Jim Bell earned his glider and power pilot licences with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. His aviation career started as an airframe technician with 402 “City of Winnipeg” Squadron, working on CT-142 Dash 8 and CT-114 Tutor aircraft, and continued as an aircraft maintenance engineer with Air Canada. After twelve years on the Airbus A320 Phase Check line, Jim transferred to Air Canada line maintenance in Ottawa, working on A320, Embraer 190, and Boeing 767 aircraft. In 2016, Jim transferred back to Winnipeg. He continues to serve with 402 Squadron as a reservist.  

He has over eight hundred fifty hours PIC, and over one thousand hours total flying time, which includes volunteer search and rescue, aerobatics, and ski flying. He is now pursuing his commercial licence. Jim is secretary of the Springfield Flying Club, Manitoba & Nunavut director and national secretary for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), Manitoba Chapter president and national secretary of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, a director for the Air Cadet League of Manitoba, a director for the Manitoba Aviation Council, and chairperson of the annual Manitoba Aviation Conference. Jim owns a Challenger advanced ultralight. 

In addition to his extensive aviation experience, Jim is skilled as a copy editor, an event planner, and a parliamentarian. His ability to interpret and apply regulations, board policies, and Robert’s Rules of Order has frequently been put to use by the COPA board.