Syd Blue

Friday's Fabulous Flyer

Syd flies planes, writes novels and looks like a model! Not only is she talented and beautiful, but she has the voice of an angel, a great sense of humor and when she's not writing, she's inspiring and motivating young pilots.

Syd Blue

Syd's story began at nine years old. Which appears to be an inspiring age for girls. She began writing in the back of her father's Mooney. To grandmothers house they flew--- her dad, three older brothers, and Syd tucked away in the baggage compartment with pen and paper.  From this hideaway her first story emerged---Diamonds Till Dawn. A story about kids who were trapped in a museum overnight with a mummy on the loose. The museum sold diamonds and other polished rocks for 10 cents. I'm liking this story Syd. Revise. Revise.

Happy Birthday! Syd took her first flying lesson on her 14th birthday, and the sky opened to another world. They let her out of the baggage compartment and she soared.  And once she took the yoke from her brothers, she had more fun flying to grandmas. Despite the new passion of flight, the writing never stopped.

Passion for flying or passion for story telling---

Dad had spent endless hours sharing his stories from the Air Force and "the good ol' days" at the beginning of the jet age---  He also taught all the kids how to fly.  She says her dad is, "The biggest flying enthusiast on the planet!" Now Syd flies. She writes stories. I'm thinking dad made an impression on this young lady.

Syd didn't grow up in the shadow of her dad and older brothers, she bloomed under the banner of men she calls family. Her brothers all happen to became professional pilots, too. One brother is a pilot for a major airline, one is an aerial firefighter, and the eldest brother is just a private pilot who happens to be a rocket scientist--- "launching who-knows-what into orbit." Please tell us more! "Sorry, that's classified." I know they are all proud of her.

The year 2002, and Syd moved to Big Bear Lake because her husband's business "thrived in the mountain community" and she didn't want to uproot him. Besides, she loved the forest, hiking and the beauty. She could have it all. But to avoid a two hour commute to work, she decided to get her certificates and fly, cutting the commute to 20-minutes.

Syd at Work

Six years later Syd gave up the "day job" and began flying professionally. She covers the southwest with her aviation business that specializes in surveillance. But her real passion is writing--- She loves it "more than flying." Talented--- she's  produced, written, and edited professionally for TV stations, production companies, book publishers, websites and magazines.


My fellow Critique Sisters and I had the great opportunity to meet Syd at the SDSU Writers' conference last weekend. Syd was in town pitching her YA novel Live Large or Die Small.  Syd is living large, and her novel is going to be a National Best Seller.

Syd, Linda, Heather, Karlene

Despite her passion for writing, the sky is Syd's inspiration. She loves it so much that she created Life in the Skies to pass it on. On YouTube she produced videos for Women in Aviation:

What Should you Do if You Want to be a Pilot
Five Things to Become a Pilot


Syd received so many questions from kids, she also produced a DVD to answer them all. Check out a taste of  Life in the Skies. At the bottom of this page-- learn how you can win a free copy!

"With so many kids telling me they were dying to fly, I felt compelled to tell them about all the great resources. Young Eagles is an awesome program giving kids free flights, and AOPA and WAI have mentor programs. Pilots love to pass on their passion for flying, but I sees it as a course in self-empowerment that should be required learning.

I wish everyone could learn to fly. The boost to self-esteem is worth it alone. It’s an amazing journey to become a pilot, and it changes your viewpoint forever. Kids write me saying things like, “I want to fly so bad but my parents say I’m not smart enough.” Or “I heard it’s hard to fly.” I tell them, “It may be hard to learn to fly, but easy is sitting on the couch and I bet you want more from life than sitting on the couch.” It’s too bad there are so many who want to discourage new pilots. I’m working to encourage everyone interested just because of the personal benefits. The solo is an awesome right of passage. It’s so incredible that we can fly. Why not do it?"

"Whether the goal is personal accomplishment, sheer joy or a career in the sky, I say give it a try. I often hear pilots say they had to go for this career, whatever challenges they faced, because they love it. You’ll never know if you love flying until you try your hand at the yoke."

Syd is an amazing women. I can hardly wait until we can give a copy of her book away too.

But today, I'm running a drawing and giving one FREE copy of  to one lucky winner.

• Sign up to follow my blog.  
• Leave a comment to Syd about why you would love a copy of this DVD. 
• Keep your fingers crossed, you could be the winner. 
• Drawing announced on February 28th. 

Syd, Thank you for sharing your story and being such a huge inspiration. Come to Seattle in August to  the PNWA conference and hang out with your new friends.


Enjoy the Journey! 


~ Karlene