Libby Parsons

Friday's Fabulous Flyer!

 

Libby Parsons

 

"My name is Libby Parsons and I'm an instructor pilot currently exploring the United States through my flying. I was born and raised in North Carolina and learned to fly there. I later moved to Jacksonville Florida where I flew for part of the summer. I then wanted a little more adventure and to see other parts of the country. So I decided to move out to Phoenix Arizona where I helped train the Shen Zhen airline pilots. 

 

 

I absolutely loved that and had a blast! I really enjoyed Phoenix and its 110 degree summers. But I still wanted to adventure some more. So I landed a job in Alaska instructing and later a job flying cargo and aerial surveys around the arctic circle and the Arctic Ocean along the pipelines in the northern most part of Alaska. I am set to move back to Phoenix in September and continue to instruct.

 

 

My long term goal is to fly for FedEx or UPS.

It's been an amazing journey and I have learned and experienced so much and met so many unbelievably amazing people along the way. 

One fun and unique fact about me is I like to sew clothes and make jewelry. My father and I sewed my prom dress from scratch my senior year of highschool. I'm also a nerd at heart and ran a freelance web design company for 5 years while in college and through flight school."

For anyone who would like to fly with Libby, you can email here at: eaparson@gmail.com

 

Enjoy The Journey!

Karlene 

Rescheduled! Residency! Recurrent!

The Journey Continues!  

After a long couple months of school, life challenges, and flying from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and back across the Pacific, only to be rescheduled to Detroit, with a mad dash to Seattle to repack and rush to residency in Florida, followed by recurrent and I made it home last night, slept 11 hours and passed my physical. I'm grateful for Captain Jim for sending me this story for my much neglected blog:

"Ole and Sven were halibut fishermen flying from Alaska to Seattle on an old PNA Connie.  Shortly after takeoff from Annette one engine quit and was feathered.  The Capt came on the intercom assuring passengers that that all was fine and the flight to Seattle would just take a little longer now.

An hour later after a second engine quit Ole turned to Sven and said,"I hope those other engines keep running or we'll be up here all night".

Enjoy the Journey!!
XOX Karlene

Children's Museum of Central Oregon

Is underway!

My middle Daughter, Kayla, has started a non-profit organization for the children of Central Oregon!

(And all others whose parents will make the drive and or flight)
 Children's Museum of Central Oregon

"Our mission is to serve as a place for children to create, explore and investigate their world through immersive hands on experiences, and as a resource for families of all types to grow and learn together."

If you want to be part of the education process and help grow the future, we would love your support! They need funding to acquire the location, supplies, staff and operating expenses.

Click HERE
to make this mission a reality.

Loving the Lego WeDo!
Such a fun way to introduce kiddos to robotics and coding.

All donations are tax deductible 
and go to a great purpose!

For me... Officially the first year of school is complete! Finals a success and the second summer session is over. I'm switching hats and heading to recurrent training, as the next adventure begins. On the flight home I will put the author hat on, and begin working on Flight For Survival. When I land, I will have a week off and heading to the beach with all my daughters and grandkids in one place for the first annual summer vacation.

THANK YOU for your supporting the

Children's Museum of Central Oregon

Enjoy the Journey! 

XO Karlene

Pilot Challenges...

NEW ATP REQUIREMENTS

A pilot sent me his concern for today's challenge of becoming a pilot. I'm finding a difficult time identifying the value in any of this for safety.

This is what he wrote: 

 

New ATP/CTP Course Requirement Prior to sitting for the ATP Written. These can cost between $4995 and $13000. Some flight schools or higher institutes of learning may 'pay' or include this, but you have to commit to getting a degree or staying at the flight school for 12-18 months.

61.153 (e) After July 31, 2014, for an airline transport pilot certificate, must receive a graduation certificate from an authorized training provider certifying completion of the airline transport pilot certification training program specified in §61.156 before applying for the knowledge test required.
Here are the course requirements: 

61.156 Training requirements: 

Must present a graduation certificate from an authorized training provider under part 121, 135, 141, or 142 of this chapter certifying the applicant has completed the following training in a course approved by the Administrator. 

(a) Academic training. The applicant for the knowledge test must receive at least 30 hours of classroom instruction that includes the following: 8 hours of instruction on aerodynamics, 2 hours of instruction on meteorology, 14 hours of instruction on air carrier operations, 6 hours of instruction on leadership, professional development, crew resource management, and safety culture.
 

(b) FSTD training. 10 hours of training in a flight simulation training. 6 hours of training in a Level C, remaining may be completed in a Level 4 or higher.
 

Can Qualify for a ATP restricted rating with less hours if met any of the following, per 61.160

750 hours - U.S. military pilot or former U.S. military pilot
1000 hour – Bachelor’s degree with aviation major, 60 semester hours aviation coursework, commercial license
1250 hours – Associate’s Degree with aviation major, 30 semester hours aviation coursework, commercial license

So, the people in my small niche which have no aviation degree and a good amount of hours but need more (I have 969, 1500 needed, since I don't qualify for any of the restricted hours) have to find a way to build those hours. Flight schools are leery as they suspect you might leave after getting to the 1500 hours, and try to lock you in for 12-18 months by offering to include the ATP/CPT or having to pay back training costs if you leave earlier than the 12-18 months. Same for part 135 charter operators - want to lock you in to 12-18 months or you have to pay back thousands of dollars of 'training' costs since you're not ATP certified."

What do you think?

Does this pilot shortage inducing effect create another level of safety... or does it prevent potential pilots from reaching their dreams?

I am off to school for the week in Florida, followed by a trek to recurrent training. Brain expansion in process.

Enjoy the journey!
XO Karlene

Kevin Miller

Friday's Fabulous Flyer!

Kevin Miller

"I Never thought I would write the Great American Novel, and readers can determine if I have, but after much rejection from New York - tempered with a dose of encouragement to keep trying - I did publish my military action adventure novel Raven One.

 

First, I had to have something to write about, and my 24 year career as a carrier aviator was a natural place to start. Flying airplanes off ships was the only thing I aspired to as a boy, and living near Naval Air Station Miramar watching F-4's, F-8's, and F-14's fly over the house cemented it. Once I earned my wings of gold in 1983 all three jets were still flying - F-8's in the reserves - but I went to the A-7 and after a tour transitioned to the FA-18. A rich life and I wouldn't trade a day of it.

People often asked, "what is it like?" How do you explain that in a sentence or three to those who have no background? How can any pilot "explain" the freedom of flight, the precision expected, the camaraderie? For a carrier pilot, the exhilaration of flying off the ship, the pride and sense of accomplishment - and relief - while flying in a big formation after a strike, the tension of flying over the open ocean at night with skies so black it is as if you are inside of a basketball. And the camaraderie, with squadronmates who are like brothers, life-long friends.

So with a nudge from a fellow officer, I set out to write, having no idea of the scale of this undertaking. In a flurry of activity I would write 5-10,000 words - then in exhaustion set it aside for a month or two, then pick it back up. After four years, I finally finished. Deep down, I knew I "had something" and sent query letters to literary agents. In the end all said no thanks, but several asked for chapters or the whole thing. These agents let me down gently, saying I had some talent and offering suggestions, but it wasn't right for them. Keep trying, they encouraged me.

Through a wonderful turn of events I came across Stealth Books and publisher Jeff Edwards, a prolific and award-wining author in this genre and a fellow Navy man. He saw something too, but Raven One needed an editor first. Through more remarkable connections I found Linda Wasserman of Pelican Press Pensacola. Linda had zero background editing a work of this type, and the acronym and jargon heavy paragraphs (we pilots would fall apart without them!) was completely foreign, but she patiently learned as I patiently explained the meanings I was trying to convey. She in turn made the book much more readable and grammatically correct. Linda emerged from the experience drenched in naval aviation, and she was the perfect editor for Raven One. All readers owe her a debt of gratitude!

With Jeff and Linda's help, Raven One was published last year on CreateSpace as a trade paperback and as an ebook. With only word-of-mouth and this fad called FaceBook, it became a best seller in it's genre, and in June was ranked in the top 30 of all of Amazon titles. Reviewers find it authentic, and if readers not familiar with the staccato bursts of radio transmissions from many military cockpits can push through until they reach "English" again, they can get an insight into my former world, a world today populated by young men and women forward deployed to the Middle East.

 

We all love TOPGUN, but if a reader really wants to know what it is like out there on a pitching flight deck, Raven One is available. Please like the FB page!"

Happy landings, and happy reading.
Kevin Miller

Enjoy the journey!
XO Karlene 

Buying An Airplane

What about a Beechcraft Sierra?

Robert Clancey from Honolulu is looking to buy an aircraft. He is just starting his search, and wondering about a Beechcraft Sierra. 

What do you think?

A similar question two years ago between a v-tail or straight tail was the topic in  

Should I buy a Beechcraft?

What about a 
Cessna or Cherokee? 

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene

Summer Reading:

Raven One

Finals complete!! Last week I finished finals on a layover in China. Then standing in the lobby on my way to the airport to return home,  I met a crew getting ready to head to town. Of course I had to tell them about my novels before we parted. Then one of the captains told me about Raven One, and a little about the pilot who wrote it. Thus, I just ordered it and will be reading between classes. I suspect we will get to meet the man behind the book by the end of the week. Stay tuned. 

But for now....

"UNARMED OVER HOSTILE TERRITORY... For a moment Wilson froze and looked at the white-helmeted pilot who sat high on the nose of the colossal fighter. Across the small void, he saw the pilot’s eyes peer over his mask. Dark, chilling eyes… Wilson kicked right rudder to slide closer and jam any chance for a bandit gunshot. When the bandit pulled all the way over, almost on its back but in control, he cursed in frustration at what he knew was coming next. The hostile fighter reversed over the top in a negative-g maneuver, his nose tracking down on Wilson like a falling sledgehammer in slow motion. Horrified, Wilson realized he faced an imminent snapshot. With the little air speed he had, his inverted his Hornet to avoid the attack. His aircraft still rolling, Wilson saw that the monster had another weapon at its disposal..."

 

Find time to read a good book this summer!  

 

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene