S3E1-Unconventional Path to Enter the Part 121 Airline Industry as a Low-Time Pilot

Inaia is a full-time Ground Instructor at a part 121 cargo airline despite the fact that she’s a low-time private pilot with her Advanced Ground Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor ratings from the FAA. In this Episode of Chicks Who Fly, Inaia shares how she got a job at at part 121 carrier, what the benefits are of getting her ground instructor ratings despite the fact that she was told getting these ratings would be a waste of time and some of the insights she has gained as she teaches ground school to pilots who are thousands of times more experienced than she is.Inaia is a full-time Ground Instructor at a part 121 cargo airline despite the fact that she’s a low-time private pilot with her Advanced Ground Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor ratings from the FAA. In this Episode of Chicks Who Fly, Inaia shares how she got a job at at part 121 carrier, what the benefits are of getting her ground instructor ratings despite the fact that she was told getting these ratings would be a waste of time and some of the insights she has gained as she teaches ground school to pilots who are thousands of times more experienced than she is.

Fly Girl, Flying, Aviation, Airplanes, Flight Training, Pilot, Podcast, WomanInaia JimenezJanuary 25, 2023pilot, ground school, instructor, Inaia

S2E8- Memphis-Based Retired FedEx Captain, Patricia Kessler

In this episode of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Memphis-based retired FedEx Captain, Patricia Kessler.

Patricia was first exposed to aviation when she married a man who had always wanted to take flying lessons and she sat in the back seat during a lesson. That sparked her love for flying. Patricia soon got a job w the Dept of Defense, joined the Army Reserves and applied to a reserve squadron at McGuire Air Force base and joined a military flying club near Philadelphia where she began her pilot training. After her time in the military, Patricia flew for People Express Airlines, and when they were bought out by Continental Airlines, she moved on to Fed Ex, where she would become a Captain and stay for 25 years.

This lady has flown all over the world and we get to talk old-school flying stories, challenging approaches, challenging aircraft, favorite places she’s seen in the world, cool airports, flying unusual cargo, insane airline policies that they could never get away with in this day and age, how she landed the job at FedEx and so so many great, fun, surprising and entertaining stories of flying and life. Don’t miss this interview with this awesome lady!

S2E6- Overcoming Obstacles to Pursue a Career in Aviation, Pilot Robin Hollinger

In this 6th episode of season 2 of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with private pilot, working on her instrument rating, Robin Hollinger. After working 5 or 6 different jobs, Robin pivoted and decided to pursue a career in aviation. The idea to start flight training was sparked by her younger brother wanting to start flight training. Robin went on to haver her discovery flight at 30 after a career counselor helped her get clear on what she wanted for herself. The counselor also helped set Robin up to pursue her flying goals.

Robin started flying in Wisconsin. Eventually, she asked her employer if they would let her work remotely so she could do her flight training. Her employer said yes and Robin moved to Florida where after completing her private pilot certificate. Florida is where Robin is currently working on her instrument rating.

In this episode, we get to chat about the challenges of flying in the extreme cold weather such as having to wait for the temperature to WARM UP to -10 F to be able to start the plane. Robin shares about the challenges of fine tuning maneuvers to be within ACS standards.

We also talk about how Robin soloed in winter in Wisconsin. And how she gained confidence after first solo.

Robin talks about how she found herself super challenged by radio communications. Shares some of the funny mistakes she’s made on radio calls. We talk about how practicing emergency checklists gave her confidence and about what her check ride was like , the challenges of instrument training, the discouraging moments she had in flight training and how she moved past them.

This and more in this episode of Chicks Who Fly.

S2E3-Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot Turned Writer, Liz Booker, @literaryaviatrix

In today’s episode of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Liz Booker, Retired Coast Guard Helicopter pilot now an author, of two books for young adults, that feature young women learning to fly. Liz now runs a book club, Aviatrix Book Club, where people get together and discuss books they read that feature women in aviation. Liz interviews the authors and releases those interviews on her Aviatrix Book Review Podcast. Liz also runs a club called Aviatrix Writer’s Group, where authors and aspiring authors support each other in their projects. Inspired by the space program, Liz knew she wanted to be a pilot since she was 5 yrs old. Liz had her first flight lessons in a turboprop in the coast guard in Pensacola and moved on to helicopters, where she had to hover the helicopter on her 4th lesson! Military flight training also meant that she was taught spin recovery and aerobatics very early on in training. From boot camp, doing dirty jobs to learning to fly in a turboprop, the Coast Guard was quite a ride. Liz and I talk about the challenge that memorization posed for her while doing her flight training in the military, all while having her first child. We talk about the day she got to do a low pass over the runway at the airport at NASA’s facility in Cape Canaveral, we discuss the crazy drills she had to do in airplanes and underwater, our propensities for seasickness vs air sickness, some of her missions with the coast guard, which included landing on the back of ships, rescuing people from sinking ships, searching for lost divers and even rescuing a stranded surfer in the middle of the night.

S2E1 - Composer, Pianist, Pilot- Arhynn Descy

Arhynn Descy, is a French/South African composer and pianist who splits her time between London and LA. She has written music for feature films, shorts, documentaries, the stage, for orchestra and a variety of solo instruments. Arhynn is also a private pilot. And she shares how she first fell in love with aviation as an 11-year-old girl when reading a series of books. We talk about the freedom and the thrill she finds in flying, the profound experience of Arhynn’s first solo flight. and about the life-transforming moment in her life that propelled her into her flight training.

Episode 13 - Pilot, Hair Stylist, Salon Owner and Host of the Cockpits and Cocktails Podcast, Allyssa VanMeter

I have a chat with pilot, hair stylist, salon owner and host of the Cockpits and Cocktails podcast, Allyssa VanMeter, a.k.a. Fly Allyssa.

Allyssa was bit by the aviation bug when she took a helicopter tour of Hawaii during a vacation there. Alyssa is currently using her COVID-19 quarantine time to study for her instrument rating. In our conversation, we address the challenges of flight training, the extraordinary pride she felt when she passed her check ride, the surprising perspective that aviation gives her in flight and in life, personal minimums, time management, the wonderful aviation community, finding opportunities in unexpected setbacks and the importance of priorities. Allyssa also shares some of her aviation story and anecdotes, including that one time she stayed overnight in the FBO.

Episode 9 - Chicks Who Fly - Tamara Griffith of GIFT Academy

In today’s episode of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Tamara Griffith. Tamara’s certificates and ratings include being a Multi-engine ATP, a Commercial single-engine land and seaplane, CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI and an A&P and she has her Inspection Authorization.

Tamara is the daughter of Mary Latimer and her husband, Lawrence who founded and run GIFT (Girls In Flight Training ) Academy and whose goal is to identify and to address the various issues that may be causing women to abandon flight training, and to assist them earning their pilot certificates. Tamara has been a freight pilot, a corporate pilot and a mechanic, chief inspector, among other things and serves as one of the head flight instructors for GIFT Academy which was presented with an AOPA Honor Roll for excellence in training 2013.

In this episode, Tamara and I get to talk about the support, community and camaraderie that is part of the GIFT Academy flight training experience, flying in different countries such as Dubai, Turkey, Italy and Mexico and the attitudes towards women pilots in each culture, flying for different charity and relief organizations, flying with her dog and how he reacted when she had an emergency, flying with her family and what it was like when having an emergency during a flight with them and how flight training can help with other jobs and life situations.

Episode 6 - Los Angeles-Based Artist and Commercial Helicopter Pilot- Farida Amar

In this 6th episode of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Los Angeles-based artist and aviatrix, Farida Amar. Farida is a commercial helicopter pilot with an IFR rating and she is working on her commercial fixed-wing add-on. In this episode we get to talk about what it’s like growing up with a pilot mom. We also discuss the pros and cons of helicopters vs airplanes, what we like to look for in a good CFI/student pilot relationship, the financial and logistical challenges Farida faces in completing her training and the benefits of buying a plane to complete flight training.

Chicks Who Fly podcast is now on Anchor so you can now listen to us on any of the many platforms that Anchor distributes our podcast on. If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and subscribing on YouTube. For those of you who would like to become a more intimate part of the process of creating this podcast, please check out our Patreon page and consider becoming a patron of Chicks Who Fly.

Episode 3 - Journalist and Private Pilot- Pilar Wolfsteller

In this 3rd episode of the Chicks Who Fly Podcast, I get to speak with Pilar Wolfsteller. Pilar is a journalist and a private pilot. When Pilar was 16 years old, she was told by one of her teachers that she was “too dumb” to become an engineer and a pilot. Pilar dropped out of class but later in life, reconnected with her lifelong love for aviation and gave herself the gift of her private pilot certificate for her 30th birhtday. Today, Pilar has a job that combines her love for journalism and aviation. Pilar shares her journey and how she learned to fly in Germany and later, her FAA checkride in the US. Pilar is currently working on her Instrument Rating and is planning to go on to become a CFI in order to encourage and teach women of all ages that becoming a pilot is attainable for them.

If you would like to contact Pilar, you can do so at linkedin.com/in/pilarwolfsteller

Inaia JimenezNovember 21, 2019aviation, pilot, women, ChicksWhoFly, aviation stories, flight training