Pilot
Hi, My name is Elly Schmidt. I am from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I am a
recent college graduate with no children and no pets as of now. But I am
looking forward to getting a dog sometime though!
I did not really get a start in aviation until high school when I took my first
commercial airline flight to Seattle. I was scared to death up until we took off
and a feeling passed through my entire body that this was the coolest feeling
ever. It was then that I decided flying was something I wanted to do. I
checked out a lot of books about flying and aviation from my school library.
My parents and family were very supportive and bought me an adventure
flight as a birthday gift one year. My grandpa was interested in aviation and
took a few flying lessons himself that I went along on. He had worked on
airplanes during World War II but had never learned to fly them.
Unfortunately he passed away before he could take many lessons or get his
license.
One lesson I have learned is to try and figure out your learning style and find
an instructor that matches it. There are many different ways to teach and if
you are not getting some part of your training do not be afraid to ask to fly
with another instructor for awhile. It could potentially save you a lot of
frustration and money. Also, if you have the option to do your primary
training in a tail-wheel airplane and like a little added challenge when you are
learning, go for it!
I learned to fly at Flying Cloud airport in Eden Prairie, MN. Most of my time is
in Beechcraft Sports and American Champion Citabrias. I do not own my
own airplane and am currently learning to fly gliders. I am a Private Pilot and
have my tailwheel endorsement at this time. I started training for my private
pilot’s license just after my second year of college and I finished my training
a year later. I worked part-time at the airport where I was doing my training
to help cover the costs of training and I highly recommend doing it that way
to anyone. Working at a flight school was very rewarding for me because I
got to meet many different people and learn about the planes, the industry,
and the training.
Flying is my hobby that I am trying to make into a career right now. I
graduated college in May 2006 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and am
currently participating in a year long wildlife management internship with the
Student Conservation Association and the US Army Corps of Engineers in
Vermont. I could potentially combine my degree with aviation someday and
fly for a government agency doing aerial surveys, radio telemetry, and a
variety of other wildlife management projects.
I decided not to pursue aviation in college because at the time the industry
was shaky due to the Sept 11th terrorist attacks, and I was told my chances
of making it as an airline pilot were slim to none unless I joined the military.
As the US was just entering a war with Iraq at the time, I decided not to join
the military and put my aviation dream on hold for a couple of years.
I enjoy my degree and love animals and the outdoors. The benefit of my
degree is it can overlap with aviation because all government agencies need
pilots for aerial survey work.
It is not true though that you need to join the military to get a job as a
commercial airline pilot, I am meeting many people that work for airlines and
have done it through flight schools and college just like me.
I enjoy aviation and would like to make it my job because it is rewarding,
challenging, and keeps you on your toes. The people in the aviation industry
are very friendly, laid-back, and most will welcome you as if you are a part of
their family. I know many pilots who are “rich” in life. Not financially rich but
happy and content with what they are doing and where they are going. Most
work their tails off for hardly any pay at all but they do it because they
simply love aviation and it shows in many.
One story involves when I took my roommate out to the airport where I
trained to take her for an airplane ride. We hung out for awhile and I took
her flying and introduced her to my co-workers at the school. When we
were leaving, she said to me “Now I understand why you come out here all
the time!”
I also have many friends that do not tell their moms they have been flying
until after they get back. One of my friends called her mom once we were
back on the ground and told her she had been up flying. Her mom replied “I
can’t believe you went up in one of those death machines!” So we were glad
to have made it through an experience in a death machine.
Q WHAT ROLE DO SKILLS IN MATH, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND
TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN SUPPORTING YOUR JOB?
Flying is all about physics but you do not need to have a college degree in it
to understand what is happening. I have found that engineers learning to fly
often have more difficulties with the training because they over complicate
the flying have a hard time just simply flying the airplane. It is good to have
a general understanding of the science and math involved in flying so stay in
school!
Q WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU SUGGEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN OR
YOUNG ADULTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER LIKE YOURS?
When I first became interested in aviation, I joined the Civil Air Patrol and I
would recommend it to anyone. If you do not mind the military aspect of it,
it is a great way to get exposure to aviation and meet some other people
your age who share similar interests. The Aviation Career Education (ACE)
camps I would HIGHLY recommend as well. It is usually a week long camp
that introduces you to almost all the different careers there are in aviation:
flight attendant, pilot, air traffic control, the airport fire station, airport
management, meteorology, etc. Your introduction is done through tours of
the work and training facilities, meetings with people in those fields, rides in
gliders and helicopters, and group projects.
Hi, My name is Elly Schmidt. I am from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I am a
recent college graduate with no children and no pets as of now. But I am
looking forward to getting a dog sometime though!
I did not really get a start in aviation until high school when I took my first
commercial airline flight to Seattle. I was scared to death up until we took off
and a feeling passed through my entire body that this was the coolest feeling
ever. It was then that I decided flying was something I wanted to do. I
checked out a lot of books about flying and aviation from my school library.
My parents and family were very supportive and bought me an adventure
flight as a birthday gift one year. My grandpa was interested in aviation and
took a few flying lessons himself that I went along on. He had worked on
airplanes during World War II but had never learned to fly them.
Unfortunately he passed away before he could take many lessons or get his
license.
One lesson I have learned is to try and figure out your learning style and find
an instructor that matches it. There are many different ways to teach and if
you are not getting some part of your training do not be afraid to ask to fly
with another instructor for awhile. It could potentially save you a lot of
frustration and money. Also, if you have the option to do your primary
training in a tail-wheel airplane and like a little added challenge when you are
learning, go for it!
I learned to fly at Flying Cloud airport in Eden Prairie, MN. Most of my time is
in Beechcraft Sports and American Champion Citabrias. I do not own my
own airplane and am currently learning to fly gliders. I am a Private Pilot and
have my tailwheel endorsement at this time. I started training for my private
pilot’s license just after my second year of college and I finished my training
a year later. I worked part-time at the airport where I was doing my training
to help cover the costs of training and I highly recommend doing it that way
to anyone. Working at a flight school was very rewarding for me because I
got to meet many different people and learn about the planes, the industry,
and the training.
Flying is my hobby that I am trying to make into a career right now. I
graduated college in May 2006 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and am
currently participating in a year long wildlife management internship with the
Student Conservation Association and the US Army Corps of Engineers in
Vermont. I could potentially combine my degree with aviation someday and
fly for a government agency doing aerial surveys, radio telemetry, and a
variety of other wildlife management projects.
I decided not to pursue aviation in college because at the time the industry
was shaky due to the Sept 11th terrorist attacks, and I was told my chances
of making it as an airline pilot were slim to none unless I joined the military.
As the US was just entering a war with Iraq at the time, I decided not to join
the military and put my aviation dream on hold for a couple of years.
I enjoy my degree and love animals and the outdoors. The benefit of my
degree is it can overlap with aviation because all government agencies need
pilots for aerial survey work.
It is not true though that you need to join the military to get a job as a
commercial airline pilot, I am meeting many people that work for airlines and
have done it through flight schools and college just like me.
I enjoy aviation and would like to make it my job because it is rewarding,
challenging, and keeps you on your toes. The people in the aviation industry
are very friendly, laid-back, and most will welcome you as if you are a part of
their family. I know many pilots who are “rich” in life. Not financially rich but
happy and content with what they are doing and where they are going. Most
work their tails off for hardly any pay at all but they do it because they
simply love aviation and it shows in many.
One story involves when I took my roommate out to the airport where I
trained to take her for an airplane ride. We hung out for awhile and I took
her flying and introduced her to my co-workers at the school. When we
were leaving, she said to me “Now I understand why you come out here all
the time!”
I also have many friends that do not tell their moms they have been flying
until after they get back. One of my friends called her mom once we were
back on the ground and told her she had been up flying. Her mom replied “I
can’t believe you went up in one of those death machines!” So we were glad
to have made it through an experience in a death machine.
Q WHAT ROLE DO SKILLS IN MATH, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND
TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN SUPPORTING YOUR JOB?
Flying is all about physics but you do not need to have a college degree in it
to understand what is happening. I have found that engineers learning to fly
often have more difficulties with the training because they over complicate
the flying have a hard time just simply flying the airplane. It is good to have
a general understanding of the science and math involved in flying so stay in
school!
Q WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU SUGGEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN OR
YOUNG ADULTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER LIKE YOURS?
When I first became interested in aviation, I joined the Civil Air Patrol and I
would recommend it to anyone. If you do not mind the military aspect of it,
it is a great way to get exposure to aviation and meet some other people
your age who share similar interests. The Aviation Career Education (ACE)
camps I would HIGHLY recommend as well. It is usually a week long camp
that introduces you to almost all the different careers there are in aviation:
flight attendant, pilot, air traffic control, the airport fire station, airport
management, meteorology, etc. Your introduction is done through tours of
the work and training facilities, meetings with people in those fields, rides in
gliders and helicopters, and group projects.
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| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
TM
