Pilot
I live in Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula which lies between the Chesapeake Bay
and the Atlantic Ocean. I have a 19-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 commercial and instrument 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 19-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 commercial and instrument 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