"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!"
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.
To those who know Taylor Chism, a quick look at the way her life has unfolded is not surprising at all; to others, it's an enviable, intriguing, and sometimes confronting combination of everything outdoorsy, adventurous, and exciting. She possesses the zest of a confident kid who hasn't yet been taught how to fear, but she's a frank, steadily spoken young woman with the quiet self-assuredness of one who knows her personal limits.
"I have many 'whys,'" says Sam. "I never grew up in an aviation family. No one in my family is a pilot or flies. But I always had a love for aviation – I just never really thought it was attainable. I didn't quite know how to pave that path when I was younger." Instead, [...]
Amanda Deed's dad, Paul, started flying before she was born, and she's been in the front seat with him ever since she could reach the controls. Now, both fixed-wing and heli pilots, they are a spirited pair crisscrossing the country, ferrying all manner of aircraft and relishing Australia's natural wonders.
The best day for Cathy Beaucage starts early. “I’m a morning person. I’m useless after a big – or small, let’s face it – day of work!” She laughs. It’s the serene moments before the day truly begins that she relishes. “I like the time I get around the heli before clients show up, prepping [...]
Michelle Astergard's romance with aviation started early. "I have always loved aviation," she smiles impulsively. "Every time you enter an airport, there is this feeling of excitement lingering in the air. People are thrilled to go on a new adventure or happy to reunite with their loved ones." "My Godmother had two daughters that I [...]
Flying over the Victorian High Country where Global Ballooning was born thirty years ago, Kiff Saunders’ prodigies carry the family business forward, sharing the wonder of ballooning with visitors to the region and the people who live here.
Bronni Bowen 