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.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/694422
42 Aviation forWomen J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 you get right at the beginning of a roller coaster. First, excitement and ela- tion. Yay! The dream is alive and it is all really going to happen! Bigger planes, new destinations, all of it! I am on my way. Then, the slight tinge of suspense, a feeling of panic at the edge of your thoughts. Good heavens, what am I get- ting into? Am I really leaving the well-worn comfort of this company that I have been with for so long? What if it doesn't work out? What if I am not up to the challenge? Those what-ifs can run around in manic little circles in your mind until you are worn out—before having even set foot in a classroom. Just about the time you remember to take a breath, you realize that you are ready for this or they wouldn't have hired you. Walking into class that day with me were 59 other pilots, all in the same situation. While all of us came from different backgrounds, on that day we were all in the same position— stepping forward to face something new and unknown. It is both intimidating and exhilarating to listen to the background stories of so many accomplished aviators and feel both proud and humbled to be among them. Looking around on the first day I could not help doing a quick headcount. Of the 60 people in that class, I was excit- ed to fnd that 11 of us were women. It doesn't sound like a big number, but when you think that almost 20 percent of the group was female, it represents a huge gain over the past few years. Other classes before us had a higher percentage of wom- en in them, and a few had less. One or two had only one fe- male in a class of close to 30. While I had faith that the woman who found herself in the solo category would be strong and confdent and successful, I could not help feeling a pang for her that she was all by herself. But the other 10 women with me that day were all amaz- ing—both as a group and as individuals. The emotions I felt going into class were clearly ones I shared with the other girls, as we were frank and open with one another about what was going on in our minds as we worked toward this new part of our lives and careers. The way f loat i ng leaves gather on the surface of wa- ter, the women in our class drew together to give support and understanding. This was not the stereotypically girly let's-all-share-our-feelings- and-have-a-sleepover type of sharing, but an awareness that we all have a lot going on in our lives and in our heads, and that it helps to have someone there to say, "I hear you." For us, there is often a lot of intensity on an emotional or even visceral level that is attached to our personal and profes- sional accomplishments. For me at least, it is profoundly more satisfying to have congratulations offered by someone who can empathize with what it took to attain your goal, and how much effort you put toward keeping the emotional and cere- bral parts of your mind balanced and working together. Another woman saying, "Wow, good job," is a very mean- ingful thing, and I am grateful to have had these girls to rely on. When you are at the top of the coaster and looking down, it can be really comforting to know that there are people be- side you, and that you will be facing those challenges together. Although I would have gotten through my training if I had been there on my own, I have no doubt that it would have been a far more stressful and perhaps even a less rewarding experience without them. While I am a proud part of our class of 60 and have many men in that class whom I consider to be friends, in the years to come it will be those 10 women who I will think of as having shared the ride. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Devan A. Norris, WAI 13890, is an avid observer of people, and has had many wonderful opportunities to both watch and inter- act with them in her current roles: as a frst offcer for a major airline on the 737, and as an apprentice air show air boss. She and her husband live in a fy-in community in Florida, where they are proud airplane parents of an L8 named Sylvia. A fter almost 10 years at my current regional airline, some- thing that seemed almost unbelievable, even mythical, happened. I was hired by a major airline. And not just any major— the one that my father retired from and that had always been my own frst choice. The emo- tions that came with the realization that I had fnally been hired were akin to the feelings BIRDS OF A FE ATHER I N T H E P U S H D E V A N A . N O R R I S