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Sarah
Student Pilot, Avionics Technician and Mechanic's Assistant
(soon to be A&P)
Hello, my name is Sarah. I live in Maine with my husband, two sons,
two dogs, two cats, five kittens and three chickens! The more the
merrier, as I like to say!
My dad was always interested in airplanes and used to fly RC (radio
controlled) planes. That’s where he learned all about lift and drag and
all the reasons why airplanes can fly. He never became a pilot, but his
interest in it sparked mine. We used to always watch the airplanes take
off and land at the airport. He always fueled my interest in airplanes,
always telling me I could do anything I wanted! He was a great role
model for a young girl like me and still is!
I joined the military and once I realized that aviation was a definite
possibility, I enrolled in the Avionics Technician program (working with
the instruments in the cockpit). That is where my career took off. Now
that I am out of the military, I work at the local airport as an avionics
technician and mechanics assistant. I am currently working on my A&P
license on my own and am a student pilot. There are always pilots that
come in and say to me, "Wow, a girl mechanic? That's something you
don't see every day!" Sometimes people can be offensive, but you
learn to just take it in stride. If you do your best and try really hard, the
guys really do respect you for that. My flight instructor is a 22 year old
petite woman who holds many pilot ratings, and I really look up to her
so she is a huge influence for me. If you really want something, go for
it and don't let anyone tell you it can't be done!
I am currently flying in Bar Harbor, Maine in a Cessna 150. I have flown
a Piper Cherokee, a Cessna 172 and a Cirrus SR-20. I really enjoy the
little 150, and I don't own an airplane but if I did I would really want a
Diamond DA-40.
I am a full-time avionics technician/mechanics assistant and enjoy
flying about 3 hours a week with my instructor, if the weather is good
(it's not always so good for flying up in Maine!) I am fortunate that I am
able to work with both the mechanics and the avionics people because
this way, I am learning every aspect of both jobs. Eventually, I will work
mostly with the instruments, but in training, it's a great way to really get
involved with everything. I enjoy "turning wrenches" but love the
challenging avionics systems even more.
Student Pilot, Avionics Technician and Mechanic's Assistant
(soon to be A&P)
Hello, my name is Sarah. I live in Maine with my husband, two sons,
two dogs, two cats, five kittens and three chickens! The more the
merrier, as I like to say!
My dad was always interested in airplanes and used to fly RC (radio
controlled) planes. That’s where he learned all about lift and drag and
all the reasons why airplanes can fly. He never became a pilot, but his
interest in it sparked mine. We used to always watch the airplanes take
off and land at the airport. He always fueled my interest in airplanes,
always telling me I could do anything I wanted! He was a great role
model for a young girl like me and still is!
I joined the military and once I realized that aviation was a definite
possibility, I enrolled in the Avionics Technician program (working with
the instruments in the cockpit). That is where my career took off. Now
that I am out of the military, I work at the local airport as an avionics
technician and mechanics assistant. I am currently working on my A&P
license on my own and am a student pilot. There are always pilots that
come in and say to me, "Wow, a girl mechanic? That's something you
don't see every day!" Sometimes people can be offensive, but you
learn to just take it in stride. If you do your best and try really hard, the
guys really do respect you for that. My flight instructor is a 22 year old
petite woman who holds many pilot ratings, and I really look up to her
so she is a huge influence for me. If you really want something, go for
it and don't let anyone tell you it can't be done!
I am currently flying in Bar Harbor, Maine in a Cessna 150. I have flown
a Piper Cherokee, a Cessna 172 and a Cirrus SR-20. I really enjoy the
little 150, and I don't own an airplane but if I did I would really want a
Diamond DA-40.
I am a full-time avionics technician/mechanics assistant and enjoy
flying about 3 hours a week with my instructor, if the weather is good
(it's not always so good for flying up in Maine!) I am fortunate that I am
able to work with both the mechanics and the avionics people because
this way, I am learning every aspect of both jobs. Eventually, I will work
mostly with the instruments, but in training, it's a great way to really get
involved with everything. I enjoy "turning wrenches" but love the
challenging avionics systems even more.
I have always been the kind of girl that wants to do what the boys are doing. I
enjoy being in this career, it's very challenging and rewarding. Growing up, I
really wanted to separate myself from the girl stuff and try bigger and better
things. Being in aviation is one of the most rewarding career paths I think that
a girl can be in! It's hard work but worth it!
I've had a loud-mouthed jet pilot come in and yell at me from across the
hangar, "A Girl? What are you doing here?" And when I was in the military,
one of the senior officers said that girls are bad luck on "his" airplane. That
didn't go over well and he eventually apologized to me. These are the things
we deal with, but DO NOT let people like these upset you or turn you against
this kind of work. In all honesty, most men don't mind women in aviation.
What role do skills in math, science, engineering and technology play
in supporting your job? What training did you undergo getting to
where you are? There is a lot of math and science involved in my job as a
mechanic. For instance, when making pieces of metal for the planes, the holes
for the rivets have to be exactly the right size and distance from each other.
And there is a little chemistry involved when mixing sealants!
What activities do you suggest for young children or young adults to
prepare them for a career like yours? What are your future plans?
Spend some time at the airport with the workers, ask them questions, see if
you can go flying. I think most pilot's start out that way, going down to the
airport and just observing what’s going on. There are a lot of different
opportunities, career paths and ways to get there. I did a lot of reading; books
and the internet offer endless resources. I am earning my pilots license
because I think it will be a great way for me to really understand the airplane
better, how things are working not just on the ground but in the air as well. I
also would like to do some aerial photography as well.
enjoy being in this career, it's very challenging and rewarding. Growing up, I
really wanted to separate myself from the girl stuff and try bigger and better
things. Being in aviation is one of the most rewarding career paths I think that
a girl can be in! It's hard work but worth it!
I've had a loud-mouthed jet pilot come in and yell at me from across the
hangar, "A Girl? What are you doing here?" And when I was in the military,
one of the senior officers said that girls are bad luck on "his" airplane. That
didn't go over well and he eventually apologized to me. These are the things
we deal with, but DO NOT let people like these upset you or turn you against
this kind of work. In all honesty, most men don't mind women in aviation.
What role do skills in math, science, engineering and technology play
in supporting your job? What training did you undergo getting to
where you are? There is a lot of math and science involved in my job as a
mechanic. For instance, when making pieces of metal for the planes, the holes
for the rivets have to be exactly the right size and distance from each other.
And there is a little chemistry involved when mixing sealants!
What activities do you suggest for young children or young adults to
prepare them for a career like yours? What are your future plans?
Spend some time at the airport with the workers, ask them questions, see if
you can go flying. I think most pilot's start out that way, going down to the
airport and just observing what’s going on. There are a lot of different
opportunities, career paths and ways to get there. I did a lot of reading; books
and the internet offer endless resources. I am earning my pilots license
because I think it will be a great way for me to really understand the airplane
better, how things are working not just on the ground but in the air as well. I
also would like to do some aerial photography as well.
