"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot." Eleanor Roosevelt
Friday, November 30, 2007
'AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTORY 2008
'There's a lot of scholarship information floating around—if you know where to look. Therein lies the problem: Where do you find this information? Heather M. Cook, editor of Phoenix Flight Publications, has compiled a new directory to help you get started. Aviation Scholarship Directory 2008 includes information about 517 scholarships available for flight training, advanced ratings, mechanic and technical training, college degrees, specialized training, and more. The author, who "has won all nine scholarships she has ever applied for," offers advice on how to write a winning scholarship essay, what to expect when applying for a scholarship, and how to get great letters of recommendation. The 312-page soft-cover book sells for $24.99 and may be ordered online; an e-book version is available for $19.99, as is a year's worth of updates for $14.99. http://www.aopa.org/epilot/redir.cfm?adid=13764
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A Journalist is looking for a Girl With Wings
Contact information follows. Please mention Girls With Wings if you should follow up on this - and let me know how it goes!
name = Pat Olsen
email = POls1212@Hotmail.com
comments = I'm a journalist. Pilot/writer Kevin Garrison passed this site on to me. Would you please post this? For a possible first-person column in the biz section of a top U.S. daily, I'm looking for a female pilot with a major airline to talk about how she juggles this job along with a side business and kids.
Contact: Patricia Olsen, POls1212@hotmail.com
DEADLINE=THURS. A.M. 11/29
p.s. I do not have any other information, and have not confirmed the request.
Monday, November 26, 2007
A Girl With Wings squeaks it on!
November 7th: Kristine was on her own, flying an airplane around the airport traffic pattern (a rectangular route from the departure end of the runway around to the approach end - takeoffs and landings are the two most important skills, after all). This is a huge leap for student pilots - can you imagine? - the courage it takes for a person to get into the airplane that they have only flown with an instructor, but this time - ALONE. There is still a lot of training to be after this point, but the instructor has trained for this day, and won't release a student until they're ready, but nerves being what they are, a lot of times it's the student who needs to know she's ready to go out on her own...
"You know, a lot of unexpected things happen, and usually they're not the ones you practice; but the fact that you practiced a lot of different things puts you in the proper mindset to handle whatever it is that comes along, even if it isn't the one that you've experienced before."-- Former
astronaut, Neil Armstrong (first man to land on the moon)
The picture above (Kristine wearing a shirt with writing on it) shows the tradition of cutting out the back of the tshirt to show how sweaty the solo student pilot has gotten. She is shown holding the cutout with her instructor pilot in the picture to the right.
Here are also videos of her flight, takeoff and landing phases...
http://www.girlswithwings.com/Bios/Kristine.html
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Female Pilots Still Face Obstacles
November 21, 2007
Female Pilots Still Face Obstacles
By Mary Grady, News Writer, Editor
It wasn't that long ago that female pilots here in the U.S. were an uncommon sight -- and unsettling, to some. Now in other parts of the world, women are just starting to find their way into the front seat, and not everyone is happy about it. In Qatar, the first Arab woman to fly a helicopter has been widely ridiculed and subjected to threatening phone calls after appearing in public wearing her pilot's uniform. "All phone calls had a similar message to convey," Munira Al Dosri told The Peninsula. "People were telling me they felt ashamed to see me without the abaya and veil (Qatari women's traditional attire). They told me they were ashamed of me being a Qatari woman." Qatar, a small country bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, is one of the richest countries in the world. Al Dosri works for Gulf Helicopter and plans to continue flying and earning more ratings.
"My family, especially my parents, are very understanding and supportive," she said. "Thanks to them, I am able to carry on with my profession and focus on what I'm doing."
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/QatariHelicopterPilot_FemalePilotsStillFaceObstacles_196629-1.html
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
EAAs Learn to Fly Newsletter
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Girls With Wings and the Brownies
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Get your money here...
There is still time to apply for the 2008 Women in Aviation, International scholarship program. Applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2007. Scholarships are available in various categories including Engineering, Flight, Maintenance, Dispatcher and "General" scholarships that provide money for everything from transition training to college books to flight gear. For more information including scholarships offered and application requirements go to: http://www.wai.org/education/scholarships.cfm
If you need a little more time to get your application together OR if you have already applied for the maximum number of 2008 WAI scholarships (2), consider an additional application for one of the following late deadline scholarships. Deadline: December 10, 2007.- Bombardier Business Aircraft Services (Lear 31A Pilot Training)- Bombardier Aerospace (Learjet Maintenance Training)- ExpressJet Airlines, DBA Continental Express (Regional Jet Transition Course)- Garmin International (cash award and potential paid summer internship at Garmin)- Horizon Airlines (Dash 8 Q400 SIC Type Rating)- ICAO (Training Scholarship - Aviation Security)- ICAO (Training Scholarship - Environment)- ICAO (Training Scholarship - Communications, Navigation and Surveillance)- Telex Scholarship ($500 and a Telex ANR headset) The application deadline for these scholarships is December 10, 2007.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
A Girl With Wings Makes The News
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Thunderstorms building at altitude.
Thunderstorm clouds can be easy for VFR pilots to spot, but IFR pilots flying in the soup often rely on air traffic control (ATC) to route them around the severe weather.
Communication is key when working with ATC, as the AOPA Air Safety Foundation explains in its new four-minute minicourse, Avoiding Thunderstorms.
Avoiding Thunderstorms contains actual ATC transmissions between controllers and a pilot who flew into a Level 6 thunderstorm with tragic results. The audio dramatically illustrates the need for clear pilot-ATC communication and understanding of radar services provided.
The course advises pilots to verify with each controller they are handed off to exactly what services they will receive. This can help minimize the chances of a misunderstanding.
You'll also learn about ATC services, the enhancements in controllers' weather radar displays, and the importance of giving pilot reports. A list of weather- and ATC-related subjects at the end of the course leads you to more information. http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2005/050701storms.html
You can also read one of their Safety Advisor Publications, 8 pages long, at http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa26.pdf, which includes:
Thanks for checking out the Girls With Wings blog.What if the worst happens and you find yourself in the belly of the beast? You can increase your chances of surviving a thunderstorm encounter by taking a few, simple steps. First, throttle back and slow down before getting into severe turbulence.
Aiming for maneuvering speed (Va) can help protect the airframe from being overstressed by the violent air currents of a thunderstorm, but don’t try to “chase” a particular airspeed. As the airspeed needle swings wildly, you’ll be doing well to hold the average of the swings somewhere near the published Va.
The second step is to make the airplane as aerodynamically “dirty” as possible without lowering the flaps (which usually reduces structural strength). In complex aircraft, extend the landing gear. The added drag reduces the potential for rapid acceleration and, in turn, the potential for loss of control, or excessive airframe loads.Finally, maintain a very loose straight-and-level flight attitude and forget about holding a particular heading, altitude or airspeed. Trying to exercise precise aircraft
control in a thunderstorm is both futile and counterproductive: It’s impossible, and it greatly increases the odds of damaging the airframe.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
More Scholarship
NEW WAI SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED; DEADLINE EXTENDED
Women in Aviation International has announced several new scholarships for 2008 plus an extended deadline to make it easier to apply. The new scholarships include type ratings from Bombardier Business Aircraft Services, ExpressJet, and HorizonAir, as well as a separate scholarship for Learjet maintenance training, also offered by Bombardier. Other new scholarships are being offered by the International Civil Aviation Organization, Garmin, and Telex, whose scholarship is accompanied by a headset. The deadline to apply for the new offerings is Dec. 10, while the deadline for the remaining 46 scholarships is still Dec. 1. For complete details and application information, see the http://www.wai.org/.
The application deadline for the 2008 AE Scholarships is fast approaching!
These scholarships are available to eligibile 99s members for flight training, jet type ratings, university studies in aviation, and aviation technical training. To confirm your chapter deadline, please contact your Chapter AE Scholarship Chairman or Chapter Chairman. The deadline for receipt by your Section AE Scholarship Chairman is **DECEMBER 1st** !
And, for 2008 we are again offering New Pilot Awards to complete your first pilot certificate and also the Maule Tailwheel Training Award. (The application deadline for these is April 1, 2008.)Information and all forms, including instructions and checklists for applicants and Chapter and Section AE Scholarship Chairmen, are on the 99s website (http://www.ninety-nines.org/).
Established in 1940 to honor our first 99s president Amelia Earhart and continue her legacy in helping deserving members to further accomplishments, today our Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund has surpassed $3 million thanks to the generous donations and bequests of 99s members. We would also like to thank United Parcel Service and the Maule Aircraft family.
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Type Rating Scholarships
Southwest Airlines is proud to announce that we will award two scholarships for Boeing-737 type ratings. The scholarships are available to WAI members only who meet our minimum criteria (as described in this listing). The winners will be announced at the convention in San Diego, and training will be held in Dallas, Texas. Scholarship winners must be available for potential employment by SouthwestAirlines within one year of successful completion of the B-737 type rating class and additional review board. To obtain an application go to http://www.southwest.com/ and click on 'Careers,' scroll down to the 'What's new section' and click on the Women in Aviation link.
All scholarship applications must be postmarked on or before December 1, 2007.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Flight experience:- U.S. FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.- Must be at least 23 years of age, at time of hire.- 2500 hours total or 1500 turbine total, including a minimum of 1000 hours in turbine aircraft as the Pilot in Command, as defined by FAR Part I. Recency of experience is considered.- Southwest considers only Pilot time in fixed wing air craft. This specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO,'Other,' etc. Medical:- Current FAA Class I Medical Certificate.- Must pass FAA mandated drug test. Education:- High School Diploma or equivalency required.- Graduation from an accredited, four-year college preferred. Work authorization: Established authorization to work in the United States Language: Must read, write, and speak English fluently. WAI Membership: Membership will be verified. Recommendation Letters: Minimum of three letters from any individuals who can attest to the pilot's flying skills.(Scholarship value $TBD)
This message was posted by Laura Smith, a first officer with Southwest Airlines and a huge advocate for women in aviation. She additionally wrote:
I've been specifically directed to post this information by a LUV Captain because evidently right now there is a lack of applicants for this. Southwest is a wonderful place to work, and even though there is no interviewing for pilots going on currently, wouldn't it be great for you tohave your B-737 type rating all completed when those interviews start again? You can't win if you don't apply!
Laura Smith
LUV FO
More information on joining Women in Aviation International can be found at http://www.wai.org/, and there are numerous other amazing scholarship opportunities listed on the website!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
More Shuttle Pictures
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
The New Girls With Wings eZine
I finally got the newsletter out. I try to have it done the first of the month, but I have been overwhelmed with scholarship applications. I am going to have heck of a time choosing just one. See the applicants for yourself.
If you'd like to read the whole newsletter, go here.
And we are having some huge sales at the Girls With Wings store. Please help me keep GWW up and growing!
Thanks,
Lynda
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Islands
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Lat Long
What is "lat long" or latitude and longitude?
When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally. Latitude lines are also known as parallels since they are parallel and are an equal distant from each other. Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart; there is a variation due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped). To remember latitude, imagine them as the horizontal rungs of a ladder ("ladder-tude"). Degrees latitude are numbered from 0° to 90° north and south. Zero degrees is the equator, the imaginary line which divides our planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north is the North Pole and 90° south is the South Pole.
The vertical longitude lines are also known as meridians. They converge at the poles and are widest at the equator (about 69 miles or 111 km apart). Zero degrees longitude is located at Greenwich, England (0°). The degrees continue 180° east and 180° west where they meet and form the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Greenwich, the site of the British Royal Greenwich Observatory, was established as the site of the Prime Meridian by an international conference in 1884.
To precisely locate points on the earth's surface, degrees longitude and latitude have been divided into minutes (') and seconds ("). There are 60 minutes in each degree. Each minute is divided into 60 seconds. Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, or even thousandths. For example, the U.S. Capitol is located at 38°53'23"N , 77°00'27"W (38 degrees, 53 minutes, and 23 seconds north of the equator and 77 degrees, no minutes and 27 seconds west of the meridian passing through Greenwich, England).
Information from http://geography.about.com/cs/latitudelongitude/a/latlong.htm Map is from http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm
Also, Hawker Beechcraft is the company that makes the Beechjet, which is the airplane I fly.