Question of the week!

Last night I received a wonderful question for Martin, a student who is planning his career.


Martin says....


I am still in high school, still lots of choices can be made. What should I take for high school or University/college? Should I go directly to pilot school?


Also, is near sightedness (glasses/contacts) a big no no for pilot these days? My father always uses that excuse to discourage me from being a pilot. I have well, kinda bad eye sight, not blind, but kinda bad, is there a limit where many airlines dislike hiring those pilots, or do they hire anyone as long as they can see 20/20 with glasses/contacts?


Martin, these are an excellent questions.

First, as long as you can correct your vision to 20/20 you can hold a first class medical certificate and are legal to fly.


Historically, airlines varied their hiring based on supply and demand. When we had a lot of pilots coming out of the military, more than there were jobs to offer, the airlines could be very strict. However, as the pilot supply diminished they lowered their standards.


There was a time when airlines wouldn’t hire a pilot with glasses. Not today. I’m thinking American Airlines has always given the most attention to medical. However, I will ask my AA friends to comment on that. Actually, we’ll ask all the airlines to chime in.

And what should you study in school? Take what you love! Actually, math and science classes are a good match for flying airplanes. However, I am a firm believer that there are many other ways to go too.

I recently finished my MBA, and a solid business program will teach you management and communication skills. Flight deck management is a key to flying airplanes today and in the future, and exceptional communication skills are the core of CRM. Crew Resource Management.


Psychology is also an excellent degree. The one program that will provide the greatest insight to human nature… and could help with the psychology of the interview process, and understanding people.


If I could go back to college, my undergraduate degree would have been in writing, as I discovered later in life this is a new passion that I plan on continuing while I continue my aviation career.
Now that I have confused you...


The question is … what do you love? What would you do if you decided you no longer wanted to fly, or all the aviation jobs dried up? I recommend you take classes, and plan for a degree with a ‘back up’ career in mind.

Most major airlines desire their pilots to have a degree. They don’t require the type of degree. They want to know that you have the aptitude and ability to start, finish, and excel in your studies. As they will know you can fly by your aviation experience you bring to the interview.

As pilots, we always have an alternate if the weather is too severe to continue the approach. Meaning, educate yourself with something you love, that you can fall back on, while you pursue your aviation career in the process.

Trust me, you can have it all!


Have a Great Day! ~ Karlene

Jean Jones: Friday's Fabulous Flyer

When Jean was 16 years old, Air Force Dad taught her how to fly a Cessna 172, and a pilot was born. Unfortunately back then, timing was everything. Actually timing continues to be everything, but at that time women weren’t allowed to fly in the military.


With no option to fly in the service, Jean headed into the medical field. Three years in Nursing College, followed by graduation in 1975, Jean found herself working in the operating room at St. Joseph Hospital. While working, she continued her education and one year later finished a 4 year degree in biology at University of Puget Sound.

Jean realized that nursing wasn’t for her. She wanted to fly, but options were still limited and she did not want to be a ‘token’ woman pilot at the airlines. Great news! 1976 the Air force announced they were going to allow women to fly! She applied, they accepted, and in 1979 Jean joined the Air Force reserves… apparently the best duty an Air Force pilot can have!

1979 Jean soloed in the T37 and, as with most solo traditions, she was appropriately dunked. And October 1980 she graduated flight school.

141 McChord 2nd Lieutenant in her T37

She flew both a T37 and T38 in the Air force. The great thing about reserves in the Air Force is that she could also work for the airlines at the same time, and decided to venture that route carrying her military experience with her.

Look at Jean Now!

She was only a 727 Second Officer for 6 months! Somebody had placed a paper on Jean’s table and they told her that was a ‘dream’ sheet. And dream she did. The wonderful thing about dreams is they often come true. She bid and received a Second Officer position on the Boeing 747 in Seattle! And there she stayed… in Seattle… flying the 747 in all positions until they closed the Seattle base.

747 Second Officer

After Seattle closed, Jean commuted to Anchorage for four years. She finished her career in 2005 as a Boeing 747 Captain. She retired from the Airline early due to a family situation, but she hasn’t retired from life.

747 Captain

While I never had the opportunity to fly with Jean, she has recently become a huge part of my life. Since Jean's retirement she's found another passion… alternative medicine.   I was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine. The medical treatments, and associated side effects, were not an option for me… hardening of the bones, potential femur snapping, and crumbling of the jaw bone.  And Jean has stepped in to helped.

She studied as a nutritional therapy practitioner, continues ongoing education, and has been muscle testing for years. She is now advising me on my treatment through vitamin therapy. Muscle testing is the offset of Kinesiology…and a fascinating field. The body is an amazing thing, and given the right environment will heal itself.

Jean does not perform this treatment for payment, or as a profession. She studies alternative medicine as a passion and helps her friends and family in need. She is certainly helping me.

The challenges of women in aviation continue, and the stories from the early years would amaze you. But nothing has stopped Jean. She continues to learn and share her education with others. And word is…she is still taking to the sky; this weekend to help a pilot who is working towards an instructor's license. 

An incredible lady who just keeps giving, Jean Jones is a Fabulous Flyer and then some!

If you you would like more information on the work she is doing, please email her at captmom@earthlink.net

Drafting Guys Over 60

A busy day ahead, so I decided to share with you a bit of military humor. This is funny & obviously written by a Former Soldier... and remember, I have nothing against the old guys... I'm married to one. :)

New Direction for any war: Send Service Vets over 60!

I am over 60 and the Armed Forces thinks I'm too old to track down terrorists. You can't be older than 42 to join the military. They've got the whole thing ass-backwards. Instead of sending 18-year olds off to fight, they ought to take us old guys.. You shouldn't be able to join a military unit until you're at least 35.

For starters,

Researchers say 18-year-olds think about sex every 10 seconds.. Old guys only think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us more than 28,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy.
Young guys haven't lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier is a dangerous soldier... 'My back hurts! I can't sleep, I'm tired and hungry.' We are impatient and maybe letting us kill some asshole that desperately deserves it will make us feel better and shut us up for awhile.

An 18-year-old doesn't even like to get up before 10am. Old guys always get up early to pee, so what the hell. Besides, like I said, I'm tired and can't sleep and since I'm already up, I may as well be up killing some fanatical son-of-a-bitch.

If captured we couldn't spill the beans because we'd forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank, and serial number would be a real brainteaser.

Boot camp would be easier for old guys.. We're used to getting screamed and yelled at and we're used to soft food. We've also developed an appreciation for guns. We've been using them for years as an excuse to get out of the house, away from the screaming and yelling.

They could lighten up on the obstacle course however. I've been in combat and never saw a single 20-foot wall with rope hanging over the side, nor did I ever do any push ups after completing basic training. Actually, the running part is kind of a waste of energy, too. I've never seen anyone outrun a bullet.

An 18-year-old has the whole world ahead of him. He's still learning to shave, to start a conversation with a pretty girl. He still hasn't figured out that a baseball cap has a brim to shade his eyes, not the back of his head.
Let us old guys track down those dirty rotten coward terrorists. The last thing an enemy would want to see is a couple million pissed off old farts with attitudes and automatic weapons, who know that their best years are
already behind them.

HEY!! How about recruiting Women over 50.....in menopause!!! You think MEN have attitudes??
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh my God!!! If nothing else, put them on border patrol. They'll have it secured the first night!
~Anonymous

Why Do You Fly?

Question of the Day:


Did you always know you wanted to be an airline pilot, or did something make you decide that you wanted to fly for a career?

The answer to the question has fascinated me for years. As I studied human nature during my Masters in Counseling, I realized that human behavior is impacted by many things. The age old debate... is our behavior based on our personality or by our environment? My contention is it's both.


At nine years old I was sitting on my bedroom floor playing a game called 'careers' with three girlfriends. This board game enabled us ability to spin a wheel and move around the board in search of a career. Stewardess was the desired job by all. We could also become a school teacher, nurse, secretary or librarian. 


My friends landed on the much desired stewardess spot, but luck wasn't on my side... or was it? I finally said, "I don't care. I don't want to be a stewardess, I'm going to be the pilot!"


Colleen Moore said, "You can't be a pilot. My dad is a pilot ... girls can't do that!"


The ensuing argument was directly related to, whether or not girls could fly.  I ran to the kitchen and asked my mom. She said, "You can be whatever you want to be."  And then she told me to get out of her kitchen. The days that followed I told everyone, "I am going to be a pilot!"


My sisters made fun of me. My friends doubted me. And I decided I would prove them wrong. But the first time I stepped foot on an airplane, now I know it had been a 727, I remember looking in the cockpit and thinking, "There is absolutely NO way I could do this!" There were so many buttons and dials and instruments. We were flying to Disneyland with my dad, and my sisters' minds were wrapped around the enchantment of the happiest place on earth, mine was wrapped around how my life was going to be filled with failure.


I never shared that fear with anyone at the time. But deep down, the conflict prevailed. Fear of what I didn't think I could do... and the pride of doing what I had told everyone I was going to do. Pride won.


At the age of 16 I bought an introductory flight.  Taking to the sky felt natural and I loved it. The thought of, 'I can't do this' shifted to... 'And they're going to pay me to do this?'  I was hooked, and every paycheck from my high school job went to the airport on the weekends.


Through the years there have been many moments of doubt and fear. And thus I learned a few things about success through the process of life:

1. Tell people your goals and you have a higher chance of follow through.
2. Pushing through your fear stretches you and your ability.
3. There is really nothing that you can't accomplish if you are willing to try.

Was it the stubborn Taurus in me that I had to prove people wrong? Was it that I was a middle child and felt the need to be someone, and do something special to break free from mediocrity? Was it the fate of a childhood game and a friend that pointed me in the right direction for my life? 


My advice for life: If a door opens... go through it. If you don't like what you find on the other side, don't be afraid to jump ship and do something else. Life is too short to not do what you love.  I happened to be directed to the sky, and discovered I loved it.


On a side note... Colleen's dad was a pilot for Delta. Now isn't that a small world!

Aviation Thriller: Flight For Control

A series of recent airline accidents have been occurring across the nation.

“These recent accidents appear to be due to complacency of known threats… primarily inclement weather and maintenance. Over the preceding twenty-four months we’ve experienced seven major airline accidents, three of which transpired within the previous year… this is the worse home grown disaster our nation has faced in years…”

Nothing is as it appears...

Revising my novel today ... 

A Weekend of Success!

I spent a 4 day weekend with my fellow Scribe Sisters in Seattle at the PNWA writer's conference. Great news...  an agent and an editor are interested in my novel, Flight For Control! Yippee! 

I now have a deadline... September 1st. Many long days and nights of writing ahead. Is it possible?

Oh yeah!

Beyond the many incredible takeaways from the conference, there was something that resonated with me more than anything else. That was the fact that anyone can become a writer if they don't give up. Perseverance is the key to success. How true is that with flying!

The difference in finding our personal success depends up the level of commitment and the willingness to never give up trying. I knew I would become a pilot. Why? I wasn't going to give up. I also know that I will become a published author. Why? You got it... I have that innate stubbornness that some call the Taurus in me...I will not give up. But more than that, I have a belief system that I know I can do it.

You too can create that success in your life. Someone once said 90% of success is showing up. I believe that extra 10% of success is not only showing up, but sticking to your passion despite all odds.

Keep flying. Keep writing. Keep doing what you love and you too will find your personal success!

Pilot Needs Advice...

The greatest thing about new pilots is they have the best questions! And the greatest thing about the old pilots... we have all the answers... just ask us.


Julia Bury is preparing to launch into a fantastic aviation career and is planning her career, she asks:

As you know, I'm going to ERAU, and had planned to study Aerospace Engineering and minor in Flight. Lately though, I have been contemplating majoring in Aeronautical Science (Flight) and minoring in something like Math and Physics, or dual majoring with ATC. Do you think majoring in Aeronautical Science as opposed to engineering would be not the smartest move? I know I need a backup, but hoped I might be able to get that through minors instead. Especially since my true ultimate goal is to work as an airline pilot, not an engineer. Any advice or thoughts you might have on this would be great! Thanks


Julia, this is a great question. And from a person of long term planning, I'm going to vote for the Aerospace Engineering degree and minor in flight.

But the most important question is... while your goal is to be a pilot, what feeds your soul when you look at the classes offered under each degree? College will be so much more fun embedded in classes you love. The flying will be the icing on the cake. Do you find interest in the engineering classes?

Remember... first goal of a life, love what you do and everything else will fall into place. This goes for college too. While there will always be a couple prerequisite classes that the inside of your eyelids are more inspirational than the books on your desk, you need to love and have a passion for your classes to get the most out of them.

With all that said, I'm guessing you're saying, "But if I do that, then I should major in Aeronautical Science not engineering!" Perhaps.


Long term planning ... Engineering is a strong degree, and with all things equal, when you go for that interview and there is one job, and the only difference is the type of degree...yours will prevail.

Second, not knowing what the world will hold when you emerge on the other end of your education, with an Aeronautical Engineering degree, you will open a door to Boeing. And Boeing is a fantastic company! An engineering degree will enable you to walk into multiple departments, and the flexibility to move within the company... test flight, training, etc. and back into a plane.


Either way, you have a incredible opportunity at ERAU, and whatever you do... learn and build those flight hours along the way and you'll set yourself up for an incredible future. Either degree will be impressive!

This first year is going to be filling the prerequisite squares, I'm thinking to leave your options open on the major and take your first classes that could go either way. You could get into school and shift mid-stream.

I hope this helps. And if any other pilots have any advice to cloud the skies... please let Julia know what you think.


~ Karlene