By Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D.
If ever there was a woman who earned the right to wear a T-shirt embossed with “A V 8R,” it is Karen Kalishek, the first female to lead the National Association of Flight Instructors as Board Chair, www.nafinet.org . Karen is a Professional Flight Instructor, who occasionally wing walks, too! She is a highly-acclaimed instructor in spin training, tailwheel, accelerated pilot training, gliders, Cirrus, NAFI Master Flight Instructor with ATP, CFI/CFII/MEI, CFI-G, AGI, IGI, FAA Safety Team Lead Representative, and a FAA Gold Seal Instructor. Karen was honored as the 2019 National FAASTeam Representative of the Year. She even collects propellers as a hobby.
HOW DID YOUR FIRST GET INSPIRED TO WORK IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY?
“My inspiration in aviation is easy to recall because it was a spark that quickly became a flame. I started flight lessons in my mid-30s with the sole intention of being a recreational flyer and became a post-solo aviation drop out. I didn’t realize it at the time but my learning style and the flight instructor’s teaching style were at odds. There was tension. It simply wasn’t as much fun as I had anticipated. None of my friends were interested in flying and the logic of being a single parent with two children with only a two-seat aircraft available for rent was inescapable“…or at least a plausible excuse to stop taking lessons. Years later, just before my 50th birthday, a friend asked how I would commemorate the occasion. I hadn’t thought about flying for a long time, but it only took a few minutes to decide that the unfinished business of a private pilot certificate needed to get done. I had moved and my new flight instructor was a perfect match. I was also warmly welcomed into the local aviation population. Within a month of restarting lessons I decided I wanted to do more. It was a simple matter to choose flight instructing as the best path to help build our pilot community, promote aviation safety, and ensure that future generations have the magical experience of piloting an aircraft. I never think of my aviation pursuits as work. Flight instructing and serving as a Designated Pilot Examiner provide a comfortable income and covers my cost of airplane ownership. But, income production is only a part of a larger whole, entwined with other aviation undertakings like the threads in a woven cloth. Opportunities abound to make a positive difference in aviation safety which have led to active ongoing volunteer service in the Civil Air Patrol, serving on the NAFI Board, encouraging Girl Scouts as a Ninety-Nine (See photo above), and providing advisory services to numerous FAA and industry initiatives.”
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF AVIATION?
“I remember very clearly the ‘flying dreams’ that started when I was five years old. Running down the sidewalk as fast as I possibly could, I would hold out my arms and feel lighter and lighter until I was off the ground. I would soar with arms outstretched, turning, climbing, and descending, looking down at the earth below. My dreams were delightful. I just knew it was possible to fly. Those night visions continued for several years and seemed so real. At age 19, I experienced my first aircraft flight on an airliner. Looking down from the aircraft window after liftoff, I quickly recognized the scene. I laughed out loud because my childhood imagination had been so perfectly accurate. The view from above was exactly as I imagined. I have now travelled over 2.5 million miles by commercial airlines and General Aviation aircraft, the equivalent of over 100 times around the world. I still get the same thrill from being aloft. Flying is miraculous.”
WHO INSPIRED YOU THE MOST (TEACHERS, MENTORS?)?
“My flight instructor, who guided me to private pilot completion, served as a great CFI role model. He demonstrated commitment to excellence, a caring nature, investment in my success, and focused on maintaining a positive learning experience. Other inspirations are a local 97-year-old pilot, who still flies his two aircraft, and the legendary, “Mama Bird” Evelyn Bryan Johnson, who flew over 57,000 hours and flight instructed into her nineties. One special mentor is an aerial applicator for over 52 years with over 50,000 flight hours, who reminds me to always care about safety. The death of a young student of mine as a passenger in an aviation accident lighted a passion within me to commit time and energy to aviation safety. Although I never met Sarah Kalishek, I feel a strong kinship to her. Born in 1902, Sarah left her upper Michigan farming community at the age of 15. Sarah embarked upon a remarkable and adventurous life in early aviation as a wing walker, aerobatic pilot, and flight instructor. I uncovered this family bond after discovering a natural attraction to antique aircraft and aerobatic flight. My own plane is named “Babe,” Sarah’s flying circus stage name. Recently, my own sister, Kim, and I experienced wing walking lessons. (See photo above) We each flew on the top wing of a biplane, arms extended, through loops, rolls, and hammerheads. To me it felt full circle, both reliving my early childhood dreams and experiencing the same sensations as “Babe” did in those early years of aviation.”
ADVICE FOR OTHER WOMEN INSIDE OUR INDUSTRY OR THINKING ABOUT AVIATION AND AEROSPACE?
“Many different opportunities are available in our industry. Being a pilot is only one, and even within that area, a wide variety of options exist. Make a connection and ask others about their experiences and choices. Build your network and friendships. Stay open to opportunities. Consider volunteer work to contribute and build your experience. Find something you enjoy and that fits your life balance. I was painfully shy for many years. I would stare at my shoes rather than make eye contact. It hurt to know that I was considered aloof when in reality I was hoping to connect with others. I did not have the confidence to start a conversation. Soul searching led to change. It took time and effort. That shy child is still inside, sometimes needing to draw a deep breath before launching into a crowd. Finding common ground and being a good listener are keys to communications. Be a team player. Cooperate, collaborate, and pull your weight on the team. Reach out to help others. Life is often a rollercoaster ride. Anticipate it will not always be smooth. Embrace the value of slow climbs and bumps. They build patience and resilience.”
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAREER?
“Aviation is my fourth career. I began in banking, initially filing checks in the backroom and rising through the ranks to become a Senior Vice President. I worked full-time, while completing several Associate, Bachelor, and Master’s degrees in accounting, finance, and business. My second career began teaching evening classes as adjunct faculty at the bachelor and graduate levels, while my day job was in banking. That led to an academic leadership position as Chair of Business Programs. I left the stability of that environment to join the consulting world as an entrepreneur. My third career included the demands and excitement of almost twenty years traveling the world and consulting internationally. Halfway through that period, I restarted my pursuit of flight training and I was immediately hooked. I realized that a common thread throughout my careers was a sense of calling to teach. The clear choice was flight instructing. I set out a ten-year plan to earn aviation skills, ratings, and experience while still working internationally, then transitioned to fulltime flight instructing. While each of my paths were enjoyable, I am now where I was truly meant to be. There is a difference between a job, a career, and a calling. Seek your calling by identifying when you feel joy. Finding your calling is not easy, but, it is a wondrous treasure when found.”
If your attitude determines your altitude, Karen Kalishek is a high flyer.
