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Help a Child
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Everything Always Works...
Just as it's supposed to...
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Last week I was on reserve through Thursday. Not being called out enabled me to get caught up on the my homework early. Thursday, my last day of reserve I planned on jumpseating to Redmond, picking up two of our grandkids and bringing them home for the weekend so my middle daughter could finish her dissertation.
I purchased three full fare tickets for the kids and I. Friday we would fly to Seattle. Sunday night we would return to Redmond in time for me to make a 30 minute quick turn to jumpseat home. Reserve on Monday.
As weather would have it, I was enroute when they closed the Redmond airport. We returned to Seattle. Four cancelled flights later, I jumpseated to Redmond Friday night and stayed the weekend. 3 dogs, 2 cats and 2 happy kids who asked all weekend when they could go on the plane with me. The two-year old told me she was going to fly a plane. A pink plane. A jet plane.
We baked cookies, played memory, played doctor (I got a new brain and a nervous system), we exercised by riding bikes upside down, jumped across a make believe boat, had a picnic with the stuffed animals who ate the children, played playdoh, baked more cookies, did an art project, ate pigs in a blanket, went on adventure walks and learned not to eat yellow snow.
After the kids went to bed, I stayed up and did my homework like all diligent grandmothers do. Then the power went out. Thank goodness grandmothers doing homework in the middle of the night carry flight bags with a flashlight! I found the electrical panel and we had power again.
My son-in-law delivered me to the airport Sunday, a couple hours early to accommodate the kids' evening schedule. I was able to submit my assignments from the airport Wifi. As it turned out, I was also first in line for the jumpseat with someone waiting.
As the moral of the story goes... had I been on plan A, delivering the kids thinking I could get right out on the jumpseat, and I would have been stuck in Redmond when I needed to be home. Mother Nature dumped a bunch of snow to make my weekend work out perfect. Even if I did not know it at the time.
Everything always works out as it should! And... my daughter was able to finish her dissertation and she is going to make me my Flight To Success cover!
TWO WEEKS until First Quarter ENDS!!!
And Studying For Recurrent Training Begins!
Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
Ready for a couple great novels?
Remember to leave an
Amazon Comment too!
Thank You!
Thank You!
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Sometimes The Road Is Long...
And we travel that road to heal. I asked Mark if he would like to share his strength in my upcoming book, Flight To Success. This is the story Mark sent. Touching and beautiful... you don't have to wait for my book to read it.
Susanne died on July 17th, 1996. She was my fiancée, she was thirty-one, and it goes without saying, she was the love of my life.
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I’m a pilot: I was then, and I am now. I’m also an alpha male, and sometimes I’m stubborn beyond reason. Stubborn isn’t the same as being resilient, but I pretended it was for many years. I tried pushing forward; engaging life with my personal pain hidden behind a flat affect—what some call a thousand-yard stare—and it concerned my supervisors, my family, and my friends. My airline grounded me for a while, but eventually allowed me back in the cockpit. This saga is revealed in more detail within my memoir 13,760 Feet—My Personal Hole in the Sky. Did I mention that Susanne died onboard one of my airline’s jumbo 747 aircraft? She was one of 230 passengers and crew who blew up offshore Long Island on TWA Flight 800.
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I moved forward, but I didn’t move on. I encountered some beautiful people along my post TWA Flight 800 journey, but I kept them all at arms length, even while embracing them in passionate moments. I was able to go through the motions of courtship, even the horizontal motions reserved for the dark, but I was emotionally grounded. Not the good kind of grounded either, as in an electrical metaphor, but the bad kind: I was a pilot who didn’t bring my heart along in my suitcase. I’d buried it with Susanne, so it was more than grounded; I’d left it six feet underground.
For ten years I wandered the Earth: playing touch-and-go with feeling people’s hearts—and I even circled the planet once—but endless days came and went, and they didn’t mean anything. Remember those concerned family and friends? A couple of them finally sat me down and challenged me to move forward with my life. Ten years, and I was still as detached as the day I heard the news of Susanne’s demise.
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Sure, I wanted to move on. But being told I was failing at feeling was not the same as being handed a roadmap to a new life. My inner circle of friends, the ones I wasn’t able to completely shut out of my heart, handed my life report card and it was covered with Fs. They didn’t tell me how to improve my grades, either. They just pointed at the hole in my life that I was ignoring, and told me to find a way to fill it.
That’s when I decided to try creative writing. Oh, I was still a long way away from touching my own story, Susanne’s story, or even looking TWA Flight 800 in the eye. But I did put pen to paper, and attempted to coax my angry and hurt feelings out into the light. I discovered the joy of fiction, and wrote a survivor’s guilt novel Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun. In it I was able to assign my feelings to other people—characters I made up—and I made them dance to my pain like I was shooting at the ground under their feet to see them hop. I penned a dozen original companion songs within this novel and felt really proud of myself for this personal accomplishment. But what reviews did I receive for creating my great American novel? “Good job; now quit hiding behind fiction and tell your real story.”
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I received this advice to tackle TWA 800 directly from Professor Schwartz at UMSL, where I took a fiction and poetry class. Nonfiction wasn’t even supposed to be an option, but before our twelve weeks together were over, he challenged me to write an essay rather than a short story for a change. I locked myself away, and at last dug into the night of TWA 800, recounting it on paper for the first time thirteen years after it happened. A counselor I saw at TWA (to address my grief) once told me that feelings we bury, we bury alive. Mine came crawling back out.
That essay was accepted in the newspaper of the town where I grew up—Greenwich Time—and then syndicated throughout Connecticut. Since it felt like my big publishing breakthrough, I included it with my grad school applications. I decided I wanted more formal training and hoped to enroll in a creative writing MFA program for fiction, and write another novel. But just because I let my feelings out of the dark for a moment didn’t mean I was going to give them a big hug. I still had fiction on my brain when the Director of Fairfield University called to offer me a seat in the next winter residency… as a nonfiction student.
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Did I mention that I’m stubborn? I didn’t want to write nonfiction. I wanted to make up another story for my first novel’s characters. I wanted to bury my TWA Flight 800 feelings for another thirteen years. I wanted to negotiate an acceptance into the fiction program. The Director, my dad, my best friend, and my former professor all wanted me to write a memoir—something I thought was reserved for celebrities and/or narcissists. I was definitely not the former, and didn’t want to be the latter. But to escape narcissism, I needed to learn how to truly listen to others, and embrace their opinions. It finally became obvious I needed to dig into my past if I wanted any kind of happiness in the future.
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I spent the next two years writing, rewriting, work-shopping, and further rewriting the darkest chapter of my life. At last I graduated, and my personal journey became my master of fine arts thesis as a collection of essays. Some of these essays became articles and were published in Airways. A handful of them found their way into additional magazines and literary journals. Then I worked on story structure, and rewrote all I’d accomplished though the MFA program for another two years, finally creating a coherent memoir. My stubborn streak paid off as I rewrote 13,760 Feet—My Personal Hole in the Sky at least ten times before it was finally published. It’s not enough to just write a book; it needs to grow and mature along with the author.
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It’s now eighteen years after Susanne died onboard TWA Flight 800 and I have almost converted my memoir into an audiobook. Once I finish the recording and mixing of all 345 pages (plus the 34 companion songs that are infused into the story), I will finally be ready to polish my second novel Street Justice, the one that has been on the back burner for so long. After that, I want to return to nonfiction and write somebody else’s compelling experience. I was pushed into revealing what I’d buried so deep and for so long, it will feel like I’ll have completed a full circle if I am able to help someone else tell their story.
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In many ways Karlene Petitt is on a similar journey as mine. She first wrote two novels and revealed her passion and feelings for commercial aviation safety through compelling characters and fiction. At last she is completing her advanced degree and then tapping her education and professional experience to create her own nonfiction thesis for the benefit of others.
Whatever you are facing, don’t let yourself become discouraged. Sometimes the road to a better place is long, but unless you are content to remain where you are unhappy—either literally or emotionally—the effort you eventually put into your own personal growth is worth it.
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Susanne died on July 17th, 1996. She was my fiancée, she was thirty-one, and it goes without saying, she was the love of my life.
I’m a pilot: I was then, and I am now. I’m also an alpha male, and sometimes I’m stubborn beyond reason. Stubborn isn’t the same as being resilient, but I pretended it was for many years. I tried pushing forward; engaging life with my personal pain hidden behind a flat affect—what some call a thousand-yard stare—and it concerned my supervisors, my family, and my friends. My airline grounded me for a while, but eventually allowed me back in the cockpit. This saga is revealed in more detail within my memoir 13,760 Feet—My Personal Hole in the Sky. Did I mention that Susanne died onboard one of my airline’s jumbo 747 aircraft? She was one of 230 passengers and crew who blew up offshore Long Island on TWA Flight 800.
I moved forward, but I didn’t move on. I encountered some beautiful people along my post TWA Flight 800 journey, but I kept them all at arms length, even while embracing them in passionate moments. I was able to go through the motions of courtship, even the horizontal motions reserved for the dark, but I was emotionally grounded. Not the good kind of grounded either, as in an electrical metaphor, but the bad kind: I was a pilot who didn’t bring my heart along in my suitcase. I’d buried it with Susanne, so it was more than grounded; I’d left it six feet underground.
For ten years I wandered the Earth: playing touch-and-go with feeling people’s hearts—and I even circled the planet once—but endless days came and went, and they didn’t mean anything. Remember those concerned family and friends? A couple of them finally sat me down and challenged me to move forward with my life. Ten years, and I was still as detached as the day I heard the news of Susanne’s demise.
Sure, I wanted to move on. But being told I was failing at feeling was not the same as being handed a roadmap to a new life. My inner circle of friends, the ones I wasn’t able to completely shut out of my heart, handed my life report card and it was covered with Fs. They didn’t tell me how to improve my grades, either. They just pointed at the hole in my life that I was ignoring, and told me to find a way to fill it.
That’s when I decided to try creative writing. Oh, I was still a long way away from touching my own story, Susanne’s story, or even looking TWA Flight 800 in the eye. But I did put pen to paper, and attempted to coax my angry and hurt feelings out into the light. I discovered the joy of fiction, and wrote a survivor’s guilt novel Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun. In it I was able to assign my feelings to other people—characters I made up—and I made them dance to my pain like I was shooting at the ground under their feet to see them hop. I penned a dozen original companion songs within this novel and felt really proud of myself for this personal accomplishment. But what reviews did I receive for creating my great American novel? “Good job; now quit hiding behind fiction and tell your real story.”
I received this advice to tackle TWA 800 directly from Professor Schwartz at UMSL, where I took a fiction and poetry class. Nonfiction wasn’t even supposed to be an option, but before our twelve weeks together were over, he challenged me to write an essay rather than a short story for a change. I locked myself away, and at last dug into the night of TWA 800, recounting it on paper for the first time thirteen years after it happened. A counselor I saw at TWA (to address my grief) once told me that feelings we bury, we bury alive. Mine came crawling back out.
That essay was accepted in the newspaper of the town where I grew up—Greenwich Time—and then syndicated throughout Connecticut. Since it felt like my big publishing breakthrough, I included it with my grad school applications. I decided I wanted more formal training and hoped to enroll in a creative writing MFA program for fiction, and write another novel. But just because I let my feelings out of the dark for a moment didn’t mean I was going to give them a big hug. I still had fiction on my brain when the Director of Fairfield University called to offer me a seat in the next winter residency… as a nonfiction student.
Did I mention that I’m stubborn? I didn’t want to write nonfiction. I wanted to make up another story for my first novel’s characters. I wanted to bury my TWA Flight 800 feelings for another thirteen years. I wanted to negotiate an acceptance into the fiction program. The Director, my dad, my best friend, and my former professor all wanted me to write a memoir—something I thought was reserved for celebrities and/or narcissists. I was definitely not the former, and didn’t want to be the latter. But to escape narcissism, I needed to learn how to truly listen to others, and embrace their opinions. It finally became obvious I needed to dig into my past if I wanted any kind of happiness in the future.
I spent the next two years writing, rewriting, work-shopping, and further rewriting the darkest chapter of my life. At last I graduated, and my personal journey became my master of fine arts thesis as a collection of essays. Some of these essays became articles and were published in Airways. A handful of them found their way into additional magazines and literary journals. Then I worked on story structure, and rewrote all I’d accomplished though the MFA program for another two years, finally creating a coherent memoir. My stubborn streak paid off as I rewrote 13,760 Feet—My Personal Hole in the Sky at least ten times before it was finally published. It’s not enough to just write a book; it needs to grow and mature along with the author.
In many ways Karlene Petitt is on a similar journey as mine. She first wrote two novels and revealed her passion and feelings for commercial aviation safety through compelling characters and fiction. At last she is completing her advanced degree and then tapping her education and professional experience to create her own nonfiction thesis for the benefit of others.
Whatever you are facing, don’t let yourself become discouraged. Sometimes the road to a better place is long, but unless you are content to remain where you are unhappy—either literally or emotionally—the effort you eventually put into your own personal growth is worth it.
Mark L. Berry's journey
from loss to life will touch your heart
Click HERE
to share the journey
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How to Sleep Flying International
An International Pilot sent me a GREAT question....
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HOW ABOUT YOU?
Thank you For Reading...
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How do you Sleep?
He said, "Seems like the optimal thing would be to stay on local time. If that works that's great but often it doesn't and it can be hard to sleep in the daytime too. I know some folks sleep when they're tired and other have specific plans for certain cities and others just sleep when its dark wherever they are... Thoughts?"
I have been playing with this forever! And come to realize that the best thing to do when you get in is go to bed and get as much sleep as possible. For me when I stay awake to shift around and go over that 24 hour period, my body wakes up and I never get that really good sleep. Accumulated fatigue is what gets you. That kind of makes layovers not as much fun... but....Since I've been in school, I have not gone out much.
Okay, an other option is, take a nap, get up and then try to sleep later. That kills me in Europe because I rarely can go back to sleep for the morning departure. If I try to schedule sleep, and I don't, then you get behind the power curve. So... I'm way fatigued in the morning and hard to catch up. I really think sleep when you can get it is the best, and learn how to nap. I've always been a bad napper, but not doing caffeine helps. If you can catch a couple hours before departure, it really helps. I've been asking everyone this same thing, and yet to figure out for myself.
Pilot: "I've been experimenting. Last trip I tried to just stick with the time zone I was in and go to bed when it got dark, etc. I was pretty tired the whole trip. Slept well enough in the bunks but no more than about 4 hours at a time and probably not truly quality rest. On the trip I'm on now it works out perfectly that the flights are what would be mid-day pacific time so I'm trying to sleep about the same times I would at home. On the next trip I plan to try the "sleep when I'm tired, eat when I'm hungry" method. I will take notes on each and see what works best for me. Obviously everyone is different so it's not completely useful but it will be interesting to see what my personal results are..."
HOW ABOUT YOU?
What are your tricks for sleeping?
Enjoy the Journey!!
XOX Karlene
Thank you For Reading...
THANK YOU
for your Amazon Comments too!
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Pedro García: AVGEEK
My name is Pedro García, born in Madrid, Spain,
and I'm an avgeek since...forever!
My grandfather worked his entire career, in the Sales area, at Aviaco and then at Iberia Airlines, in those years of aviation's golden era. So, I always saw Iberia staff at home, and that was enough for my aviation passion. When I was a child, I did a lot of plastic models, read and buy a lot of aviation's books. In 1991 when the computers came to my life in 1991, opss, two passions at the same time. Simulators, great!
Why am I an avgeek?
I always select window seats, close to the wing. When I see a plane I have to enjoy it watching everything about it. When I travel to any city in the world I like to visit aviation's museums.
And because I have an airport at home! http://www.aeriaa.com/on-airport-models/
And because I have an airport at home! http://www.aeriaa.com/on-airport-models/
Books, videos, photos....
I started to work as a developer in urban traffic and finance projects when an unique opportunity arose, work in the new Madrid Barajas Terminal 4 and Airport Management Center building project, since then, I have been working in several new terminals/airports (10 till the date), managing the integration systems tests and commissioning.
In 2013 I started www.aeriaa.com, a personal website that joins both passions, aviation and technology. It is a website for writing about about aviation technologies, history and for spreading knowledge freely.
In 2013 I started www.aeriaa.com, a personal website that joins both passions, aviation and technology. It is a website for writing about about aviation technologies, history and for spreading knowledge freely.
I've written articles about several different topics:
Beginning os stealth planes
The 45th anniversary of the 747
Making interviews
Mobile at aircraft
Google glass in pilot training
Biofuels in commercial aviation
Apart from the articles, you can find several sections:
Library section with recommended books, (http://www.aeriaa.com/book-table/), including mine (about bored topics of airports systems ;)), some of them freely downloadable.
Education and Kids, with some references pro-training courses, NASA resources, where view planes.
Meet the experts for reading interviews, listing worldwide conferences, events, shows, etc.
Meet the experts for reading interviews, listing worldwide conferences, events, shows, etc.
Videos and photos, I also have a Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/aeriaacast) with a lot of videos.
One of the most important section Projects&IT, a place to show pure IT related topics, Open Source projects (http://www.aeriaa.com/projects/), APIs, and three sections for promoting projects or services, the original "Mum, I've worked in this project" (http://www.aeriaa.com/mum/) a place to show our mums what we are doing, The Showroom for listing interesting projects and Help Projects in order to list projects that need support. These three last sections have not any content yet, but they will have.
Do you have some interesting to show?
One of the website's pretexts was to use it as to keep learning new developing technologies using aviation; I'm developing functional airport systems mock-ups in order to explain how the airport processes work and how the systems support them. (http://www.aeriaa.com/tag/dashboard)
Apart from my website, after of years of dreaming, last year, in 2013, I had my first experience as a pilot (glider pilot)(http://www.aeriaa.com/on-learning-to-fly-gliding/) I was learning to fly gliders for a whole week, it was a superb experience. I hope I can continue soon.
So, everyone is invited to have a glance aeriaa.com and cooperate, I will have to accept aviation's articles with a “tech” component. You can also contact me at:
Apart from my website, after of years of dreaming, last year, in 2013, I had my first experience as a pilot (glider pilot)(http://www.aeriaa.com/on-learning-to-fly-gliding/) I was learning to fly gliders for a whole week, it was a superb experience. I hope I can continue soon.
So, everyone is invited to have a glance aeriaa.com and cooperate, I will have to accept aviation's articles with a “tech” component. You can also contact me at:
Twitter @aeriaablog
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Aeriaa
500px http://500px.com/aeriaa
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrogarciafernandez
Enjoy the Journey!!
XOX Karlene
And ... Thank you For Reading...
THANK YOU
for your Amazon Comments too!
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Aviation Finals Week
Where did the time go?
Last week was spent flying around the world. This week I will be in lock-down completing my finals. I cannot believe how fast time flies.
While I am busy finishing up my first quarter toward my PhD...
You should read two great books!
You should read two great books!
THANK YOU
for your Amazon Comments too!
Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
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Microsurface!
Every Pilot Needs what I have!
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And mine was a gift. Oshkosh 2014 I met some great people. One of which was Ted Thomas. He was such a great guy that he even gave me my own Microfiber cloth. And... I told him I was taking it on my flight to test it out. Works GREAT! Best cloth I've had ever!
THANK YOU
Ted Thomas
And Microsurface!
Now take a moment and go like their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/microsurface
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Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
Thank you For Reading... THANK YOU
for your Amazon Comments too!
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A330 Pilots Wanted!
For NextGen Simulator Study
January 12-16 &
January 20-23, 2015
This will serve as advance notice for an upcoming simulator study conducted by the FAA in Oklahoma City. The study has not been officially announced, but preliminary information is available and I would like to gather a list of interested pilots that will be notified and scheduled as soon as the dates and times are secured.
The study is open to all current American/ Legacy US Airways and Delta line captains and first officers. Retired pilots, simulator instructors and management pilots are not eligible for the study. Check airman are generally excluded, but exceptions are taken when necessary to fill available slots.
I cannot provide exact start times and other logistics until the FAA dispatches them; but it should be very soon. Assuming it is structured as most previous studies, you can plan on the following:
You will need to Jump seat or non-rev to OKC the day before your session. Your hotel reservation will be at the Wyndham Garden. The FAA shuttle will pick you up around 0630 the morning of the study. Each crew will participate in a 6 hour R&D session in the FAA’s A330 Level D simulator. Usual times are a show time of 0700; a briefing time of 0715; an on-motion time of 0800; a 15 minute break at 0945; off-motion at 1200; de-brief time of 1210 and release not later than 1330.
You will receive $425.00 compensation, plus $99 per diem, hotel reimbursement; and airport parking or cab fees, if necessary. Once your date has been established, you will receive detailed information regarding hotel reservations, directions and other logistics.
This, of course, is a non-jeopardy event and your participation is important to future research. You will also be a part of ground breaking changes to the National Airspace System.
You may only participate for one event, but please provide any and all days you have available, which increases your chance of participation. Since this is a new study, all of you are eligible to participate.
Please respond with your seat position, cell number, and if you are interested. You do not need to provide any dates until I send out the official request. Respond to BTAeronautical@gmail.com.
As always, please invite your fellow pilots to join the list. I look forward to starting the New Year off with this exciting event, and look forward to more opportunities for all of you in the coming months.
Thank you,
Brian Townsend
The study is open to all current American/ Legacy US Airways and Delta line captains and first officers. Retired pilots, simulator instructors and management pilots are not eligible for the study. Check airman are generally excluded, but exceptions are taken when necessary to fill available slots.
I cannot provide exact start times and other logistics until the FAA dispatches them; but it should be very soon. Assuming it is structured as most previous studies, you can plan on the following:
You will need to Jump seat or non-rev to OKC the day before your session. Your hotel reservation will be at the Wyndham Garden. The FAA shuttle will pick you up around 0630 the morning of the study. Each crew will participate in a 6 hour R&D session in the FAA’s A330 Level D simulator. Usual times are a show time of 0700; a briefing time of 0715; an on-motion time of 0800; a 15 minute break at 0945; off-motion at 1200; de-brief time of 1210 and release not later than 1330.
You will receive $425.00 compensation, plus $99 per diem, hotel reimbursement; and airport parking or cab fees, if necessary. Once your date has been established, you will receive detailed information regarding hotel reservations, directions and other logistics.
This, of course, is a non-jeopardy event and your participation is important to future research. You will also be a part of ground breaking changes to the National Airspace System.
You may only participate for one event, but please provide any and all days you have available, which increases your chance of participation. Since this is a new study, all of you are eligible to participate.
Please respond with your seat position, cell number, and if you are interested. You do not need to provide any dates until I send out the official request. Respond to BTAeronautical@gmail.com.
As always, please invite your fellow pilots to join the list. I look forward to starting the New Year off with this exciting event, and look forward to more opportunities for all of you in the coming months.
Thank you,
Brian Townsend
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Happy Thankgiving!
"Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for."
Zig Ziglar
I have so much to be grateful for
I know this is true!
I am Thankful for my family and friends, my grandkids' laughter, hot baths at the end of a long day, waking up early before the world turns on, good books, learning something new, opportunities, winter break, my shower pressure, chocolate flavored coffee in the morning with real cream, my cozy little house, my job, my life experiences, finishing my stats and human factors finals, my health, seeing Oprah with my eldest daughter, and the gratitude for all the love in my life.
Enjoy every moment, and find the gratitude in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving!
XO Karlene
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Sandra Hatley
Friday's Fabulous Flyer!
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It didn't take long for Sandra to figure out that typical office life wasn't going to be enough to satisfy her rambunctious, entrepreneurial and ambitious spirit. She graciously left insurance and in an attempt to begin a flight school of her own via an elaborate craigslist post, Mufreesboro Aviation owner Jim Gardner found and hooked Sandra to come operate alongside his vision.
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Sandra Hatley
Sandra Hatley is an aviation professional, flight instructor and commercial pilot. Licenses and ratings she currently holds includes an AMEL Commercial Inst., CFII and MEI. Her father was in the Air Force as a Flight Engineer and is now an active commercial pilot, as well as her uncle, and a couple of her aunts were flight attendants. One could say she never stood a chance against aviation, however her journey did not begin until she herself became a Flight Attendant for Mesa Air Group in 2006.
During that time, in true cliche form, Sandra saw the possibility of becoming a pilot as a stimulating reality and joined ATP in Daytona Beach, FL at the age of 21. From there she moved on to her first Part 61 CFI gig in Birmingham, AL where here folks live, then over to a Part 141 CFI position for Middle Tennessee State University, and then landed her first Part 121 First Officer position for Seaborne Airlines in the USVI flying DHC-6 Twin Otters at that age of 25 (tough gig!).
During her time in the islands she focused on beginning to obtain her Bachelor's degree with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's online Worldwide program. After only one short year of island hopping and boardwalk rum having, Sandra experienced her first furlough due to poor economical conditions on St. Croix, in perfect conjunction of new island routes provided by Jet Blue.
From there, Sandra went back home to Birmingham, AL and began humbly performing lineman and managerial duties at a local Class E airport, as well as freelance flight instructed to residents located on the field. Hungry for salary, benefits, and to move out of mom's house, she changed direction and became a licensed property & casualty insurance producer with focus on aviation and aircraft insurance for an outfit back in Middle Tennessee. She likes Tennessee and would like to stay, haha. (again, feel free to edit/delete/etc...this is embarrassing! haha).
It didn't take long for Sandra to figure out that typical office life wasn't going to be enough to satisfy her rambunctious, entrepreneurial and ambitious spirit. She graciously left insurance and in an attempt to begin a flight school of her own via an elaborate craigslist post, Mufreesboro Aviation owner Jim Gardner found and hooked Sandra to come operate alongside his vision.
Murfreesboro Aviation is a full time operating Part 61 flight school and Cessna certified maintenance facility. They offer flight training from Private thru MEI and ATP on a fleet of 1 Cessna 152, 2 Cessna 172s, and a Beechcraft Duchess. Many residents on the field utilize the instructors for their own aircraft as well. Murfreesboro Aviation sits next door to MTSU's Part 141 program, and acts as a relief to university students unable to obtain a flight lab in the university curriculum.
Murfreesboro Aviation also offers CATS testing for pilot and mechanic writtens, as well as serves as a pilot store for necessary charts, headsets, and all other training materials. Though there is an FBO on the field, Murfreesboro Aviation serves as a 24 hour FBO facility and even goes as far as providing crew cars and Hertz rental car services.
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Sandra realizes many may wonder why she has not jumped the regional train yet, and just shy of an ATP herself at the age of 28 and with her BS degree, she is seriously considering it. Her experience thus far has been somewhat unconventional, and she is holding strong for a successful position in the realm of General Aviation. You will find that among most of the instructors at Murfreesboro Aviation, too. Always safe, but somewhat a "rogue" crew.
While enjoying the camaraderie at Murfreesboro Aviation, Sandra is working on beginning a Women in Aviation chapter in Nashville, TN to parallel and support the local university only chapter. Her focus has shifted on enjoying the present, focusing and working hard on the present, and allowing all the pieces fall as they may.
Enjoy The Journey!
XO Karlene
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General Aviation Safety
I finished the first quarter of my PhD Program! Mind expansion and lessons learned left me with new perspectives on Ab Initio Training, NextGen, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and the future of General Aviation. And today in Blogging Information is on Flight To Success. Perfect timing.
Did you know...
“General Aviation accounts for roughly 87% of the almost 600,000 U.S. certified pilots, and makes use of more than 13,000 public and private airports. General aviation pilots log roughly 27 million hours per year. There are about 221,000 general aviation aircraft based in the U.S. and they carry more than 166 million passengers each year, making the GA fleet the largest air carrier in the world” (Casner, 2007, p. 595).
In 2007, general aviation pilots with under 500 hours total time and those with less than 100 hours in aircraft type held the highest percentage of all accidents, 34% and 47% respectively. As experience increased accident rates went down to 2% for both categories. However, data showed an interesting turn—once total flight hours increased above 4000 and / or a pilot reached 1000 hours in type, the accident rate increased to 19% and 14% respectively.
Low experience and accidents is understandable during the learning curve phase, but why the shift? More experience could lead to riskier operations and complacency, but does it have to? The final week of my Human Factors course was about general aviation and the accident rate. I noticed a few common threads attributing to GA accidents:
Peer pressure—doing something you would not normally do on your own.
Time pressure—feeling the need to be someplace and pushing your limits.
Broken habits—skipping a preflight or neglecting the weight and balance.
Overconfidence—doing something in a plane you should not be doing due to complacency.
The above examples are all situations that a pilot has under his or her control. So I must ask…what is more important than your life? Why are so many falling into the complacency trap? I’ve been thinking about the overregulation of the aviation industry—could it be tied to the high accident rate?
We want to take control of our industry to have a cost effective means for people to learn to fly, but are you willing to do what it takes to make it safer? If general aviation accidents continue to increase, will ensuing regulations make it cost prohibitive for pilots to learn to fly? We all have the ability to improve safety.
What You Can Do:
Learning: Continue your education. Never stop learning. Work toward a new rating, even if you don’t plan on using it. As you work through your training, you will learn skills that can help in all aspects of your flying and make you better.
Skill Development: When you fly don’t just go for a ride, work to improve your skills—always strive for better.
Discipline: Create habits that you are committed to, and refuse to break. Perform your walk-around in the same footprint every flight. Create standard operating procedures so your processes become habit.
Instinct: When something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Listen to that voice that questions what you’re about to do, and don’t do it.
Hang up the cape: Check the ego outside the plane and understand you are human and fallible.
Join Aviation Clubs: You should become a member of one or more of our grass-root aviation clubs: AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association), EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), LAMA (Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association), NAFI (National Association of Flight Instructors), WAI (Women In Aviation) and Ninety-Nines. Newsletters, magazines, and pilot support are available and should be accessed. These clubs are for all pilots, not just general aviation.
What will you do to keep proficient and safe?
Share your ideas, and together
Share your ideas, and together
we can make the skies safer!
Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
Thank you For Reading...
Amazon Comments are appreciated too!
Enjoy the Journey!
XOX Karlene
Reference:
Casner, S., M., (2010). General Aviation. In E. Salas & D. Maurino (Eds.), Human factors in aviation (2nd ed.) (pp. 595-623). Burlington, MA: Academic Press – Elsevier.
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Inverted
Not many times I am sent such a riveting introduction to the book Inverted, and so close to my aviation post on General Aviation Safety...
Inverted:
Can’t move my right hand. My neck hurts. The June sun shone brightly as we hung upside down beside the runway of a small Pennsylvania airport.
Disoriented and dazed, I looked at my wife; her eyes were closed. Lord, no!
Bright spots of blood seeped from shallow cuts on her face.
Slowly she opened her eyes, touched her cheek, and noticed the blood on her hand. “Am I disfigured?” she whispered.
Trying to gather my thoughts wasn’t easy. “You’ll be okay…we have to get out of here.”
I hated myself for hurting her as gas fumes drifted into the cockpit.
Disoriented and dazed, I looked at my wife; her eyes were closed. Lord, no!
Bright spots of blood seeped from shallow cuts on her face.
Slowly she opened her eyes, touched her cheek, and noticed the blood on her hand. “Am I disfigured?” she whispered.
Trying to gather my thoughts wasn’t easy. “You’ll be okay…we have to get out of here.”
I hated myself for hurting her as gas fumes drifted into the cockpit.
Five months earlier, my new RV-7A experimental plane flew for the first time. What a high— the culmination of years of learning and hard work. The RV grin had been on my face for two days, and I was so proud.
Five weeks earlier, I completed the testing phase, and took a flight instructor friend flying. We were both grinning and I felt even prouder.
Five hours earlier, my son Nathan went up with me for his first ride in our new plane. Good pictures, big smiles, shiny plane, and shiny pride.
Five minutes earlier, Gail and I were on final approach at Altoona-Blair County Airport. Family members waited; we were anxious to show off the plane.
Five seconds earlier: gusting winds, moment of distraction, flared high, bounced, landed hard, bent the nose-wheel, skidded off runway, hit the dirt, and flipped the plane. This can’t be happening. My beautiful plane is wrecked, Gail and I are hurt, and my shining sense of pride is suddenly tarnished.
Five weeks earlier, I completed the testing phase, and took a flight instructor friend flying. We were both grinning and I felt even prouder.
Five hours earlier, my son Nathan went up with me for his first ride in our new plane. Good pictures, big smiles, shiny plane, and shiny pride.
Five minutes earlier, Gail and I were on final approach at Altoona-Blair County Airport. Family members waited; we were anxious to show off the plane.
Five seconds earlier: gusting winds, moment of distraction, flared high, bounced, landed hard, bent the nose-wheel, skidded off runway, hit the dirt, and flipped the plane. This can’t be happening. My beautiful plane is wrecked, Gail and I are hurt, and my shining sense of pride is suddenly tarnished.
Years of dreams shattered in an instant.
Everyone talks about the highs and lows of life…the mountaintops and the valleys. Rick Warren prefers to compare life to a set of train tracks. The tracks run side by side; one rail represents the good in life, the other represents the bad, and there are no highs where everything is all good, just as there are no lows where everything is all bad. Good and bad things run parallel, and both are always present—they vary only in degree.
We would all prefer to avoid the trials, but they’re always there—challenging us, trying to steal our joy, discourage us, or worse. Every day we assimilate the good with the bad, and our lives are molded through a combination of experiences and attitude. Viktor Frankl contemplated this while suffering the horrors of a WWII concentration camp, and he concluded that in order for life to make sense, we must first find meaning in our tragedies.
Through the process of building an RV-7A experimental airplane, learning to fly it, and then experiencing a life-altering crash, some extreme highs and lows were compressed into a relatively short span. This book was written because I endured nine months of inactivity and recovery, and putting the story on paper has been my way of dealing with those challenges.
I wouldn’t have chosen to go through several of the things I’m about to share with you, but that’s not the way life works. The “train” rolls on, and the following pages celebrate my discovery of meaning.
Read the entire story!
Found at
Enjoy the Journey and fly safe!
XOX Karlene
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Give the Gift of Confidence!!
St. Augustine, Florida: Patty Wagstaff Aerobatic School is celebrating its first anniversary with the perfect gift for someone you love.
There is simply no better way to show you care about your pilot than to give the gift of confidence and safety with the Confidence Course for $795.
One of our highly trained CFIs will dedicate the entire day, one on one, teaching and reviewing airmanship, upset training, spins, and basic aerobatics, all in a beautiful Super Decathlon.
The Confidence Course is designed for all pilots, from student pilots through CFIs, corporate, and airline pilots who want to hone their stick and rudder skills, with instruction tailored to each pilot. It’s a full day of instruction built around at least two hours in the air.
The Confidence Course is designed for all pilots, from student pilots through CFIs, corporate, and airline pilots who want to hone their stick and rudder skills, with instruction tailored to each pilot. It’s a full day of instruction built around at least two hours in the air.
Located at Southeast Aero Services, the Extra Aircraft distributor for North America, at Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine, one of the premier aerobatic schools in the U.S. offers this unique holiday opportunity through December 31, 2014.
For more information go to:
or email: pattyaerobatics@gmail.com
And... Gift the Gift of Reading too!
Amazon Comments are appreciated too!
XO Karlene ↧
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John Copeland
Fridays Fabulous Flyer!
John Copeland
I met John a couple years ago when his parents invited me to dinner. Well, it started as my donating six copies of Fight For Control to Aviation High School Auction a few years back. John's dad,Mike, came walking by and he had no choice but to bid on them. The plan was I would come and talk to a group... a book talk, on his boat. That manifested into a lovely dinner his wife Grace prepared, with an incredible family. I don't think I ever laughed so hard. The Copelands are quality people.
John, the eldest son, is currently a junior attending Raisbeck Aviation High School, and has always had a love of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) studies. Basically, he's brilliant. He choose Raisbeck Aviation High School because of its rigorous studies and college prep, not to mention the aviation focus.
He had been considering this high school since its opening in 2003 when his mother first noticed it, and as his love of aviation grew, they knew this was the only place for him.
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Johns, interest in flight more than likely came from taking frequent trips with his family. Due to his father being a sales rep and his accumulation of miles from his weekly trips, they used those miles to travel across the country. Their family also went on many boating trips around the Puget Sound during summers, and John gained a great deal of experience with many skills used in aviation, such as how to plan a course based on the weather, tides, and time of day. He also learned to measure speed in knots, and distance in nautical miles.
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John is currently undecided between two careers: piloting or engineering. Engineering uses two of John's favorite topics, science and math, and the job market offers a good initial salary and many options. But piloting is appealing to John, and something he has enjoyed since his first small aircraft flight, his freshman year at Raisbeck Aviation High School. The thought of being paid to fly has been a dream since that flight.
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So what is John doing now besides school? I have hired him to be my Executive Assistant! With school, writing, grandkids, and working I do not have time to keep up on life. John is going to help me share my blog, tweet messages and be my right hand. I'm excited to be working with someone talented, intelligent and who wants to work. He's a great young man and I'm fortunate to know him.
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Now we need to help John figure out what he wants to do. My thought is... Why not both careers? Engineering degree while learning to fly. Share your thoughts and lets help this young man get pointed in the right direction.
Johns, interest in flight more than likely came from taking frequent trips with his family. Due to his father being a sales rep and his accumulation of miles from his weekly trips, they used those miles to travel across the country. Their family also went on many boating trips around the Puget Sound during summers, and John gained a great deal of experience with many skills used in aviation, such as how to plan a course based on the weather, tides, and time of day. He also learned to measure speed in knots, and distance in nautical miles.
John is currently undecided between two careers: piloting or engineering. Engineering uses two of John's favorite topics, science and math, and the job market offers a good initial salary and many options. But piloting is appealing to John, and something he has enjoyed since his first small aircraft flight, his freshman year at Raisbeck Aviation High School. The thought of being paid to fly has been a dream since that flight.
So what is John doing now besides school? I have hired him to be my Executive Assistant! With school, writing, grandkids, and working I do not have time to keep up on life. John is going to help me share my blog, tweet messages and be my right hand. I'm excited to be working with someone talented, intelligent and who wants to work. He's a great young man and I'm fortunate to know him.
Now we need to help John figure out what he wants to do. My thought is... Why not both careers? Engineering degree while learning to fly. Share your thoughts and lets help this young man get pointed in the right direction.
Please follow John on Twitter
Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
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Gift Buying: Reducing Holiday Stress
Finding The Perfect Gift
17 Day’s Till Christmas…and one of the most stressful events can be shopping. Crowds. Noise. No parking. What should I buy? What do they have? What do they want? And it’s not for one, but for many on your list.
Has shopping gotten out of hand during the holidays? We buy stuff, to give stuff and it might not be the right stuff. Don’t get my wrong—with 3 daughters, and 7 grandkids I have done my part to support the economy. But what makes the holiday special for me is when I can find that perfect gift that has meaning. It’s not about the price, it’s about the meaning behind the gift. And last week I received the perfect gift—a letter.
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A couple weeks ago I was interviewed by a young lady, about my life and career. She was doing a report on Amelia Earhart, and women in aviation. Not only did I receive a thank-you card from her parents, but Sydney took the time to write me the most beautiful hand-written, heart-felt letter. What a gift! She gave me her time, shared her graciousness, and brought a smile to my face. She reminded me how precious and personal this type of communication is.
Send the gift of love in a letter. For the price of a sheet of paper, an envelope and a stamp, you can create the perfect gift, with the most meaning for the holiday season.
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Now… if you feel compelled to send a gift, you can always send autographed copies of Flight For Control and Flight For Safety. I’m gift-wrapping for the season.
New tradition at my house. We are giving our grandkids the gift of experience. Whatever they want to try for the New Year, swimming, piano, gymnastics, take a foreign language, we are enabling them to try. I suspect the year they all decide to take flying lessons at the same time they might bankrupt me. But what a gift that would be!
17 Day’s Till Christmas…and one of the most stressful events can be shopping. Crowds. Noise. No parking. What should I buy? What do they have? What do they want? And it’s not for one, but for many on your list.
Has shopping gotten out of hand during the holidays? We buy stuff, to give stuff and it might not be the right stuff. Don’t get my wrong—with 3 daughters, and 7 grandkids I have done my part to support the economy. But what makes the holiday special for me is when I can find that perfect gift that has meaning. It’s not about the price, it’s about the meaning behind the gift. And last week I received the perfect gift—a letter.
What if we all took time to write a letter to those we love when we don't know what to give them. Instead of buying stuff they don’t need, with money we don't have, we take a few moments and tell them we care during the most special time of year, in the most special way possible.
Send the gift of love in a letter. For the price of a sheet of paper, an envelope and a stamp, you can create the perfect gift, with the most meaning for the holiday season.
Now… if you feel compelled to send a gift, you can always send autographed copies of Flight For Control and Flight For Safety. I’m gift-wrapping for the season.
What are your favorite gifts?
New tradition at my house. We are giving our grandkids the gift of experience. Whatever they want to try for the New Year, swimming, piano, gymnastics, take a foreign language, we are enabling them to try. I suspect the year they all decide to take flying lessons at the same time they might bankrupt me. But what a gift that would be!
Thank you all for my gift, by reading my books, and for your comments that continue to flow on Amazon!
Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene
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Conflicting Schedules: Reducing Holiday Stress
Being Two Places at Once
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Dick and I joined a great part with wonderful people, delicious food, fun, games and laughter that lasted well into the evening.
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Amazon Comments are appreciated too
One of the most stressful times during the season when events conflict and there is no way to do it all. The answer is: Don't. But if you want to, you need to understand that it is possible to make events work with a little creativity and a very long night.
Saturday the 6th was one of our granddaughters 3rd birthday. Last month she lit up when she asked me if I could come to her bounce house party. How could I miss it? And then Johnny Summers and his wife, Elaine, invited us to their annual Christmas party. How could I miss that?
Johnny is my proctor at ERAU, an Alaska Airlines pilot, and an aviation advocate in our community among other things. Such a nice family they are. What do you do when you have two things at once? You make it work!
Dick and I joined a great part with wonderful people, delicious food, fun, games and laughter that lasted well into the evening.
And then we drove to the airport, and caught an 11 pm flight to Redmond. We snuck in the the house around 1230 am, and found a bed. The kids found us there Sunday morning, and the fun continued. Pancakes for breakfast, bounce house party, and while the kids were napping a hike with the most beautiful views.
While it's not always possible to combine events, sometimes it is. With the holidays upon us, time is often limited and stress of trying to make everything work takes over. Trying to get together with many friends? Bring them all together at the same time. It's always great to meet new people. But realize it may not be possible to make the schedule work.
When this happens, give yourself a break and know that your friends will understand. They are living the same challenges. But if you can join the fun, do it. Life is very short.
Happy Holidays!
XOX Karlene
Thank You For Reading!
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Santa Express
Get Into the Holiday Spirit!
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But happiness is a choice. No matter what has happened, we have the power to be happy and enjoy the season of love.
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There is nothing better than making a child smile to get into the holiday spirit. If you haven't found the joy of the season, volunteer to help in your community clubhouse, a local church, or senior center. There are so many ways to give back. And when you do, you can't help but be in the spirit.
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Enjoy the Season and Choose to be Happy
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While the Holiday Season brings Joy to so many, it can also be a time of sadness for others. When a loved one has passed away, the season can be bitter sweet. So many are alone during the holidays. Perhaps your loved one is in the military. No money to decorate, or buy a tree, and spoil the kids.
But happiness is a choice. No matter what has happened, we have the power to be happy and enjoy the season of love.
The holidays should be a time to give more than we take. Tis the season of caring and sharing. And when you give more than you take, you can get into the spirit. The best way to find the joy of the season is to bring joy to others.
Last night Delta held their annual Santa Express. Special children from our community climbed aboard a Delta A330 at SeaTac and flew to the North Pole to join a winter wonderland festival. I harvested my yard to help get into the spirit and help decorate. Our soldiers that stand sentinel on our porch, joined the party, as did Pilot Snoopy.
But the team of flight attendants and tech ops personal were amazing, as they created an enchanting night for the children. The work these people put out was done with joy, laughter, smiles and huge hearts. Delta pilots and flight attendants bought presents for the children that Santa and Mrs Claus handed out, hot cocoa was served, carolers sang, games played, and Santa photos made the night spectacular.
Tis the season to share holiday hugs, stand under the mistletoe, and laugh a little louder. It's time to enjoy the moments. There are many to be found.
There is nothing better than making a child smile to get into the holiday spirit. If you haven't found the joy of the season, volunteer to help in your community clubhouse, a local church, or senior center. There are so many ways to give back. And when you do, you can't help but be in the spirit.
I am in the spirit! Are you?
Enjoy the Season and Choose to be Happy
Happy Holidays!
XO Karlene
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Happy ThanksMas!
New Holiday Tradition in Progress!
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With three daughters, 7 grandkids, three states, in-laws, out-laws, and all the complications of the season with travel and commitments, we are reducing holiday stress by creating a new family tradition.
We invented a new Holiday:
Happy Thanksmas!
Thanksmas is a time that all the sisters, cousins, mom and dad come together for a fun filled four-day weekend. Nestled someplace between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we will be playing reindeer games, going on a Thanksmas egg hunt, swimming, taking bubble baths, opening gifts, having a pizza party to decorate the tree and a great Thanksmas Day feast.
There is always a way to share the holiday season with those you love. And equally important to understand as families grow, we remain flexible to holiday demands. I'll be back next week! Have a GREAT weekend!!!
XO Karlene
In the mean time... spread the word about Flight For Control and Flight For Safety. They will make great Christmas gifts for all, and for all a good night!
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Happy Holidays!!!
Thanksmas was a GREAT Success!!!
Twas 15 days before Christmas
When the holidays did start
The Elves were all in town
And love filled each heart
Twas 14 days before Christmas
And the Elves went bowling
Fun was had by all
And faces were glowing
13 days before Christmas
And the Seattle rain did stop
The elves went for a Thanksmas Egg hunt
The fun was non-stop
Presents were opened
A feast had by all
The elves skipped their naps
But they all had a ball
12 days before Christmas
Time for the Elves to all home
But memories will linger
And we will never be alone
Happy Holidays to all
And to all a great flight!
XO Karlene
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All I Want For Christmas...
Joy and Peace to the World
When asked what I want for Christmas, I always say nothing. Just for my family and friends to be happy, healthy, and have all their dreams come true. I also want to help future pilots reach their dreams in a strong industry. I want to make the airline industry safer. I also want to keep cameras out of the cockpit. But for me? There is only one gift you can give me, that will help all those wishes come true.
All I want for Christmas this year
is for you to share my novels with the world!
For me, you can gift Flight For Controland Flight For Safety to a friend or family member. You can share my books by sending this link too. Telling someone about these novels is the greatest gift, that keeps on giving! Autographed and gift wrapped copies are available from this blog too, with huge savings if you buy both!
Share the gift of reading with those you love this Holiday Season, and make everyone's dreams come true!
Read more about the stories Here:
Thank you!!!
Now... time to study for recurrent.
Happy Holidays!
XO Karlene
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