Inspiration Gives Wings

And the Gift of Flight

In 2018 I met Aleeka Morgan and her husband Will at an ERAU graduation of which I was speaking. I was impressed by this couple, and they became my Friday Fabulous Flyers. I knew there would be nothing stopping Aleeka in a future of inspiration and success. Success is when you make a difference in the world.

Aleeka introduced me to La Pietra, an all-girls school in Hawaii, and was surprised by their TechZone program. The program equips students with cutting-edge tools like a flight simulator, e-sports gear, robotics kits, 3-D printers, and so much more. She told me Sabrina, a graduate of the school, is now headed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (my alma mater), and she credits La Pietra for sparking her passion for aeronautics. Sabrina recently completed her first solo flight, thanks to her time in the flight simulator at her school.

Aleeka said, "I'm passionate about helping to fundraise for La Pietra through the fund I started, Nurturing Wāhine Fund, because I saw firsthand how genuine the leaders are at the school. I have had so many traumatic experiences in Hawai'i where I have been put in uncomfortable situations by women, and it is novel to see a place that allows women and girls to actually thrive."

As the spouse of an Air Force veteran, Aleeka understands the transformative power of flight skills firsthand. Since then, she has launched a gender equity fund, Nurturing Wāhine to support STEM initiatives like TechZone. Every dollar she raises goes directly benefit these young women.

Nurturing Wāhine Fund's mission: To empower women to overcome systematic adversity by offering resources and grants. We do this by supporting programs and community leaders in underrepresented fields." Aleeka is in search of much needed funds for TechZone that will be used for maintenance of La Pietra's current equipment, and to assist in purchasing new equipment such as and instructor station, CNC milling machine, and CAD/CAM software. This is a 503(c)(3) non-profit and all donations will be tax deductible. You can Venmo your support at @NurturingWahine 

or at Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=V4AEBM6ZL9US4

If you have any questions or equipment donations, or want to learn more about Nurturing Wahine Fund or please email her at Aleeka@nurturingwahine.org

Aleeka Morgan is Making a Difference

One Life at a Time

Thanks for your help!

Enjoy the Journey
Dr. Karlene Petitt

PhD. MBA. MHS.
A350, B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727

Retain Senior Pilots

Your Life Could Depend upon It 

When you awaken, be grateful. Then think of those who might not have that opportunity due to an unnecessary aircraft accident. Today, airplanes are breaking at an exponential rate. Even new airplanes are malfunctioning. Doors flying off, engines failing and electrical problems. This is when we need competent, experienced pilots on the flight deck. With this "pilot shortage" and airlines employing anyone who is willing to work for them, or being offered flight opportunities before the individual proves ability, we are headed for a major catastrophe. 

Age 67 Retirement is a Must

For Your Safety

When a junior Southwest Airlines first officer nearly kills everyone on board because he dives toward the ocean and misses impact by 400 feet, and didn't even realize he had a problem, we have a problem. What if the captain was also a new hire pilot? Yes, that could happen. Delta Airlines place a new hire as a captain in NY, in the exact same plane that this SWA event occurred. A year ago, Delta experienced hail damage and the pilot flying was a new first officer getting a line check. 

Delta Hail Damage

On June 9th, Austrian Airbus A320-214 that passed through sever hailstorm while operating flight OS434 from Palma de Mallorca (PME) to Vienna (VIE)

We must retain senior pilots or the next time my be the last time for the crew and passengers on board

Southwest did a Dutch Roll last month with major structural damage. Sun Country diverted due to Engine Failure. KLM 787 Returns to Tokyo with a cracked windshield. Emirates A330 Rejects takeoff due to an engine exploding during takeoff.

American A321 a post flight inspection identifies a Damaged Cowling. Altas closes the Hong Kong runway after experiencing their third incident this year. United Airlines oxygen masks deployed.

Those events are what we see in the news. What you may not see are those hidden events. In May Delta Airlines experienced three major incidents. On May 27, Delta's airbus A350 lost automation, on May 29th an Airbus A330 experienced a total hydraulic failure, and a Boeing 757 had unsafe gear. This month I received the following photos of Delta flights, from disgruntled pilots who don't know what to do. A Captain tells me: 

"Maintenance is a problem and we're going to have an accident" 

 

Despite everything in the news there is more happening that you never hear about. 

FAA is now investigating Southwest Airlines and four months ago they were investigating United. Honestly, the FAA does not have the resources or time to solve the overwhelming problems within the airline industry. 

A safety protection and the easiest solution is to retain experienced senior pilots and allow them to continue flying to age 67. Their experience could save your life. In the eyes of the government, social security starts at retirement age of 67. Most of these pilots are flying far more challenging aircraft and operations after they leave the airline job.

Unfortunately ALPA is not supportive of this age extension because union representatives are elected positions. This is a political objection, not a safety concern. The airlines' massive employment of young pilots due to the pilot shortage now has tipped the scales to more younger pilots than those of experience. If the union reps don't vote to keep 67 out, they will be voted out. I've already seen this happen. We need public help to address this critical issue before it's too late. Retention of of senior pilots could save your life. 

AGE 67 Is a Must 

For Passenger Safety! 

Enjoy the Journey
Dr. Karlene Petitt

PhD. MBA. MHS.
A350, B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727