Growing up in Norway, a small Sondre Senderud would gaze up at the sky, full of admiration for his uncle, who flew both seaplanes and helicopters. "He used to wave the wings of his seaplane as he passed over our house on the way to and from the fjords with passengers. That was a big part of what lit the spark for me."
"Aviation is one of those industries where the highs and lows are super exaggerated. You can go from hero to zero in the blink of an eye; all it takes is one small mistake or slip-up."
Tina Grindeland is a full-time utility pilot; the only female one in all of Greenland. She's flown in many countries and in many capacities, but her path wasn't all linear. "There isn't just one memory or any fancy story. I have always been interested in aviation and helicopters, but didn't see myself as, maybe, smart enough or good enough in mathematics, for example."
"One day, a girl won't have to wonder if she belongs in the cockpit; she'll just know she does."
'Too many hobbies, not enough time!' is one of Mariah Dugan's central ethos – though flying helicopters wasn't one of them until a bit later in life.
"Dad took me to several airshows when I was a kid, and I fell in love with aviation. As we all know, aviation is an expensive endeavor, so that dream got put on the back burner while I pursued firefighting. After being a part of that world for a few years, I was finally in a position to make the switch to aviation, and it's been all out ever since!"
Tobi actually always wanted to become a farmer, but as no one in his family was into farming, he chose the academic route and went to high school and university. Nearing the end of a Bachelor of Business and Administration, he felt the urge to pursue a career that would be connected to a passion rather than just making a living. "At some point, I asked myself what got my attention, aside from tractors, when I was a child – and that's how helicopters came back into the picture!"
Leah Colbert's high school graduation goal was that in ten years, she'd be flying scenics around Ayers Rock. Just a couple of years later, at the age of 21, she was doing just that.
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a helicopter pilot. Justin Pedersen was 11 years old, at a friend's house for an afternoon in the summer. The friend's older brother had embarked on a career as a helicopter pilot, but at that age, it didn't really click what that meant. [...]
Rosita has countless memories of flights together in her dad's Cessna 182, the standard ritual being that he would stack three pillows on the right-hand seat, picking her up to place her on this magnificent throne. It's no wonder she grew up to be one of the most diversely licensed young pilots in the world.
