that most people wouldn’t expect is meeting another intern, becoming friends, and realizing that we go to the same university, have worked in the same labs and know the same people.

4. What’s one word your teammates would use to describe you?

One word my teammates would use to describe me is probably “reliable”. As an intern I have been learning about what my teammates do. I have been studying their processes and stepping in to cover their core tasks when they take vacation days. While I can’t handle the entire scope of their job, I manage the daily essentials to keep things moving and lighten their workload for when they get back. However, if not “reliable”, one word my teammates would use to describe me is “tall”.

5. Looking back on your first week, what’s changed the most?

Looking back on my first week in May 2025, one thing that has changed is working here has become way less intimidating. On my first day in a meeting, there were abbreviations being used that I had never heard before, they were being said so casually and used so often it felt like they were speaking another language. Now that I’ve learned many of the abbreviations, I use them just as much as my teammates and coworkers.