Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Aircraft CEO Jack Pelton is effervescent when she talks about getting a pilot certificate in her new Cessna 162 SkyCatcher. As she stood next to what was literally “her” aircraft on display at the Sebring LSA Expo, she explained to me the N450RP registration number on the aircraft. The RP portion was obviously her initials. The “450” she explained was “for my 50th birthday.” Personally, I think she got the registration number 10 years earlier than she needs it, but regardless she shows that empty nesters interested in aviation can get started learning to fly.
Rose started her quest to get a pilot certificate 4 years ago by taking a Pinch Hitter course that included ground training and 4 hours of flight training. “But when we [She and Jack] bought the 206 with the G1000, I knew that it was a little too much for me to learn to fly in.” Fast forward four years and she’s 16 hours into her flight training with Cessna pilot Kirby Ortega or “Kirby-san” as she called him as he climbed into her aircraft so that I could take their picture.
“I had 5 hours of training in the SkyCatcher when Jack suggested that I might want to fly the plane to [the Sebring LSA Expo in] Florida. Even with just 5 hours in the plane, I was totally comfortable with the idea.” Flying two legs a day, it took Rose and Kirby just 9 hours spread over two days to travel from Wichita to Sebring.
Asked about her training, she explained that she’s following Cessna’s new syllabus. “I’ve done slow flight and S-turns along a road” and followed along on the controls as Ortega demonstrated takeoffs and landings. “We have the plane” means that they’re on the controls simultaneously. Facebook friends follow her progress. One recent status update said “Practiced taking off and landing.....even landed one by myself.”
Julie Filucci, Manager of Cessna’s more than 280 Cessna Pilot Centers, feels that with only 6% of all women being pilots, there’s a huge opportunity to attract more women to aviation. “50 is the new 30,” she said, indicating there’s an entire generation of potential pilots like Rose.
Whether intended or not, Cessna has found the perfect spokeswoman in Rose. I can’t wait to hear more about her progress and I hope she motivates tens of thousands of people to start learning to fly. If you’re interested in learning to fly, download my free Learn to Fly ebook—which has a picture of Rose’s SkyCatcher on the cover—and then call a flight school to schedule your first lesson.
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