I have been following your account on IG for months now, but I’ve held back on sharing my own story. I wanted to wait until I had a little more clarity on how my situation would unfold. I’m still waiting (thank youuuu FAA) but I do think I’m ready to share now.
I’ve always been in love with Aviation. I’m that weirdo that stares in awe when the crew walks through the airport with their perfectly pressed uniforms and baggage in tow and always trying to sneak peaks into the cockpit when boarding. I never considered being a pilot myself, thinking I was too short and not smart enough. This idea was challenged by my husband, who then gifted me my first discovery flight about 4 years ago. As many do after their first flight, I fell in love.
The money wasn’t there at the time, but a few years later in 2020, I decided I’d rather go broke than put off training any longer. As I started researching nearby programs, costs, etc. I came across what would be my biggest hurdle… the medical cert. I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, major depression, an eating disorder, and ADHD since I was in junior high. Only a year prior, I had been admitted into a rehabilitation hospital after what was considered to be an attempt at suicide.
Since that time, I’ve been much more attentive to my mental health needs and have become much more stable. And honestly, the thought of flying gave me hope and excitement like I had never experienced before. When filling out my application for an appointment with the local AME, I quickly realized this was going to be a long shot. I was understandably deferred, and thus started my journey of neuropsychologist appointments, psychiatric testing, and shelling out thousands of dollars to prove I was mentally equipped to flight train.
Enough people gave me hope that it would all work out that I decided to go ahead an start taking lessons while I waited on my process. Looking back, it seems naïve of me to think I had a chance, but the want to was bigger than the setbacks. To help with the money aspect, I started an Etsy shop selling soy candles, telling everyone that once I had financed my PPL, I would use the money to donate to other women in flight training. I received an outpouring of support, which is honestly what kept me going most of the time.
Fast forward to now… It’s been 6 months since my last correspondence from the FAA. I call weekly for status updates, and the can continues to be kicked down the road. I think I know what’s going to happen, I’m mentally prepared myself for it. I slowed down on lessons, and have definitely regressed in my training. I’ve stopped trying to sell my candles and am honestly just hoping all the people who support me will just forget I even tried to become a pilot. Due to some unrelated circumstances, my mental health isn’t the best these days, so it’s honestly probably for the best right now.
My goal in sharing this is mostly to just say I believe that y’all are doing amazing work. Aviation may not be in my future, but for those who have a fighting chance, I’d love to help any way possible. I thought about using a portion of my candle proceeds to donate, if that’s something that could be helpful. Most importantly, I just wanted to say thanks again for listening, sharing resources, and helping people who deserve to fly.
What is Your Title?
Human
What is Your Favorite Quote?
“Desperation has a way of trumping good manners”
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