Airline Pilot
Hello, My name is Erin and while my house is in Richmond, Virginia, I’m
currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. I have 2 cats (who strangely enough don’
t like to fly!) and a dog. My sweetie is not a pilot, but does love to fly!
I grew up in the military and my dad would take me to airshows. I had
dreams of flying F-15’s and maybe being a Thunderbird someday. My dad
helped me build model airplanes and we hung them from my bedroom ceiling.
But I didn’t start flying until I was out of college, when I met another woman
who had her own airplane. We became great friends and flew her Beech
Debonair all over the country. My dad always told me that I had what it took
to become a pilot, and I'm so glad I believed him!
I just decided one day to learn to fly. I had saved some extra money and
decided to use it getting my wings. My friend Maureen (the woman with her
own plane) helped me a lot, and so did my dad. Everyone was really
supportive, and has been for my entire aviation career. I learned a lot while
learning to fly – that I’m more courageous than I realized, that I can learn a
lot of the tough concepts it took to get my instrument rating, that I have the
tenacity to see difficult things through, like my first jet type rating, and that I
have the stamina to get through airline training.
I learned to fly in Maureen’s Beech Debonair, and in a Piper Warrior that
belonged to the flying club I joined. Then I went to Florida for a year of
intensive flight training, where I flew Piper Archers, Arrows and Seminoles.
After that was over, I got a Citation business jet type rating and flew 2
different models of Citations for a charter/management company in Virginia.
Although I enjoyed the flying, the lifestyle was tough. I was on call 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, and it was hard to have a normal life. Now I’m flying
for Atlantic Southeast Airlines in a CRJ-200. It's the most fun plane yet!
Yep, flying is how I make a living. Before that I had considered going to
veterinary school, but decided that I would be better suited to something
different. Then I worked in a hospital for about 5 years, in the operating
room, and really enjoyed it. Finally one day I decided to become a pilot. I
was fortunate – I went from no flight time to airline pilot in 3 years. Very fast
– I had lots of great mentors and footsteps in which to follow! I really prefer
the corporate type of flying, the little jets. But the airlines afford a better
schedule and more of a life outside of aviation. Maybe someday I’ll find a nice
private jet on the West Coast to fly for someone who appreciates me!
I love being airborne. It’s beautiful to take off just before sunrise, and to see
the big orange ball slowly peep its head out. I have been to 49 of the 50
states, many of them thanks to my flying career. The magazine “Aviation for
Women” has published a few of my articles, and this year I intend to get
more published. The best part about flying is that I get paid to do
something I love! Sure, there are sacrifices (like being in a hotel almost 200
nights last year) but so far the benefits far outweigh the costs. For me,
flying is a nice blend of the artistic part of life with the challenging intellectual
side. I get to use my entire brain every day! I used to think that flying
would be too restricted, that it wouldn’t allow for me to be creative. But
what I learned is that, although every take off and every landing have to fall
within certain standards, there really is a lot of room for me to be creative!
No two days are the same, ever!
Even in my airline uniform, with my flight bag by my side, I still get confused
with the flight attendants! It’s a natural reaction for people to see a woman
in uniform in an airplane and assume she’s the flight attendant. And lots of
people are surprised to learn that I’m indeed one of the pilots! Amazingly,
there was once a man who told me in shock that he didn’t know that it was
even legal for women to fly! Girls, we need to get out there and educate the
world that women make excellent pilots!
I never thought of myself as being a math/science person. I studied biology
in order to go to vet school, but in the end i graduated with a degree in
Spanish! Go to college, study something you love, and have a back up plan.
Being a professional pilot is a fantastic way to make a living, but this industry
is fickle. It changes a lot and it’s common for a pilot to find herself out of
work and needing job skills other than flying.
Read Erin's blog at: http://flyinerin.blogspot.com!
Hello, My name is Erin and while my house is in Richmond, Virginia, I’m
currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. I have 2 cats (who strangely enough don’
t like to fly!) and a dog. My sweetie is not a pilot, but does love to fly!
I grew up in the military and my dad would take me to airshows. I had
dreams of flying F-15’s and maybe being a Thunderbird someday. My dad
helped me build model airplanes and we hung them from my bedroom ceiling.
But I didn’t start flying until I was out of college, when I met another woman
who had her own airplane. We became great friends and flew her Beech
Debonair all over the country. My dad always told me that I had what it took
to become a pilot, and I'm so glad I believed him!
I just decided one day to learn to fly. I had saved some extra money and
decided to use it getting my wings. My friend Maureen (the woman with her
own plane) helped me a lot, and so did my dad. Everyone was really
supportive, and has been for my entire aviation career. I learned a lot while
learning to fly – that I’m more courageous than I realized, that I can learn a
lot of the tough concepts it took to get my instrument rating, that I have the
tenacity to see difficult things through, like my first jet type rating, and that I
have the stamina to get through airline training.
I learned to fly in Maureen’s Beech Debonair, and in a Piper Warrior that
belonged to the flying club I joined. Then I went to Florida for a year of
intensive flight training, where I flew Piper Archers, Arrows and Seminoles.
After that was over, I got a Citation business jet type rating and flew 2
different models of Citations for a charter/management company in Virginia.
Although I enjoyed the flying, the lifestyle was tough. I was on call 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, and it was hard to have a normal life. Now I’m flying
for Atlantic Southeast Airlines in a CRJ-200. It's the most fun plane yet!
Yep, flying is how I make a living. Before that I had considered going to
veterinary school, but decided that I would be better suited to something
different. Then I worked in a hospital for about 5 years, in the operating
room, and really enjoyed it. Finally one day I decided to become a pilot. I
was fortunate – I went from no flight time to airline pilot in 3 years. Very fast
– I had lots of great mentors and footsteps in which to follow! I really prefer
the corporate type of flying, the little jets. But the airlines afford a better
schedule and more of a life outside of aviation. Maybe someday I’ll find a nice
private jet on the West Coast to fly for someone who appreciates me!
I love being airborne. It’s beautiful to take off just before sunrise, and to see
the big orange ball slowly peep its head out. I have been to 49 of the 50
states, many of them thanks to my flying career. The magazine “Aviation for
Women” has published a few of my articles, and this year I intend to get
more published. The best part about flying is that I get paid to do
something I love! Sure, there are sacrifices (like being in a hotel almost 200
nights last year) but so far the benefits far outweigh the costs. For me,
flying is a nice blend of the artistic part of life with the challenging intellectual
side. I get to use my entire brain every day! I used to think that flying
would be too restricted, that it wouldn’t allow for me to be creative. But
what I learned is that, although every take off and every landing have to fall
within certain standards, there really is a lot of room for me to be creative!
No two days are the same, ever!
Even in my airline uniform, with my flight bag by my side, I still get confused
with the flight attendants! It’s a natural reaction for people to see a woman
in uniform in an airplane and assume she’s the flight attendant. And lots of
people are surprised to learn that I’m indeed one of the pilots! Amazingly,
there was once a man who told me in shock that he didn’t know that it was
even legal for women to fly! Girls, we need to get out there and educate the
world that women make excellent pilots!
I never thought of myself as being a math/science person. I studied biology
in order to go to vet school, but in the end i graduated with a degree in
Spanish! Go to college, study something you love, and have a back up plan.
Being a professional pilot is a fantastic way to make a living, but this industry
is fickle. It changes a lot and it’s common for a pilot to find herself out of
work and needing job skills other than flying.
Read Erin's blog at: http://flyinerin.blogspot.com!
 |
| 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
Erin's Advice for future
pilots: STUDY HARD,
DO WELL IN SCHOOL,
BROADEN YOUR
EDUCATION, APPLY
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
(LEARNING TO FLY IS
VERY, VERY
EXPENSIVE!),
NETWORK WITH
OTHER PEOPLE WHO
FLY, AND ALWAYS
KEEP YOUR PLANS
FLEXIBLE! In case
you're interested in
learning more, while
Erin was going
through new-hire
training at her current
airline she chronicled
her training
experiences in the
following website: http:
//flyinerin.diaryland.
com/older.html
pilots: STUDY HARD,
DO WELL IN SCHOOL,
BROADEN YOUR
EDUCATION, APPLY
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
(LEARNING TO FLY IS
VERY, VERY
EXPENSIVE!),
NETWORK WITH
OTHER PEOPLE WHO
FLY, AND ALWAYS
KEEP YOUR PLANS
FLEXIBLE! In case
you're interested in
learning more, while
Erin was going
through new-hire
training at her current
airline she chronicled
her training
experiences in the
following website: http:
//flyinerin.diaryland.
com/older.html