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Our Members
Mayrie
Eckermann
I was never exposed to aviation as a child. Although all the
signs of a love for aviation existed, the thought of becoming
a pilot never manifested itself. It is only now that I look
back to see how clear it was. The joy of being in the air on
the occasional commercial flight, the awe of looking out the
window at the clouds below, and the forever skies above unknowingly
brought calmness to my soul. In addition, female pilot role
models were hard to come by, and Wonder Woman with her invisible
jet was it. As a child, I would take my father on imaginary
trips in my own transparent jet. I would describe the sites
from the sky as we cruised over my nursery school and neighborhood.
I
started flying after the principal at my former consulting
firm introduced me to a flight instructor, and I fell in
love with flying the first day I set foot in a small
plane in January
1997. Between working full time and taking flying lessons,
I received my Private Pilot's License in October 1999, and
my Instrument Rating in November 2000. In 2002, I was honored
to receive the Amelia Earhart Scholarship. Thanks to the
scholarship, I was able to complete my single-engine
commercial certificate
in April 2003. Since that time I have been focused on raising a family.
However, I do wish to return to the sky soon in the hopes
of continuing
the transition from my current job as an Engineer to my ultimate "soul
calming" career as a professional pilot.
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