News
ENLARGE
At 18, aviatrix Molly Meade's goals are as clear as the blue skies.
“I took a Young Eagles flight when I was in seventh grade here at the Nevada County Airport and I wanted to be a pilot ever since,” Meade said this week. “I want to eventually be an airline pilot.”
That would put Meade in some exclusive company. According to Federal Aviation Administration statistics, she is among only 38,000 United States licensed pilots who are women, a mere 6 percent of the total 614,000.
Having already earned her private pilot's license, the Sierra College student and 2008 Nevada Union graduate is now looking to go to aviation school in Sacramento to get all the licenses and knowledge she needs to be a professional pilot.
“I got a job at Caroline's Coffee when I was 15 to pay for all of it myself,” Meade said. “You have to rent the plane, buy the gas and pay the instructor. It gets expensive.”
The budding pilot soloed at the Lincoln Airport Jan. 4 after taking ground school classes and flying lessons.
“I was ready and confident,” Meade said. “It's an exciting feeling knowing everything's in your control and no one's telling you what to do.
“It's really like nothing else. It's an amazing addiction that's almost indescribable.”
Family and friends are supportive of Meade's quest, but it didn't start out that way.
“I told my dad (Rock Meade) in seventh grade I wanted to fly and he was petrified, but he's OK with it now and I've taken him up a couple of times.”
The young pilot said she has never been afraid while flying the Cessna 172 she uses, “It doesn't even enter my mind.” She has flown all over Northern California and recently flew into an East Bay airport at night.
“It was really beautiful,” Meade said.
The pilot is also pretty good, according to instructor John Pichitino.
“I don't know if it's a woman thing, but her touch is great on the controls, no pitching or rolling,” Pichitino said of Meade. She's a very fast learner and she's a talented young lady.
“She did this on top of working almost full time and going to Sierra College with a full load of classes,” Pichitino said.
Realizing that female pilots are not prevalent, Meade has joined The Ninety-Nines, an international group of women fliers. It was founded in 1929 by 99 women and the first president was Amelia Earhart, probably still the most famous aviatrix in American history.
“I'm part of the Sutter Buttes chapter, we work at air shows and give scholarships to pilots,” Meade said.
The group will meet in Grass Valley in September.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
“I took a Young Eagles flight when I was in seventh grade here at the Nevada County Airport and I wanted to be a pilot ever since,” Meade said this week. “I want to eventually be an airline pilot.”
That would put Meade in some exclusive company. According to Federal Aviation Administration statistics, she is among only 38,000 United States licensed pilots who are women, a mere 6 percent of the total 614,000.
Having already earned her private pilot's license, the Sierra College student and 2008 Nevada Union graduate is now looking to go to aviation school in Sacramento to get all the licenses and knowledge she needs to be a professional pilot.
“I got a job at Caroline's Coffee when I was 15 to pay for all of it myself,” Meade said. “You have to rent the plane, buy the gas and pay the instructor. It gets expensive.”
The budding pilot soloed at the Lincoln Airport Jan. 4 after taking ground school classes and flying lessons.
“I was ready and confident,” Meade said. “It's an exciting feeling knowing everything's in your control and no one's telling you what to do.
“It's really like nothing else. It's an amazing addiction that's almost indescribable.”
Family and friends are supportive of Meade's quest, but it didn't start out that way.
“I told my dad (Rock Meade) in seventh grade I wanted to fly and he was petrified, but he's OK with it now and I've taken him up a couple of times.”
The young pilot said she has never been afraid while flying the Cessna 172 she uses, “It doesn't even enter my mind.” She has flown all over Northern California and recently flew into an East Bay airport at night.
“It was really beautiful,” Meade said.
The pilot is also pretty good, according to instructor John Pichitino.
“I don't know if it's a woman thing, but her touch is great on the controls, no pitching or rolling,” Pichitino said of Meade. She's a very fast learner and she's a talented young lady.
“She did this on top of working almost full time and going to Sierra College with a full load of classes,” Pichitino said.
Realizing that female pilots are not prevalent, Meade has joined The Ninety-Nines, an international group of women fliers. It was founded in 1929 by 99 women and the first president was Amelia Earhart, probably still the most famous aviatrix in American history.
“I'm part of the Sutter Buttes chapter, we work at air shows and give scholarships to pilots,” Meade said.
The group will meet in Grass Valley in September.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
