Cargo Airline Pilot
My name is Kim Celce, and I live in Cary, North Carolina. No children, no
pets.
I didn’t decide to be a pilot until I was in my second year in college, but
once I made the decision, I had a lot of people who supported me. First
and foremost were my parents. They supported me 110%, not only with
money, but also with encouragement. They were so wonderful, I don’t
know what I would have done without them! I also had a mentor in a
former WASP (Women’s Air Service Patrol) from my hometown. WASPs
were women in World War Two who flew new aircraft from the factories to
air bases to be used during the war. She was also a great source of
encouragement and advice for me during all of my training and my career.
Next to my parents, she was my greatest cheerleader!!
I decided to become a pilot because, at the time, I read an article about
becoming a pilot and in the article it talked about the need for pilots and the
good salaries they made. I also took a sight-seeing ride at my hometown
airport and absolutely fell in love with it! Nobody stood in my way once I
made the decision. The only thing that tried to stand in my way were the
circumstances of the industry, how long it takes to get where you want to
be, and Sept. 11th, of course. The most important thing I learned was to
never, ever give up, and if you want something bad enough, nothing can
stand in your way! It takes a lot of time and patience, and you have to be
willing to keep pressing toward your goal through all the ups and downs.
You have to be willing and able to not get paid very much as you are
building your hours, and you have to be willing to move a lot too – you
have to go wherever you can to fly and build your time. Most importantly,
no matter what, just keep going!! It does take a lot of patience and
perseverance, but if I can do it, you can do it!!
I got my private pilot’s license at my hometown airport during one of my
summer breaks from college. I had to wait to get a flying slot in my college’
s flight program, so I decided to get a head start and get my private
license. Once a slot opened up for me, I got an Associate’s Degree in
Aviation Technology at Ohio University. I was already halfway finished with
my Bachelor’s Degree at Ohio University, and I didn’t want to just quit that,
especially since it was in teaching and I thought it would be something I
could fall back on if flying didn’t work out. I also knew it would come in
handy to teach flying lessons to build my time, so I got my aviation degree
while finishing my teaching degree. I don’t own an airplane, but I have
flown all kinds of airplanes while teaching and building my time. I started
flying Cessna 150s, 152s, and 172s as an instructor in Niagara Falls, NY. I
also flew Piper Cherokees and Arrows while instructing at FlightSafety in
Vero Beach, Florida. To build my multi-engine time, I flew a Beech
Dutchess, a Piper Aztech, and a Piper Seminole. My first job outside of
instructing was with a company in Maryland, and I flew a King Air 200. I
received a lot more multi-engine time and some valuable turbo-prop time
flying the King Air. I then was hired at a commuter airline where I flew a
Beech 1900. I was a first officer and a captain on this airplane, and it was
my first type rating. While I was at the commuter, I worked on and
received my type rating on the Boeing 737, which I paid for on my own to
interview at Southwest Airlines. While at the commuter, I went from the
Beech 1900 to the CRJ as a captain. This was my first jet that I flew on a
regular basis, and I built valuable jet time at the commuter. I now fly a
Boeing 747 for Southern Air, which is a cargo company. We fly all over the
United States, but we also fly to Korea, China, Japan, and South
America.
I am a first officer on the 747, and I chose to take this job flying cargo
because it is something I have never done before! I have never been out of
this country before taking this job (except for Canada) and it is exciting to
see other countries and cultures! I also wanted to learn all the over-water
navigation procedures that are involved in going over large bodies of water.
Of course, I wanted to say I’ve flown a 747! I thought it would be cool, and
it is!!
I absolutely love my job!! It is a lot of fun flying to other countries and
seeing how other people in the world live! It is also fun flying with the
people I fly with. I am one of only 3 female pilots at this company, but all
the guys treat me great! Nobody treats me differently because I am a
female! The best part of my job is the family feeling here, and when we
have time off at the hotel, we all go out to dinner together and explore the
country. We have a lot of fun, and there is always something to do! On
the airplane, during our flights, it’s cool to be able to go in the back and
cook dinner! Since our flights are so long, we get the airplane catered, and
most of our airplanes have ovens, so one of us at a time is allowed to get
up from our station. We can go in the back and make dinner, which is
something I’ve never done before! It is really cool!
When I tell people I’m a pilot, I always get a double-take glance, followed by
them saying they can’t believe I’m a pilot! Now that I am flying a 747, when
I tell people that I fly a 747, they are even more surprised! I look a lot
younger than I am, so people are really surprised that someone my age flies
a 747! It makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment when I get a
reaction like that!
A funny story from when I was a first officer on the Beech 1900 at the
commuter: On the 1900, it only has 19 seats, so there is no flight
attendant. It was the first officer’s job to give the briefing and walk back
and make sure everyone had their seat belts on. On one flight, after doing
this, a little old lady that was sitting in the first seat looked at me and said,
“Oh, I’m sorry honey, am I in your seat?” I told her no, that I sit up there,
and I pointed to the flight deck. She then said, “Isn’t that nice? The
captain lets you sit up there and keep him company!” It was very funny –
she thought I was the flight attendant, even though I had my uniform on!
Bonus:
Q WHAT ROLE DO SKILLS IN MATH, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND
TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN SUPPORTING YOUR JOB?
SKILLS IN MATH AND SCIENCE PLAY A HUGE ROLL IN HELPING ME IN MY
JOB. I USE THESE TWO THE MOST, ESPECIALLY MATH. IF YOU WANT TO
BECOME A PILOT, I SUGGEST A STRONG BACKGROUND IN THESE
SUBJECTS. I DO THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE ON THE 747 BEFORE EACH
FLIGHT, SO MATH PLAYS A BIG ROLE.
Q WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU SUGGEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN OR
YOUNG ADULTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER LIKE YOURS?
I SUGGEST HAVING A STRONG BACKGROUND IN MATH AND SCIENCE,
AND STUDYING HARD TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THESE SUBJECTS.
ALSO, GET INVOLVED IN AVIATION PROGRAMS THEY HAVE NOW FOR
YOUNG WOMEN INTERESTED IN BECOMING PILOTS. SINCE YOU ARE
READING THIS, YOU ARE ON A GOOD WEBSITE TO GET IDEAS AND LEARN
ABOUT UPCOMING ACTIVITIES!
My name is Kim Celce, and I live in Cary, North Carolina. No children, no
pets.
I didn’t decide to be a pilot until I was in my second year in college, but
once I made the decision, I had a lot of people who supported me. First
and foremost were my parents. They supported me 110%, not only with
money, but also with encouragement. They were so wonderful, I don’t
know what I would have done without them! I also had a mentor in a
former WASP (Women’s Air Service Patrol) from my hometown. WASPs
were women in World War Two who flew new aircraft from the factories to
air bases to be used during the war. She was also a great source of
encouragement and advice for me during all of my training and my career.
Next to my parents, she was my greatest cheerleader!!
I decided to become a pilot because, at the time, I read an article about
becoming a pilot and in the article it talked about the need for pilots and the
good salaries they made. I also took a sight-seeing ride at my hometown
airport and absolutely fell in love with it! Nobody stood in my way once I
made the decision. The only thing that tried to stand in my way were the
circumstances of the industry, how long it takes to get where you want to
be, and Sept. 11th, of course. The most important thing I learned was to
never, ever give up, and if you want something bad enough, nothing can
stand in your way! It takes a lot of time and patience, and you have to be
willing to keep pressing toward your goal through all the ups and downs.
You have to be willing and able to not get paid very much as you are
building your hours, and you have to be willing to move a lot too – you
have to go wherever you can to fly and build your time. Most importantly,
no matter what, just keep going!! It does take a lot of patience and
perseverance, but if I can do it, you can do it!!
I got my private pilot’s license at my hometown airport during one of my
summer breaks from college. I had to wait to get a flying slot in my college’
s flight program, so I decided to get a head start and get my private
license. Once a slot opened up for me, I got an Associate’s Degree in
Aviation Technology at Ohio University. I was already halfway finished with
my Bachelor’s Degree at Ohio University, and I didn’t want to just quit that,
especially since it was in teaching and I thought it would be something I
could fall back on if flying didn’t work out. I also knew it would come in
handy to teach flying lessons to build my time, so I got my aviation degree
while finishing my teaching degree. I don’t own an airplane, but I have
flown all kinds of airplanes while teaching and building my time. I started
flying Cessna 150s, 152s, and 172s as an instructor in Niagara Falls, NY. I
also flew Piper Cherokees and Arrows while instructing at FlightSafety in
Vero Beach, Florida. To build my multi-engine time, I flew a Beech
Dutchess, a Piper Aztech, and a Piper Seminole. My first job outside of
instructing was with a company in Maryland, and I flew a King Air 200. I
received a lot more multi-engine time and some valuable turbo-prop time
flying the King Air. I then was hired at a commuter airline where I flew a
Beech 1900. I was a first officer and a captain on this airplane, and it was
my first type rating. While I was at the commuter, I worked on and
received my type rating on the Boeing 737, which I paid for on my own to
interview at Southwest Airlines. While at the commuter, I went from the
Beech 1900 to the CRJ as a captain. This was my first jet that I flew on a
regular basis, and I built valuable jet time at the commuter. I now fly a
Boeing 747 for Southern Air, which is a cargo company. We fly all over the
United States, but we also fly to Korea, China, Japan, and South
America.
I am a first officer on the 747, and I chose to take this job flying cargo
because it is something I have never done before! I have never been out of
this country before taking this job (except for Canada) and it is exciting to
see other countries and cultures! I also wanted to learn all the over-water
navigation procedures that are involved in going over large bodies of water.
Of course, I wanted to say I’ve flown a 747! I thought it would be cool, and
it is!!
I absolutely love my job!! It is a lot of fun flying to other countries and
seeing how other people in the world live! It is also fun flying with the
people I fly with. I am one of only 3 female pilots at this company, but all
the guys treat me great! Nobody treats me differently because I am a
female! The best part of my job is the family feeling here, and when we
have time off at the hotel, we all go out to dinner together and explore the
country. We have a lot of fun, and there is always something to do! On
the airplane, during our flights, it’s cool to be able to go in the back and
cook dinner! Since our flights are so long, we get the airplane catered, and
most of our airplanes have ovens, so one of us at a time is allowed to get
up from our station. We can go in the back and make dinner, which is
something I’ve never done before! It is really cool!
When I tell people I’m a pilot, I always get a double-take glance, followed by
them saying they can’t believe I’m a pilot! Now that I am flying a 747, when
I tell people that I fly a 747, they are even more surprised! I look a lot
younger than I am, so people are really surprised that someone my age flies
a 747! It makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment when I get a
reaction like that!
A funny story from when I was a first officer on the Beech 1900 at the
commuter: On the 1900, it only has 19 seats, so there is no flight
attendant. It was the first officer’s job to give the briefing and walk back
and make sure everyone had their seat belts on. On one flight, after doing
this, a little old lady that was sitting in the first seat looked at me and said,
“Oh, I’m sorry honey, am I in your seat?” I told her no, that I sit up there,
and I pointed to the flight deck. She then said, “Isn’t that nice? The
captain lets you sit up there and keep him company!” It was very funny –
she thought I was the flight attendant, even though I had my uniform on!
Bonus:
Q WHAT ROLE DO SKILLS IN MATH, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND
TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN SUPPORTING YOUR JOB?
SKILLS IN MATH AND SCIENCE PLAY A HUGE ROLL IN HELPING ME IN MY
JOB. I USE THESE TWO THE MOST, ESPECIALLY MATH. IF YOU WANT TO
BECOME A PILOT, I SUGGEST A STRONG BACKGROUND IN THESE
SUBJECTS. I DO THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE ON THE 747 BEFORE EACH
FLIGHT, SO MATH PLAYS A BIG ROLE.
Q WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU SUGGEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN OR
YOUNG ADULTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR A CAREER LIKE YOURS?
I SUGGEST HAVING A STRONG BACKGROUND IN MATH AND SCIENCE,
AND STUDYING HARD TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THESE SUBJECTS.
ALSO, GET INVOLVED IN AVIATION PROGRAMS THEY HAVE NOW FOR
YOUNG WOMEN INTERESTED IN BECOMING PILOTS. SINCE YOU ARE
READING THIS, YOU ARE ON A GOOD WEBSITE TO GET IDEAS AND LEARN
ABOUT UPCOMING ACTIVITIES!
 |
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
TM
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
TM
| Using aviation to entertain and educate girls about their limitless opportunities... |
TM
| If anyone wants to contact me, you can anytime! My email address is: pilot34@nc.rr.com. |