IamA 22 y/o female licensed aircraft mechanic with some wild ambitions, AMA!

This AMA has a very negative undertone. You're getting a strange reaction for stating your ambitions. Good for you, though! It sounds like you're on an awesome trajectory.

Do you have any specific non-profits in mind? It sounds like you want to work in extremely remote places, have you ever lived abroad for an extended period of time?

Thanks. I've been looking at Mission Aviation Fellowship, New Tribes, Missionary Aviation Repair Center, AIM AIR, JAARS, and even the possibility of starting a business as mission with the use of lighter than air technology. No, I haven't lived abroad for an extended period of time though I wouldn't call Westerner culture one of my best fits, despite growing up in the US.

Edit: dang typo

Lighter than air technology? What's the point of that?

Blimps are actually pretty practical if you need to move heavy cargo across bad terrain. Their way more reliable than those in the hindenburg days.

Yes, there is so much more efficiency in keeping something down than struggling to keep something up. The use of blimps semi-rigids and rigid dirigibles is one that I beleive is just around the corner. It's actually kind of a dream of mine to work as a mechanic on and live on a dirigible mobile small hospital. At this point, the industry isn't there yet, but I am optimistic!

Holy fucking shit that's awesome. Exciting life! I'm slightly envious. My comment will probably be removed if it doesn't have a question mark at the end?

Ha, no problem? ;)

What's the difference between missionary aircraft technology and regular aircraft technology?

I would say that missionary aircraft technology is heavily geared towards supporting rural areas where there is little to no infrastructure. This factors into the type of training that is required like in landing procedures, even the types of landing strips (steep grade, narrow, etc.) and required courses such as wilderness training. Also, the types of aircraft and aircraft systems that we focus on in our training are congruent with the ones that are currently being used in the field.

edit: dang typo

Your proof clearly states that you are 70 feet tall. Just HOW do you fit in the plane? Is it hard?

contortion, but yes a daily struggle

What units ARE those in? That's drivin' me up the wall.

inches

Congrats on getting your mech's license! Hope you enjoy the pilot side of it. Float flying, a long with tail wheels will humble you more than anything else in aviation. If thats what you're in to, take almost every thing the book says, throw it out of the window, and bone up on your stick and rudder skills. Good luck on your journey!

What would you say has been the most challenging aspect for you so far?

Thanks for the good advice :) I would say the most challenging aspect is the speed at which the courses are geared. With that, there are loads of dull things that must be memorized and in a short amount of time before you are tested on them. Sooo boring. One of our instructors had tests on hardware codes. Yes, like types of screws, rivets, and washers!

What part/system is your favorite to work on? What is the worst? What aircraft impressed you the most and why? Favorite candy?

Though I kinda hated it at first, I have really began to enjoy the electrical systems of aircraft. Hm. I haven't had much fun with hydraulics in the past--often messy and leaky! I was probably most impressed with the first turbine aircraft I worked on which was a U21 (civilian Beechcraft King air). It really wasn't that impressive but it holds a special place in my heart because of its perceived superiority after working on so many little cessnas :) Reese's all the way.

Ever thought of going into the military and working on some awesome aircraft?

I considered it in highschool and made the mistake of asking the AF for more info. I ended up with 4832 lbs of mail from them. Eventually, I figured that I wouldn't find much fulfillment in that line of work. However, there's no doubt they have some kick ass aircraft.

Any favorite aircraft?

Hm. Yah, but I have a few classifications. For classic and aesthetic purposes, the Piper PA-18 Super Cub. For speed and sheer awesome the Cessna Citation Mustang. For fun and daily any type of ultralight. From my own experience and familiarly favorite, 172. Aaaand also can I just throw out any Waco custom cabin series, Grummen Goose, 450 Stearman. Okay, so I'm not good at favorites >.<

Have you flown a Husky?

Alas, I have not

Planning on flying something like a 208/Quest Kodiak or King Air (get that multi rating!)? Or will you have avgas available? Flying a 185 or 195 in Africa sounds like it might be fun.

Congrats on the A&P!

Thanks! Yes, it mainly depends on who I fly for and where so at this point I don't know. I wouldn't be against flying the Kodiak though! Oh yeah, 185s and those smallers are fun too.

Those sound like really cool ambitions, and it's great that your final goal is to use your skills to help people! At what point in your life did you decide to become an aircraft mechanic? Was there any specific event/person that inspired you? What do you do when you're not aircraft mechanic-ing? ;)

Thanks, it has been a lot of work but it also weirdly rewarding. Early in highschool my uncle got his private pilot's license and would frequently call me up to be his co-pilot. That's what initially sparked my interest in aviation. From there I did look into commercial piloting jobs but quickly became uninterested in the lifestyle and pace that it seemed commercial pilots had. That's when I started investigating different ways of utilizing a pilot's license. I came across multiple non-profit aviation organizations in my search and was even able to volunteer at one in their maintenance and fabrication facility on and off for two years. Many of the international pilot/mechanic blogs were inspirational as well, reading about their personal mercy medical flights and about the lives that were saved because of someones desire to share their logistic ability and skill. During my volunteering, I began to really love the maintenance aspect but also still wanted to fly. Turns out, this pilot/mechanic thing is what most of the non-profits require for their pilots anyway. The whole nature of being a pilot in a rural area pretty much requires you to be responsible for the care and maintenance of your aircraft. And so, from lots of encouragement from the staff at the non-profit, I began a track set for hopefully being a pilot/mechanic in rural and possibly indigenous area someday. It is my desire to serve an isolated group of people with medical care, disaster relief, and community project development. Honestly, I don't know how it will all work out and what exactly it will look like, but right now I am just working through the training needed. Sorry for the long response on that.

As far as when I am not mechanic-ing, I enjoy literally any outdoor activity, watercoloring/sketching, motorcycle tinkering, cooking up weird food, thrifting, geocaching, and just plain chilling with people I like to be around.

Congratulations on setting goals and knocking them out! As a CHRISTian pilot and A&P student I am excited to see what you're doing

A close family friend is flying in southern Africa for New Tribes Mission. He has been giving us updates and he is loving it.

What was it that made you want to follow this path? Is there an organization that you have already contacted? Any one that you prefer over others?

That's awesome! The longer I have been in training, the more it seems that most people know someone or know someone who knows someone who is part of an mission aviation agency. It's so cool :)

Early in highschool my uncle got his private pilot's license and would frequently call me up to be his co-pilot. That's what initially sparked my interest in aviation. From there I did look into commercial piloting jobs but quickly became uninterested in the lifestyle and pace that it seemed commercial pilots had. That's when I started investigating different ways of utilizing a pilot's license. I came across multiple non-profit aviation organizations in my search and was even able to volunteer at one in their maintenance and fabrication facility on and off for two years. Many of the international pilot/mechanic blogs were inspirational as well, reading about their personal mercy medical flights and about the lives that were saved because of someones desire to share their logistic ability and skill. During my volunteering, I began to really love the maintenance aspect but also still wanted to fly. Turns out, this pilot/mechanic thing is what most of the non-profits require for their pilots anyway. The whole nature of being a pilot in a rural area pretty much requires you to be responsible for the care and maintenance of your aircraft. And so, from lots of encouragement from the staff at the non-profit, I began a track set for hopefully being a pilot/mechanic in rural and possibly indigenous area someday. It is my desire to serve an isolated group of people with medical care, disaster relief, and community project development. Honestly, I don't know how it will all work out and what exactly it will look like, but right now I am just working through the training needed. Sorry for the long response on that.

I've been in contact with MAF mainly, just to be on their horizon. A bit with JAARS and New Tribes too. So far I like how MAF handles their organization but I would be completely honored to be part of any of those teams.

I wanna start a space agency/firm and I'm looking for skilled mechanics and designers. What are some your ambitions and do you wanna actually create or just innovate?

Well, my bio pretty much sums up my ambitions at this point in my training. As far as innovation and personal ideas, aircraft design I assume, I haven't considered much. It is interesting to me though and I think that aircraft will be much more efficient in the future.

how do you feel about nasa and their lack of ambition.

Does me not believing they went to the moon say enough?

Will you work on helicopter or planes? or both? Good luck with your studies for the pilot licensing! I'd love to become a helicopter pilot but the cost for the training and licensing are insane.

I would like to work on helicopters at some point but will most likely not be around them during my time with a mission agency. Yes, the cost is a little heart/dream crushing...

whats the mercy medical flights?

would you marry me?

Mercy medical flights are typically urgent in nature and are possible through partners and the non profits donation based funding. Basically, the pilot of that rural region picks up the person in need of care and takes them to nearest medical center or hospital. Many times in the mountainous areas, it would take days or even weeks to travel by foot to receive care whereas by flight, only 20 minutes.

What are the different types of engineering subjects you had to deal with while doing your course?

Hey, some of the engineering related courses that were required were courses like hydraulic systems, airframe structures, electrical systems, and welding.

How would you say that you have made yourself a competitive candidate for future jobs in a profession that one would assume is largely dominated by men?

"Competitive candidate" isn't always on my part. Most companies are very willing to hire a female mechanic so as to look "balanced." This is funny though because, it's really not their problem that so few women are becoming mechanics and sending their applications to them. I don't like it this way, but it's not changing any time soon. I contacted the US Forest Service once about info on jobs in maintenance on their fire crew planes, the woman at the desk said, "Oh, honey, you should apply, the government bends over backwards to hire females there." I wasn't impressed. In fact, I felt coddled by my gender, not assessed for my skills.

Needless to say, I hope that when I am hired it's because I learn, adapt, and work proficiently, just like the rest of the co-workers which happen to mostly male.

Why were you home schooled?

Well, my mom always said that she could never think to put her kindergartner on bus and wave goodbye. However, both my parents were natural teachers and through that they taught me to love learning. They had a way of creating a wonderful learning environment and encouraged me to focuse on what I loved. They often offered the public school route in my later years, but I couldn't imagine being confined to one building for so much of the day. And so, I took the extra curricular studies I wanted and even graduated early. If the family environment is healthy and functional and the parents are capable and willing, I think homeschool is a fantastic option.

I couldn't imagine being confined to one building for so much of the day

Like a house?

No silly, like a school building. I did school everywhere, we traveled a lot and I'm also pretty sure every coffee shop in my state knows me haha

This is really awesome. Congrats on being so focuses and passionate.

Do you see yourself ever looking to fly commericial or anything like that?

Thanks. No, I don't see myself ever flying commercial, at least for a large jetliner company.

Floats are AMAZING! I miss my float job (on the good weather days, 300/1 VFR really sucks).

How was the transition from homeschooling to college?

Awesome. What kind of job was it?

The transition was pretty smooth. Lots of my friends in college found it funny that I was homeschooled. I heard lots of, "but wait, you're not super weird." and "you aren't that awkward though!" It was a little weird being around so many people my age since I was used to being around adults mostly. I loved the diversity though and utilized much of my time on campus to people watch :)

I flew initial attack on forest fires up in northern Canada (flew a DHC-2 Beaver on straight floats with 4 firefighters to scout/attack fires that the satellites spotted). I also flew the DHC-6 and DHC-2 on straight floats for a scheduled airline and charter service in British Columbia.

Sounds neat. Was your work contracted through the Forest Service then? I have lots of respect for those in forest fire aviation related jobs. I worked as ground support for a few summers and witnessed their long days, dangerous encounters with weather and fire moving speed. It's amazing really. What STCs (or similiar) does a Beaver need for use in aerial firefighting?

I'm currently a 2nd year mechanical engineering student interested in becoming a pilot or working with planes. Do you have any advice on what course of action I should take to follow that ambition?

I would suggest that you get yourself around pilots, airplanes, airports, dang go eat at your municipal airport's tiny and greasy cafe! If you haven't flown in any light recip aircraft before like a small cessna or piper, you really should do that--especially if you would like to get your pilots license. From there, if you are still interested in just the engineering side of it, I'd say find something that you enjoy working with and take a specific route to work that into your degree. Specialists in aviation technology of any kind are very, very needed and even more so in other parts of the world. Do you like to travel? Some middle eastern countries hire pilots for off shore mapping type work and I know that can pay very well. One final thought, most pilots are or will within the next 10-15 years be dying off (not to sound harsh) and the rate that they are training young ones is not going to be enough to fill the gaps.

Thank you for having such awesome ambitions!

What in your life inspired you to pursue the track you're on now?

Haha thanks. Early in highschool my uncle got his private pilot's license and would frequently call me up to be his co-pilot. That's what initially sparked my interest in aviation. From there I did look into commercial piloting jobs but quickly became uninterested in the lifestyle and pace that it seemed commercial pilots had. That's when I started investigating different ways of utilizing a pilot's license. I came across multiple non-profit aviation organizations in my search and was even able to volunteer at one in their maintenance and fabrication facility on and off for two years. Many of the international pilot/mechanic blogs were inspirational as well, reading about their personal mercy medical flights and about the lives that were saved because of someones desire to share their logistic ability and skill. During my volunteering, I began to really love the maintenance aspect but also still wanted to fly. Turns out, this pilot/mechanic thing is what most of the non-profits require for their pilots anyway. The whole nature of being a pilot in a rural area pretty much requires you to be responsible for the care and maintenance of your aircraft. And so, from lots of encouragement from the staff at the non-profit, I began a track set for hopefully being a pilot/mechanic in rural and possibly indigenous area someday. It is my desire to serve an isolated group of people with medical care, disaster relief, and community project development. Honestly, I don't know how it will all work out and what exactly it will look like, but right now I am just working through the training needed. Sorry for the long response on that!

How much did all this cost you and where did you get the money for it?

The total cost of the degree will end up being around 150-180k. The first three years I barely skimmed by from work earnings, parents help, and friend and family supporters of my goals that chipped in as well. My next two (and most expensive) years are generously covered by a foundation that typically just supports mission aviation groups and agencies. I had no idea how I was going to pay for those last two years of flight and imagined it taking like 10 years while working in between. God had different plans and I am a-okay with them! :)

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Sorry, I don't feel comfortable answering about specific training I received. For the non profit, I just contacted them through their website, told them where I was at in training, where I wanted to end up, and asked how I could get some first hand experience in that type of aviation. They were very responsive and were happy to make use of an intern. If you are very interested, I would go in person (if at all possible) to an agency that has a respectable vision statement and tell them you want to get involved. Since you already have experience, they would most likely be happy to talk about some kind of collaboration and at the very least, a volunteer position which potentially could lead to more. Good luck!

Encountered any hostile natives yet?

Nope, none yet!

You're like a Human R2D2.
How you doin'?

doin' dandy thanks

So you fly to isolated people and convince them your god is the correct one among the thousands to choose from?

No, not at all. It's serving a group of people through skills and abilities that I fully believe God has given me. Through this, I proclaim my love for God and God's love for for them. Simple as that, no pushy, down your throat stuff.

Missionaries on the ground do that. Missionary aviators are the ones that solve logistical challenges faced by those missionaries.

But that's still the overall purpose of the endeavor, yes? Convince people that their current opinion is wrong and that your opinion is obviously more correct?

That may be. When it comes to tribes that eat their young or kill each other because of their beliefs, I'd say it's a plus.

In the greater scheme, postulate that the universe is at the hands of a creator God. Then, if that God has revealed himself and showed how we can relate to him, I'd say it's very much worthwhile to communicate that to people groups who have not been reached for millennia/centuries. For those who believe it is true, there is no question that it is the right thing to do. Though, I would not say that the approach is antagonistic as you describe. What often happens is contextualization, wherein the message is relayed in a way that various cultures can understand.

There are many "gods" to choose from, but there is only one who says that heaven is a gift rather than something to be earned through sacrifices or killings. That distinction sets the Christian God apart from any other.

But that's just your personal opinion, which is no more true or accurate than any other religious belief from the past several thousand years. You have personally decided that Religion #231 to be your belief system, and that's fine. But you have no rational basis to convince a believer in Religion #371 that they should believe in your chosen religion instead, just because you choose to believe it.

That'd be like me showing up on your doorstep to convince you that chartreuse is the best favorite color, because I've decided it's my favorite color, and I think it should be everybody's favorite color. I don't care what your favorite color already is, I'm just here to convince you to changw to my favorite color because I'm right (I can feel it)

This analogy of having a favorite color isn't adequate though. Some people don't have favorite colors and it doesn't influence their life. They wear whatever they pull out of the drawer. Everyone, whether they accept it or not, has a belief about gods/god. This will, in turn, impact their daily life greatly. Whether their belief about God is that he exists and is accountable to, doesn't exist and there is no creator, or that there are many gods, each person will inevitably come to terms with this in their own mind. This will structure their moral behavior and how they interact with others. With having a favorite color, there's no evidence for which favorite is "best", or "most favorable." Within the tangible world, coming to terms with a creator or god, there is evidence to be sought--it's not all abstract. Though many religious groups partake in a faith that coincides with what tangible and/or historical evidence they have, there are some that are visibly corrupted or falling apart systematically.

So, to work with the analogy, it would be okay to consider that some people are touting for colors they have made up and that you've never heard of, while some are actually just showing everyone their favorite (and very real) colors by wearing them brightly.

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here you go