Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
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M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7 Aviation forWomen 39 lenge. It requires a strong support system and corporate cul- ture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. At the time, I didn't know any other female corporate pilot moms to talk with to help me navigate the new season. I rode the winds of my emotions, and got out of aviation for nine years. Today, through organizations like Women in Aviation International and Women in Corporate Aviation, female aviators have a sis- terhood of likeminded career women to network with. For my return to the cockpit, I joined these mentorship programs and connected with several professional women. Brenda Miles, Jennifer Schuler, and Elena Monroe were instrumental in my journey back to flying. B E - 4 0 0 A R E C U R R E N T T R A I N I N G A T S I M C O M After my initial flight, I picked up my son and headed home. In my email, I found the next step in my journey: recurrent train- ing on the Beechjet at SIMCOM. I was super excited and down- loaded the training materials. I had one month to prepare before heading to class. The first document stated, "We recom- mend that you review these areas as soon as you receive this handbook to prevent overload of information." My overpres- sure gauge momentarily redlined. With 11 years off, I had to relearn flying basics, aircraft systems, emergency procedures, rules and regs, airspace, and instrument approaches—yikes, it was overwhelming! I had to remind myself that I didn't need to know everything immediately. Although, I wanted to. I opened the cockpit panel on my computer and blew it up to life-size and went through checklists and memory items. Chair flying has always been a great way to prepare for flying, especially checkrides. As the cobwebs cleared and my mem- ory returned, I had several a-ha moments. One of the coolest was when chair flying a V1 cut. With hands on the imaginary controls and reciting memory items, my leg automatically ex- tended to press the rudder. Surprisingly, I didn't have to think about it. Oh yeah, dead-foot-dead-engine. The muscle memo- ry was still there! I created a study schedule and as I hit the books, I was glad I'd already gone flying because the work ahead was over- whelming. I needed all the intrinsic motivation possible to pre- pare. The day I began reviewing instrument approach plates was stressful. I felt like I'd left home and someone came in and rearranged my furniture. I knew it would take time to orient to the new layout, but I did it before, and I'd do it again. In ad- dition to my SIMCOM training materials, I searched YouTube and the internet for any videos that could accelerate my learn- ing. YouTube was just getting started the same year I stopped flying. (Yes, 2005, believe it or not only a decade ago.) I found videos on the airplane, plus airspace and RNAV approaches, something we only talked about in 2005. These videos were fantastic assets, even if the alphabet soup of PBN, RNP, RNAV, WAAS, LVP made my head spin. Aviation has always been loaded with acronyms, but I think it's doubled. When I arrived in Orlando I was met by one of my instruc- tors, Pete Woiciechowski, who I had flown a trip with 20 years earlier on the Beechjet. Aviation sure is a small world! For four days my instructors Pete and Jennifer helped me clear the cobwebs and get up to speed on the aircraft. SIMCOM classes are small and intimate, so I had a lot of personal atten- tion. All the instructors were very knowledgeable and helped me find my way around again. Little by little, it came back, al- though it was like drinking from a fire hose. After four to five hours of aircraft systems and performance, the circuit break- ers in my brain were popping. After reset, we moved to the simulator. Flying the full motion sim with Collins Pro Line 4 avionics felt wonderful. The airwork, emergency procedures, V1 cuts, and single engine work went better than expected af- ter such a long break. The AMS5000 enhanced flight manage- ment system (FMS) is great for situational awareness. Overall, my experience at SIMCOM was fantastic. In fact, the entire two-month journey was memorable. F O R E C A S T I N G S U N N Y S K I E S A H E A D With pay increases and an increasing number of job opportu- nities, the future looks bright for professional pilots. For me, I love business aviation, and plan to return to flying contract while supporting the industry through my writing. Addition- ally, contributing to the success of the new generation of pilots as a mentor and trainer. It's great to know that a lengthy break doesn't have to ground you forever. If, like me, you've been out of the cockpit and you're wondering—can you do it? Yes, you can! It may be hard, but rest assured you don't have to wing it alone. If you're just beginning your aviation journey, talk with women in various career roles to learn what it's like. And while you can't plan for every contingency, if you desire to have a family one day, speaking with your company and other wom- en who have gone before you, can help navigate the changes. Honor your seasons, and let your dreams take flight. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cindy Youngblood, WAI 65218, is a corporate pilot currently flying contract on the BE400A. She holds an ATP and is type rated in the BE400, CE500, and CE560XL. Additionally Cindy is a freelance aviation writer and president of Women in Cor- porate Aviation. Cindy's recurrent training at SIMCOM in a full motion sim with instructor Jennifer Schuler helped her transition back into the cockpit. LAURA HOFF