Chicks Who Fly
By Inaia
Chicks Who FlySep 28, 2021
Primary Flight Controls: Private Pilot Ground School Lesson 1.1
Private Pilot Lesson 1.1 Primary Flight Controls 3 Axes of Rotation Roll, Pitch, Yaw Created by Advanced Ground Instructor, Inaia.
Unconventional Path to Enter the Part 121 Airline Industry as a Low-Time Pilot
Private Pilot, Advanced Ground Instructor, Podcast Host Inaia Answers FAQs
In this episode of Chicks Who Fly, I am trying something different and taking some time to share my flight training story, the lessons I learned and answering some of the questions we regularly hear from our listeners.
Today I share how I became interested in aviation, what took me so long to get my pilot certificate and what I am up to now. I share the story of my first solo and of my private pilot checkride. I also talk about the things I’ve been doing since I became a pilot to keep developing my skills and to grow as a safe and competent pilot flying in the real world. I also share some of my plans to travel in my sailboat and continue my flight training.
I would also like to take this opportunity to ask you to reach out to me with any topics you are interested in having me cover in this podcast. Also, if you have anyone you would like to have me interview or if you have any questions, please let us know at chickswhoflyofficial@gmail.com. You can also connect with me on IG where my handle is @nomadicaviatrix.
If you are enjoying this podcast, please consider Supporting this podcast.
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
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!
Boundary-Busting Air Force Navigator Turned Author on a Mission to Inspire- Graciela Tiscareño-Sato
As a kid, Graciela’s family didn’t have the money to get on an airplane but when young Graciela used to see airplanes fly overhead, she always got excited and wondered where they were going.
In high school, Graciela had a career counselor who’s husband was an Air Force Major, and he became Graciela’s mentor to help her go to college and earn her degree. Graciela’s mother cried when Graciela was awarded a scholarship to her dream school because she realized Graciela was going to go to college 1000 miles away. When Graciela went to college, it was with the intention of getting a degree in architecture and being in the civil engineering squadron of the Air Force. Graciela would go on to earn her B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley as an Air Force ROTC scholarship cadet.
Graciela’s first time in an airplane (other than the military jet that transported her to the base) was when a female Air Force instructor pilot, took Graciela up for an orientation flight in a T-37. She saw potential in Graciela partly because Graciela was the first person the instructor took up who did not throw up that day. The instructor encouraged Graciela to tell the staff at her school, that she wanted to fly.
This was the beginning of her career as a navigator in the four-person KC-135 aircrew in the Air Force. Graciela’s experiences and her story blew me away and includes such things as flying fueler aircraft over Baghdad where the mission was to refuel aircraft that would take off from aircraft carriers while trying not to get shot down and coordinating precisely so that they would meet up with perfect synchronization to get the other aircraft fueled, sometimes refueling up to 8 aircraft flying in formation around the tanker. She also learned celestial navigation, and qualified to fly the F-15 2 years before women were allowed by law to fly combat aircraft and MUCH more.
Graciela is a national, sought-after speaker who has presented at numerous conferences to global business audiences, college students, student veterans, educators and parents in the U.S. and Europe.
In 2014, the Obama White House recognized Graciela as a Champion of Change, Woman Veteran Leader for her work raising educational expectations of young Latino students through her award-winning publishing firm, bilingual literature, and public speaking business.
It was a tremendous pleasure to get to spend time with this amazing lady. I hope you enjoy the conversation that I got to have with Graciela Tiscareño-Sato.
Overcoming Obstacles to Pursue a Career in Aviation, Pilot Robin Hollinger
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.
From Military Medical Disqualification To First Officer For A Regional Airline, Lindsay Cosby
When Lindsay was growing up, she was considering becoming a military pilot until she found out that her peanut allergy was a medical disqualifying factor.
So she applied for and received a scholarship to get her private in one summer and then went off to train at Embry Riddle, where she finished all her training in an impressive 2 1/2 years by staying on campus every summer and holiday season to work on her flight training. Lindsay shares about the things she did to maximize her flight training and save money while quickly moving towards her goal. We also get to talk about how Lindsay had to overcome a terrible propensity towards airsickness, as she got sick on her discovery flight and continued to struggle with that during her flight training.
Lindsay graduated from Embry Riddle right when COVID was hitting and her school put a pause on hiring instructors. Not only did Lindsay manage to find a jb as a flight instructor, but by the time Lindsay was close to getting her hours, she landed a job with a part 135 charter airline and is now a first officer working on her captain upgrade.
This episode is packed with flight training insights, tips and advice as we get to look at Lindsay’s focus, dedication and persistence throughout her flight training process and the process of landing her first job as a pilot in a regional airline.
Corporate Pilot Flying a PC-12 in the Caribbean, Debbie Nascimento
In this fourth episode of season two of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Part 135 Corporate pilot flying a PC-12 in the Caribbean, who was born and raised in Rio, Brazil, Debbie Nascimento.
Debbie is a first generation aviator who became a flight attendant at 20. While working in the airline, she used to go into the cockpit and ask the pilots questions about what they were doing, how to fly the airplane and how to go about getting her certificates and ratings. She decided to take out a loan so that she could do her training quickly.
Debbie did her entire training part 61 in the insanely busy NYC airspace, while working full time as a flight attendant and she ended up getting ALL her certificates and ratings in an astonishing one year and three month period -private, instrument, commercial, commercial multi-engine, w seaplane, CFI, CFII, AGI, tail wheel endorsement and then went on to get her high performance, high altitude. Debbie is also one of the only 200-300 pilots in the world qualified to fly into St Barths.
During her training, one of the things she struggled with, was a fear of stalls and feeling uncomfortable with steep turns but she found the instrument, her easiest and most fun rating, which is what most people call their most difficult and boring. We talk about the mental shift she made, that had her see her instrument rating from that perspective.
At the time of this interview, Debbie was getting ready to go to her first assigned base in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
September 30, 2021
Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot Turned Writer, Liz Booker, @literaryaviatrix
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 while training with 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, then helicopters, 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, helicopters and underwater. We discuss seasickness vs air sickness and 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.
Santa Fe-Based Flight Instructor, Kristi McFadden with Advice for Flight Training Students
In this second episode of 2021 and of Season 2 of Chicks Who Fly, I get to welcome back, Santa Fe based CFI, CFII & MEI (and MY flight instructor), Kristi McFadden. In this episode, Kristi and I discuss common student pilot and new pilot challenges and how to approach and overcome them, how to master landings, we discuss the IM SAFE checklist, making go/no-go decisions and how to handle those common issues that students face. We speak a lot about the specific obstacles and challenges that I faced during my quest to get to my first solo and to my Private Pilot Certificate. We also the discuss the problems of flying during a pandemic, the cool experimental aircraft that I saw at our marina and more.
Since this conversation was recorded, I have completed my Private Pilot Certificate and I am currently working on my online instrument ground school, with the goal of following up an instrument rating with a Commercial Certificate and a Seaplane Rating. It was a true pleasure to get to interview Kristi now that we have met and spent a significant amount of time flying together.
It is my sincere wish that the wealth of knowledge and insight that Kristi shares, help anyone who is in flight training or thinking about starting flight training.
Composer, Pianist, Pilot- Arhynn Descy
In this first episode of 2021 and of Season 2 of Chicks Who Fly, I get to have a conversation with Arhynn Descy, who 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 as well as for orchestra and a variety of solo instruments. Arhynn is also a private pilot.
In today’s episode, Arhynn shares how she first fell in love with aviation as an 11-year-old girl when reading a series of books. She talks about the freedom and the thrill she finds in flying and about the life-transforming moment in her life that propelled her into her flight training.
We also talk about the correlation between flying and other aspects life and the ways a breakthrough in aviation can cause breakthroughs in other areas of life. We talk about her flight training while splitting her time between the US and the UK, the dynamic with her flight instructor and the profoundly transformative experience of Arhynn’s first solo flight. We talk about know and pushing our limits as pilots and so much more.
You can connect with Arhynn on IG , Facebook or on her website.
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
Check us out at: https://www.patreon.com/chickswhofly
Instrument-Rated, Private Pilot, Owner of One Plane Jane, Christine Hannon
You Tuber, Private Pilot & Columnist, Pilot Annie
In today’s conversation, we talk about the detours and scenic routes taken in her pilot training despite falling in love with aviation early on. We talk about online ground school training versus in-person ground school, the differences in training in Canada versus the US, the challenges and highlights of flight training, her love of adventure flying and bush flying, being in a relationship with another pilot and much more.
ATP Rated, Owner of Aubrey Aire, Founder of Collecting Copilots, Aubrey Warrick
Aubrey Warrick is ATP Rated on the Falcon 10, 50 and 900, Lear Jet and SIngle pilot-rated on the Citation 500 series Jets. She is also the founder of CollectingCopilots.com, a platform for your aviation, travel and lifestyle needs. Aubrey is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelors in Aviation Flight Technology and currently Manages and flies for her Part 91 company, AubreyAire out of East Texas.
In today’s conversation, Aubrey and I get to talk about her passionate love story with aviation. From the moment she fell in love with flying as a young child, in a family where no one else is a pilot, to the emergency landing in Longview, Texas that started a whole new life for her in aviation and in love, and where she remains 9 years later.
Aubrey is charming, tenacious, badass and smart. She generously shares her knowledge and support with others, especially, women in aviation. These qualities are what make this conversation so inspiring and motivating to me.
So without further ado, please relax and enjoy the conversation that I got to have with Aubrey Warrick.
Instrument Rated Private Pilot, Sammi McQ
In this conversation, Sammi and I discuss the challenges she faced during her instrument training, the impact of an incompatible flight instructor on her training process, the cool way she learned to always hit her wake when performing steep turns, her aviation bucket list and taking the FAA written exam in the midst of pandemic-related closures. We compare her experience at a Part 61 vs Part 141 flight school and Sammi also shares her experience volunteering at an event where little girls were being taken up for their their first flight.
This was a fun conversation for me, so I hope you enjoy the interview I got to do with Sammi McQ.
Pilot, Hair Stylist, Salon Owner and Host of the Cockpits and Cocktails Podcast, Allyssa VanMeter
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.
This is a fun conversation with an awesome lady and pilot! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed chatting with Fly Allyssa.
You can connect with Allyssa on IG and you can listen to the podcast she does with Natalie Kelley, Cockpits and Cocktails
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
Check us out at: www.patreon.com/chickswhofly
Commercial Pilot, Podcaster, Mother, Owner of Fly Girl LLC, Natalie Kelley
Natalie launched flyGIRL after she earned her pilot certificate. The experience of pushing her own boundaries, challenging herself, and succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry completely changed Natalie’s life. She gained confidence and a sense of independence that she had forgotten in adulthood. With her own money, Natalie launched flyGIRL and self-funded the first $5,000 flyGIRL Scholarship to finance a portion of the cost to send another woman to pilot training.
Episode 12 - Chicks Who Fly - Natalie "Fly Girl" Kelley
Inaia
You can find Natalie at
flygirlllc.com/
www.facebook.com/FlyGirlLLC/
twitter.com/flygirlkelley
twitter.com/flygirlkelley
www.pinterest.ph/theflygirlllc/
www.linkedin.com/in/flygirlkelley/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCParwXtH60ingDTwXr1hHkQ/featured
Civil Air Patrol Pilot and Chair of the Los Angeles 99s Chapter, Kate Scott
Photos courtesy of Kate Scott
Connect with Kate on IG.
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
KTLA Reporter and Private Pilot, Christina Pascucci
Photos courtesy of Christina Pascucci.
Connect with Christina on IG.
Christina on Twitter
Christina on KTLA.
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
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 her Multi-engine ATP, Commercial single-engine for both 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 award for excellence in training in 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.
This was a really enjoyable conversation full of great insight, experience and advice for anyone interested in, or in the process of flight training.
You can reach Tamara by email at giftacademyinc@gmail.com.
You can also visit the GIFT Academy website and you can find her on Facebook and Instagram.
Erin Olivier and Jenna Samuelian
In this 8th episode of Chicks Who Fly we tried something different. I had arranged to interview Erin Olivier, and on the day our call was scheduled, she happened to be spending time with another female pilot friend so, in this episode, I get to have a conversation with TWO pilots. Private Pilot Erin Olivier, who was still working on her instrument rating at the time we recorded the episode but she has since passed her instrument rating check ride! Congratulations Erin!! Erin also has her AGI and A&P (stands for Airframe and Powerplant and is the certification required for an aircraft mechanic) as well as being an instrument-rated Private Pilot. The second pilot in today’s conversation is Jenna Samuelian who is a Private Pilot is working on a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Management.
In this fun and all-over-the-place conversation, we get to talk about the ups and downs of flight training, options and approaches one can take in flight training and on the aviation career path. We talk about aviation business, favorite aviation shows and career paths, flying for animal rescue missions, why we prefer women flight instructors, apps that can help student pilots study, fun flights with loved ones, flying competitions, the benefits of getting a job at a local airport, the confidence that comes from learning to fly an airplane and so much more!
Follow and reach out to Erin on IG
Photos courtesy of Erin Olivier
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
Commercial Multi-Engine and Tailwheel-Endorsed Pilot, Kristyn Blocher
In today’s Episode, Kristyn and I talk about what it was like to do her flight training as a teenager on a military base, survival training in the freezing cold and snow in Canada, about the challenging twists and turns that had Kristyn step away from aviation for years while she built a successful and rewarding business that allowed her to get herself and her children in a good situation where she was able to become an aircraft owner, get back in aviation, build her hours and get ready for what’s next in her aviation journey, which will soon include an aircraft ferrying service. Kristyn is all about inspiring and empowering women and girls in pursuing and achieving whatever they want in their aviation careers.
Kristyn’s story is inspiring and it was truly a privilege to have Kristyn share her story on this episode.
Reach out to Kristyn on IG: @scrappyairplanepilot
On her FB page: Extended Centerline
Photos courtesy of Kristyn Blocher.
Theme music by Diego Jinkus.
Los Angeles-Based Artist and Commercial Helicopter Pilot- Farida Amar
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.
Check out the feature I wrote about Farida in the Los Angeles Ninety Nines’ newsletter Fly Paper
If you would like to get in touch with Farida, you can reach her on the web and on social media at:
Farida@sovomagazine.com
@faridaamar
@sovomagazine
Faridaamar.com
Sovomagazine.com
Theme Music by Diego Jinkus.
Photos courtesy of Farida Amar.
FEDEX Captain and Helicopter Pilot- Cheryl Pitzer
In this episode, we get to talk about her training, how she began her career in aviation as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines. We talk about what it’s like flying for Orbis, the world’s only flying hospital. We get to talk about her unusual collection of pets that includes camels and donkeys and we also get to talk about some of the surprising cargo she has flown, which includes Whales, zoo animals and dolphins.
This is a very fun episode so be sure to listen. Also remember to follow us on Spotify and subscribe on YouTube. We are also in the process of building our Patreon page for those of you who would like to become a more intimate part of the process of creating this podcast.
If you would like to get in touch with Cheryl, you can reach her at: info@PitzAerobaticAircraft.com.
Theme Music by Diego Jinkus.
Photos courtesy of Cheryl Pitzer.
Also be sure to check out this video by Sam Chui about Orbis, the World’s Only Flying Hospital, which features Cheryl flying the aircraft to Ghana.
FAA Medical Issues and Favorite Aviation YouTubers with Jesse Hutchison
Jesse is a student pilot based in Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode we get to talk about the highs and lows of our flight training paths and the difficulties experienced when Jesse hit a snag in the process of getting her FAA 1st Class Medical Certificate. We get to share about our favorite flight training stories, aviation films, YouTube channels and podcasts and we talk about how we both manage to keep moving forward in our training when we hit some bumpy air along the way.
If you would like to contact Jesse, you can do so on Instagram at www.instagram.com/j.1916/
Theme music by Diego Jinkus
Journalist and Private Pilot- Pilar Wolfsteller
If you would like to contact Pilar, you can do so at linkedin.com/in/pilarwolfsteller
Theme music by Diego Jinkus
Overcoming a Crippling Fear of Flying to Becoming a Flight Instructor with Kristi McFadden
From Aircraft Mechanic in Colombia to Flight Instructor in the USA, Alejandra Newport
Music, footage and back-seat passenger shenanigans by Diego Jinkus.