Airline Pilot and Airplane Owner
Hi, My name is Cindy. I live in Centennial, which is near Denver, Colorado. I
am 33 years old and have a beautiful daughter, Sophia, who is 2. I am even
the proud owner of my own airplane, a Piper Cub!
When I was a little girl living in California, I could lie in the grass in my
backyard and watch the C-5s fly the approach into Travis Air Force Base.
When I finally got my driver’s license, I would park at the far end of the
runway and watch the cargo jets do fly-bys! I can’t remember myself at any
age not being as excited as a kid in a candy store each time these airplanes
roared by!
When I turned eighteen, I traveled out to the local airport to inquire about
the cost of flight lessons. At $35.00 an hour for the airplane, plus the
instructor fee, books and a headset, it was, at the time, a hopeless
proposition. I was earning $3.35 an hour at the local fast food restaurant
(this was the 1990s, after all). Since I was also paying for college tuition, I
decided that flight lessons would have to be put on the back burner for
awhile.
Five years later, I had a degree in International Business and an office job
that was boring and mundane. So, I made a decision. It was time to reach
for the sky and become a pilot. I quit my corporate job and started waiting
tables to earn enough money working in the evenings so that I could afford
spending my days studying and flying. I also had a lot of support from my
husband. He encouraged me every step of the way (he paid all the bills while
I spent all the money I made on flying). I didn’t do it alone!
In three months I had my Private Pilot license. Within a year, I had my
Private, Instrument, Commercial and MultiEngine Ratings. By year two, I
obtained my Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and my Certified Flight
Instructor Instrument Ratings (CFII).
By networking at a Women in Aviation, International, Conference, I landed a
flight instructor position at wonderful flight school at Spirit of St. Louis
Airport. In the seven months I was employed there, I was able to log 700
hours and obtain my Multi Engine Instructor Rating. All the money I made
as a flight instructor went right back into building my multiengine time.
After just three and a half years of training and instructing, I had 1000
hours of total flight time and 150 hours of multiengine time. I now had the
credentials to fly for the regional airlines.
I was soon hired by a commuter airline and met my goal of earning my
Captain’s stripes in one year. I flew the Beech 1900 for four years altogether
and had 3800 hours of flight time, of which 1500 hours were logged as
turbine pilot in command time. Now I had met my career goal of having the
qualifications to hire on to the majors, but….
My husband (also a pilot) and I decided it was time to start a family. We had
our beautiful baby girl, Sophie. Two months after returning from maternity
leave, I was hired at America West Airlines. I have been at America West for
a year now. I love every minute of it! Flying the Airbus 319/320 is the best
job in the world!
I must say that this is a very condensed version of my career. It was a lot
of work to get here. It didn’t come without a lot of trials and tribulations;
my husband and I moved ten times in five years. With both of us flying for
different airlines, it was sometimes a challenge to see each other.
Even though it was a lot of hard work (and a lot of jumping through hoops),
I’ve enjoyed the ride!
Hi, My name is Cindy. I live in Centennial, which is near Denver, Colorado. I
am 33 years old and have a beautiful daughter, Sophia, who is 2. I am even
the proud owner of my own airplane, a Piper Cub!
When I was a little girl living in California, I could lie in the grass in my
backyard and watch the C-5s fly the approach into Travis Air Force Base.
When I finally got my driver’s license, I would park at the far end of the
runway and watch the cargo jets do fly-bys! I can’t remember myself at any
age not being as excited as a kid in a candy store each time these airplanes
roared by!
When I turned eighteen, I traveled out to the local airport to inquire about
the cost of flight lessons. At $35.00 an hour for the airplane, plus the
instructor fee, books and a headset, it was, at the time, a hopeless
proposition. I was earning $3.35 an hour at the local fast food restaurant
(this was the 1990s, after all). Since I was also paying for college tuition, I
decided that flight lessons would have to be put on the back burner for
awhile.
Five years later, I had a degree in International Business and an office job
that was boring and mundane. So, I made a decision. It was time to reach
for the sky and become a pilot. I quit my corporate job and started waiting
tables to earn enough money working in the evenings so that I could afford
spending my days studying and flying. I also had a lot of support from my
husband. He encouraged me every step of the way (he paid all the bills while
I spent all the money I made on flying). I didn’t do it alone!
In three months I had my Private Pilot license. Within a year, I had my
Private, Instrument, Commercial and MultiEngine Ratings. By year two, I
obtained my Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and my Certified Flight
Instructor Instrument Ratings (CFII).
By networking at a Women in Aviation, International, Conference, I landed a
flight instructor position at wonderful flight school at Spirit of St. Louis
Airport. In the seven months I was employed there, I was able to log 700
hours and obtain my Multi Engine Instructor Rating. All the money I made
as a flight instructor went right back into building my multiengine time.
After just three and a half years of training and instructing, I had 1000
hours of total flight time and 150 hours of multiengine time. I now had the
credentials to fly for the regional airlines.
I was soon hired by a commuter airline and met my goal of earning my
Captain’s stripes in one year. I flew the Beech 1900 for four years altogether
and had 3800 hours of flight time, of which 1500 hours were logged as
turbine pilot in command time. Now I had met my career goal of having the
qualifications to hire on to the majors, but….
My husband (also a pilot) and I decided it was time to start a family. We had
our beautiful baby girl, Sophie. Two months after returning from maternity
leave, I was hired at America West Airlines. I have been at America West for
a year now. I love every minute of it! Flying the Airbus 319/320 is the best
job in the world!
I must say that this is a very condensed version of my career. It was a lot
of work to get here. It didn’t come without a lot of trials and tribulations;
my husband and I moved ten times in five years. With both of us flying for
different airlines, it was sometimes a challenge to see each other.
Even though it was a lot of hard work (and a lot of jumping through hoops),
I’ve enjoyed the ride!
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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