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.
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.
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.
All Mylène Marionvalle ever wanted was to be able to help people from the sky. As a child growing up in northern France, she dreamt of joining the Service d’aide médicale urgente (Urgent Medical Aid Service) as a helicopter pilot.
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 [...]
