Flight Training - June 2022 - 22

KEVIN SWINICKI
FIVE QUESTIONS
BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER
MIRANDA KONOWITZ
CESSNA SKYCOURIER PROGRAM MANAGER
WHEN FEDEX TAKES DELIVERY ON ITS
first 50 Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft
(and its additional order of 50 more) it
will be 31-year-old Miranda Konowitz
who will school the company and its
pilots on this clean-sheet airplane, her
first as a program manager for Textron
Aviation (she was previously a flight
test engineer for the Cessna Longitude).
Konowitz leads a team of more than 100
different people and entities bringing the
SkyCourier to production; it was certified
by the FAA in early March 2022. The
SkyCourier will be available in cargo and
passenger versions. Textron Aviation will
assemble the SkyCourier 408 in Wichita,
Kansas, where 9,500 of its 11,000-person
staff work. " There is a pride in aviation
and strong community feel, " in Wichita,
says Konowitz, who moved here from
Plano, Texas. " Being a part of the certification
effort and bringing two brand-new
clean-sheet airplanes to market in recent
years has been truly an incredible experience, "
she says of her accomplishments.
How did you get started in aviation?
When I was a kid, I dreamed of being
an astronaut. My father would track the
international space station, and when
weather cooperated and it wasn't past
our bedtimes, we'd go outside and find
22 FLIGHT TRAINING JUNE 2022
that tiny speck moving across the sky. I
thought that was the coolest thing-witnessing
astronauts circling the globe
hundreds of miles away from us.
Biggest challenges? I think it's common
for women to feel a need to prove themselves,
to go above and beyond to validate
their right to lead or to a certain responsibility.
Personally, I've had to navigate
through the mental roadblocks of just
that. I've worked very hard in my career,
not just because being a hard worker
is who I am at my core, but because I
know my path is mine to pave. Through
this journey I have found mentors and
champions who remind me of what I am
capable of, but also give me the tough love
I need to grow.
Favorite aircraft? That's a tough question!
I grew up obviously loving space
shuttles. Being in Wichita when Doc,
the refurbished B-29, took flight was
amazing. And like many, I learned to
fly in a 172 (Cessna Skyhawk). I think
it's absolutely incredible that this
Cessna product is the pathway to aviation
for so many pilots. If I had to pick
an aircraft as favorite, though, it would
be either the Cessna SkyCourier or the
Citation Longitude.
LOGBOOK
WHO: Miranda Konowitz
CERTIFICATES AND RATINGS: I earned
my single-engine, land private pilot's license
in 2014; planning to get current and pursue
my instrument rating.
EDUCATION: Aerospace engineer, University
of Oklahoma, MBA University of Kansas
EXTRA: Some of my favorite movies growing
up were October Sky, Apollo 13, Top Gun,
and Pearl Harbor. I really loved the idea of
flight. I excelled in math and science, and not
surprisingly in college chose to pursue aerospace
engineering. After college I joined the
Textron family, working both at Lycoming
Engines and Textron Aviation. I'm grateful to
have had the experience across our aviation
product line and industry.
Favorite aviation-related activity?
Other than actually being in the air, I'd
say it's meeting people who have a passion
for aviation. I really enjoy going to
shows or local air strips, and interacting
with people who have a love of aviation,
especially for their own aircraft. Talking
to people who have decades of experience
with aircraft is a great experience. Locally
I enjoy heading out to Stearman Field in
Benton to watch the aircraft, grab a drink,
and talk to others who share this passion.
Advice for students? You may hear it
a lot, but it's true: shoot for the stars. If
you want something, go after it. Find the
people who support you, and the things
that help you take incremental steps along
the way toward your dreams. The biggest
hurdle is mental, so try to work through
the roadblocks of what you think you can
and can't do. Go for it!
julie.walker@aopa.org
Flight Training - June 2022

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