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/813603
I 36 Aviation forWomen M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7 M y suitcase was pre-packed and ready to go. Standard protocol for most professional pilots, especially pi- lots on call. I grabbed it to take inventory. After 20 years of flying, I had packing down to a science but this time was different. Toothbrush–check, makeup–check, clothes– check…breast pump, collection bottles, ice packs, and cool- er–check. My son was just 3 months old, and I was leaving him for a four-day trip. He was a preemie, born five weeks early, and I was determined to breastfeed him for at least six months. I didn't want my milk to dry up or suffer the pain of engorged breasts. The life of a corporate pilot is as diverse as the company and people you fly. Typically, there's a mix of scheduled trips and pop-ups, business and pleasure, day flights and RONs, domestic and international. Some companies can provide a schedule, some cannot. The beauty of business aviation is it provides an operator the ability to go where they want, when they want, privately and efficiently. Often to visit customers and job sites in remote locations inconvenient or not served by commercial carriers. For corporate pilots, it's a lifestyle that can offer many perks and a family atmosphere. However, everything that is good and necessary for the company isn't necessarily what's best for a new mom. My corporate pilot career began in 1987 when I was hired to fly right seat in a Lear 24 and 36. I had a short stint at the re- gional airlines, but most of my career has been business avia- tion. By 2004 when my son was born, I had flown full time for two corporate employers and provided contract pilot services for multiple flight departments in between. At the time of his birth, I was the chief pilot flying a Citation XLS for a small, but growing, flight department. It was my dream job. I flew great equipment and wonderful people. We averaged 15-20 flying days per month, but unlike commercial airline pilots, I also had a long list of other management responsibilities. In Part 91 flight departments, pilots wear many hats. We do our own flight planning, preflights, maintenance scheduling, air- craft cleaning, and stocking. While I loved my job, the biggest challenge was the lack of a schedule. A trip could pop up for a day or a week, and you had to be prepared to go. We landed in Texas and checked into the resort. I loved traveling the world, exploring new places. Like this one, they were often exclusive destinations I would never have visit- ed on my own or flying for an airline. I unpacked my breast pump and put the ice packs in the freezer, then sat down to pump. While I missed my son, I was happy knowing he was getting the mother's milk I'd left for him, and that I would bring home another supply. For the duration of the trip, I had to return to my room every two to three hours to repeat the drill. I didn't know at the time that one year later my desire to be home with my children would prevail over my desire to fly. I hung up my wings in 2005, uncertain if I would return. Flying part time would have been a great option but the com- pany was growing and getting bigger airplanes, which meant a bigger suitcase a nd longer trips. My new season of life clashed with my companies needs, and it was time to part ways. I settled into being home, got involved at my daugh- ter's school, and made play dates for my son, things I couldn't take part in before. I T ' S M O R E T H A N M E C H A N I C S — I T ' S A M I N D S E T I started writing in 2012 and became an aviation writer in 2014 after attending the NBAA convention. Writing has opened many opportunities for me. Interviewing industry professionals and learning what's new in the industry rekind - led my passion and inspired me to get back in the left seat. H o we ve r, l i k e m a n y p i - lot s who've b e e n on t he ground too long, I asked my- self, "Do I still have it? Can do it? What about airspace and new technology?" Get- ting my ATP and type rat- ings required a great deal o f t r a i n i n g , a n d I w o n - dered if my passion would be strong enough to with- stand the enormous amount of work, time, and energy required to get back up to speed. There was only one way to find out—go fly! by Cindy Youngblood My Journey Back to the Cockpit After an 11-year break from corporate flying to be a mom, Cindy shares her adventures on returning to the cockpit. Newly appointed president of Women in Corporate Aviation, Cindy is back to enjoying life as a corporate pilot. From her early days flying SIC in Learjets, as chief pilot in the Citation XLS, to today flying the BE400A, Cindy's journey back began with a flight review in a Cessna 172 with CFI Jordan Broderick. LAURA HOFF