Pilot
I live in Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula which lies between the
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. I have a 21-year-old son and two
cats.
My dad completed his private pilot certificate when I was 12. I enjoyed
hearing him talk about flying, and then of course I loved flying with him. Both
my parents encouraged me to follow my dreams, so I started working on my
private certificate when I was 19.The encouragement of my parents was
what convinced me, combined with my interest in aviation. Although I'm sure
there were many lessons learned that I can't remember, mostly for me it was
a big confidence builder.
I got my private pilot certificate (airplane single-engine land - ASEL) in
October 1981. I now have my Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and instrument
rating in both single-engine land and multi-engine land, plus CFI and CFII for
ASEL. Most of my time is in Piper Cherokee aircraft. I used to own a Cessna
140 which is a fun two-place tailwheel aircraft, and now own a Piper Cherokee
235 which carries four passengers and baggage. I also fly a Beechcraft B200
King Air as part of my job. This is a two-engine turbo-prop aircraft.
My full time job is Business Manager for my office which entails budgeting
and reporting on all our finances, plus most of the procurement duties. My
knowledge of aviation really helps when it comes to making purchasing
decisions for our planes. Flying the B200 is just a small part of my job, but
definitely the most fun. My job is made up of many different duties, so it
seems that I never do the same thing on any given day. The best part of my
job is when I get to fly!
Most people who learn that I am a pilot are surprised. It is amazing how few
people understand what General Aviation is, so they automatically think I fly
for an airline. But I take the opportunity to talk about what I do and they
always walk away with a much better understanding.
BONUS
What role do skills in math, science, engineering and technology play
in supporting your job? My undergraduate degree is in math. I had always
been good at it in high school, but never thought much about it until my
college calculus professor in my freshman year encouraged me to study
math. I think that was when I really started to like math. Before my current
job, most of my life I worked as a computer programmer. My brain seems to
be wired to be logical and analytical, which I find has been helpful in aviation.
It sure makes the weight and balance problems a lot easier when you enjoy
doing them!
What activities do you suggest for young children or young adults to
prepare them for a career like yours? Math and science are so much fun,
and if a person can have an attitude of turning these subjects into a game,
then that helps the person to be successful. Too many girls I've talked to
say to me "I'm just not good in math." I think they've been told too many
times that girls aren't good with math and they've come to believe it. Don't
let yourself be brainwashed like this!
Realize that if you can dream it, you can do it. Never let other people
step on your dreams!
I live in Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula which lies between the
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. I have a 21-year-old son and two
cats.
My dad completed his private pilot certificate when I was 12. I enjoyed
hearing him talk about flying, and then of course I loved flying with him. Both
my parents encouraged me to follow my dreams, so I started working on my
private certificate when I was 19.The encouragement of my parents was
what convinced me, combined with my interest in aviation. Although I'm sure
there were many lessons learned that I can't remember, mostly for me it was
a big confidence builder.
I got my private pilot certificate (airplane single-engine land - ASEL) in
October 1981. I now have my Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and instrument
rating in both single-engine land and multi-engine land, plus CFI and CFII for
ASEL. Most of my time is in Piper Cherokee aircraft. I used to own a Cessna
140 which is a fun two-place tailwheel aircraft, and now own a Piper Cherokee
235 which carries four passengers and baggage. I also fly a Beechcraft B200
King Air as part of my job. This is a two-engine turbo-prop aircraft.
My full time job is Business Manager for my office which entails budgeting
and reporting on all our finances, plus most of the procurement duties. My
knowledge of aviation really helps when it comes to making purchasing
decisions for our planes. Flying the B200 is just a small part of my job, but
definitely the most fun. My job is made up of many different duties, so it
seems that I never do the same thing on any given day. The best part of my
job is when I get to fly!
Most people who learn that I am a pilot are surprised. It is amazing how few
people understand what General Aviation is, so they automatically think I fly
for an airline. But I take the opportunity to talk about what I do and they
always walk away with a much better understanding.
BONUS
What role do skills in math, science, engineering and technology play
in supporting your job? My undergraduate degree is in math. I had always
been good at it in high school, but never thought much about it until my
college calculus professor in my freshman year encouraged me to study
math. I think that was when I really started to like math. Before my current
job, most of my life I worked as a computer programmer. My brain seems to
be wired to be logical and analytical, which I find has been helpful in aviation.
It sure makes the weight and balance problems a lot easier when you enjoy
doing them!
What activities do you suggest for young children or young adults to
prepare them for a career like yours? Math and science are so much fun,
and if a person can have an attitude of turning these subjects into a game,
then that helps the person to be successful. Too many girls I've talked to
say to me "I'm just not good in math." I think they've been told too many
times that girls aren't good with math and they've come to believe it. Don't
let yourself be brainwashed like this!
Realize that if you can dream it, you can do it. Never let other people
step on your dreams!
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| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
TM
