Flight Training - September/October 2023 - 6

ALWAYS LEARNING BY SARAH DEENER
Editor SARAH DEENER spent
a brief stint as a math major
before coming back around to
her second-grade aspirations of
becoming a writer.
sarah.deener@aopa.org
I HAVE CHALLENGED MYSELF,
BUILT CONFIDENCE IN MY
SKILLS AND JUDGMENT,
CULTIVATED FRIENDSHIPS,
EXPLORED MY LOCAL
AREA, AND MADE LASTING
MEMORIES.
WIDE WORLD
When I was 8, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.
At 18, I had no idea.
Like many young people, I spent the next four years trying on different visions
of my future. I changed majors, moved to the city, prepped my résumé...and the
Great Recession hit. After a few more twists and turns, my career today isn't far
from what second-grade me envisioned-but flying was never part of the plan.
Most people's careers don't follow a straight line, as Ian J. Twombly describes
in " Decisions, Decisions, " p. 34. Family circumstances, self-realizations, and world
events can alter the course of our lives in ways we never predicted. In the end,
careers are only a piece of the puzzle. And sometimes, side quests call to us.
Increases in air travel and impending pilot retirements have created the
best hiring environment for airline pilots in recent memory. But some aspiring
captains discover the lifestyle isn't for them-or they find their passion lies not
in the structured environment of passenger service but the varied landscape of
general aviation flying. The same forces driving the surge in airline pilot hiring
is increasing demand for pilots across the industry, from flight instructors to
corporate pilots and beyond. And flying doesn't even have to be your day job-
plenty of us spend weekdays in the office and nights or weekends on fun flights or
side gigs. Even if you're destined for the flight deck, there's a whole, wide world of
aviation to explore.
This summer, EAA AirVenture brought together people from around the
world who share a passion for all things aviation. Airlines, cargo operators, and
manufacturers competed for applicants at the job fair. Aircraft builders and
restorers put their handiwork on display, and military demonstration pilots made
ear-splitting passes over the field. I met regulators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and
marketing professionals. A drone delivery test pilot. An A&P who moonlights
racing Lancairs. A flight test engineer. Podcasters, YouTubers, photographers,
writers, all had one thing in common: They wanted to talk about flying.
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FLIGHT TRAINING SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
You don't need to work in an aviation
field to join the conversation. Pilots from
all different professional backgrounds
enjoy burger runs and family flying
vacations, and many don't pursue their
avocation until they're well-established
in another career. There's something new
and challenging in aviation for everyone-even
experienced airline pilots can
leave their shoulder bars behind and find
fulfillment in a different style of flying.
You can't explore the backcountry, splash
down on local lakes, or practice loops
and rolls in the company Airbus.
At AOPA, we support general
aviation, a nebulous-sounding term that
describes all flying other than airlines
and the military. What it means is there's
a vast world of opportunities beyond the
hub-and-spoke system of airline flying.
So here's to the bush pilots, crop dusters,
contract pilots, and aerial surveyors.
Here's to the engineers out airplanecamping
with their kids, professors
giving flight lessons outside of office
hours, doctors sipping coffee at pancake
breakfasts, and business owners closing
deals across the region using the aviation
equivalent of a company car. Here's
to those using aircraft for good-from
professional medevac pilots airlifting
patients to weekend fliers helping dogs
find their forever homes.
I started flight lessons in my mid-20s,
after coming to AOPA. Although I've
earned my commercial pilot certificate,
I've never been paid to fly. But I have
challenged myself, built confidence
in my skills and judgment, cultivated
friendships, explored my local area, and
made lasting memories. I know that's
only the beginning. There's so much left
to explore. FT
Flight Training - September/October 2023

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