Captain Linda Pauwels

Friday's Fabulous Flyer

Captain Linda Pauwels

B-707 Southern Air Transport Captain

The youngest women Jet Captain 

At the Age of 25

That was many aviation lives ago. Today Linda is a B787 Check Airman for American Airlines, with many years of experience in between. Arriving at American she started over as a B727 second officer, typical in the day, and then moved to the right seat on the B727, B757/B767, A300 and B777. She upgraded to Captain on the MD88 and then A320, and currently flies as a Captain on the B787 as a check airman. She has flown thousands of hours over her career, and yet, she has found a way to do so much more in life outside the flight deck.  

Linda was born in San Pedro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and after the death of her father, at the age of six, she came to the United States. She faced great adversity in her young life, but never allowed life issues to hold her back. Her experiences taught her even greater resilience, a fabulous trait for any pilot. 

A forty-year marriage to a pilot, two adult children, pets, an Asian garden, flying, and she even made the time in the mid-2000s to write a column for the Orange County Register titled: From the Cockpit. 

Linda's little secret was that she also wrote poetry. 

And she was so kind to send me a copy of her book!

I have to brag a little more about Linda due to her Awards and Honors, before I tell you about her poetry:

• Alumni Hall of Fame Miami-Dade College, 2005
• 100 Most Influential Hispanics, Hispanic Business Magazine, 2002
• Tribute for Excellence in the Field of Transportation Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, 2002
• McKnight Scholarship, Miami-Dade College, 1985
• Divisional Award for Outstanding Achievements in Operations Careers Miami-Dade College, 1985

This highly educated woman has a Bachelors of Science from ERAU, a Masters of Science, Education from Azusa Pacific University, and plans on including a PhD from ERAU, as she was accepted in the first cadre of doctoral candidates. 

Pilot, Presenter, Consultant, and Author!

Linda bests describes BEYOND HAIKU, Pilots Write Poetry, when she says: 

Beyond Haiku peeks through the cockpit door to reveal the poetic heart of airline pilots... a selection of haiku and short poems by men and women who fly airplanes for a living. The writing is niche and empathetic. The humor is characteristically wry, befitting the pilot persona. Beautiful illustrations, by children of pilots aged 6 to 17, bring this flight of fancy in for a smooth landing. Proceeds from Beyond Haiku will go to the Allied Pilots Association Emergency Relief and Scholarship Fund, to provide support for pilots furloughed due to the industry effects of COVID-19.

A noble gesture from an amazing woman giving back to her industry and those pilots impacted by COVID.  

What is Haiku you ask? "A Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world." Linda evokes images of the world of aviation, and she is bringing those images to you, and helping pilots in the process.  

Order your copy of BEYOND HAIKU on Amazon

Or from  Linda's Website 

She even included pictures of the kiddos who did the artwork and the pilots who contributed:

What's Next? 

Linda's second book is underway: Beyond Haiku: Women Pilots Write Poetry. She is looking for women pilots to submit an original, unpublished haiku or short poem before March 31, 2021. You can submit up to three! Please send your original work to: pilots.haiku@gmail.com in an attached "word" document.

I'm going to submit a poem or two...

How about you?

Enjoy the Journey!
XOX Karlene