2012 Fall CP.pub

COLLECTIVE PITCH
AN AFFILIATE OF HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL
AN AFFILIATE OF HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL
Volume 19, Issue 2
Fall 2012
WHOW! What a Summer!
This issue of Collective Pitch is full of fun and important
information from WHOW events to scholarship information and the Emeritus Circle. Enjoy the read and thanks
to everyone for your contributions to Collective Pitch!
WHOW was successful and continues to grow. You will
see many pictures and a personal account of the event in
this issue to entice more participation for the next
WHOW—August 4, 2013.
A WHOW Account from the Lone Star State
By: Pamela Gallina WG #744, The New Texan
Our WHOW meeting was a great experience. Every single one of us has a story to tell in our adventures along
the way in becoming a helicopter pilot.
We had Hope Seibert #1748 who is now in school working on her instrument certificate. Her dad asked her,
"would you like to learn to fly a helicopter?" What kind
of dad is that? A GREAT DAD! Oh and you have to
check out the 1950s truck "she" rebuilt. Oh MY! We will
put Hope and Patti together and end up with a WhirlyGirls Swamp Buggy.
Sarah Ranstrom #1746 works with Jet Linx at Love
Field. She is amazing. Besides saving toward acquiring
more hours (80.4), she does pet sitting. Now everyone
knows that this takes an outstanding heart to care for our
little furry babies.
Patti Burch #1758: there is nothing better in the world
than to sit and talk with an IA, mechanic, Robinson &
Enstrom dealer, pilot for East Texas Police Department
in an OH-58, and an Avionics Master. Why do I use the
term Master? She can take a helicopter or airplane apart
and rewire every bit of it to a glass cockpit. Whew! What
an accomplishment! She owns and runs her own repair
station. I am still reeling from her accomplishments.
Courtney Pierce #1480 had just gotten in from
“WHOW” continued on page 5
WHOW Offenburg, Germany: On August 4th, WG# 1668, Evi
Schmidt-Kränzle and Cornelia Schweikart, WG# 1157 had a great
time hovering together in Offenburg, a small city in the southwest of
Germany, and joining the Oscar-Ursinus-Meeting there. Evi flew her
own helicopter, a Bell 47, and Cornelia flew a Robinson R44.
A Short History of the Whirly-Girls Auxiliary
By: Deborah Sawyer WG #388, Auxiliary Chair
The Whirly-Girls Auxiliary was started by a woman,
Nancy McKay, who wanted to be a Whirly-Girl but was
not able due to medical problems. She lived in Florida
and dedicated her efforts to convincing doctors and hospitals of the need to build heliports to support emergency
transports. She may have played a role in the fact that
this is common practice for hospitals today.
When I first joined it was called the “Men’s Auxiliary,”
which was a tongue-in- cheek reference to men’s organizations that had a women’s auxiliary so “little woman”
“WG Auxiliary” Continued on page 10
Whirly-Girls 2013 Scholarship
Applications are Available Online!!
Deadline October 1st— See details on Page 7
Message From The President
Greetings Whirly-Girls and friends,
It’s summer here in Florida, and though I’ve been here a
year now, I’m still not used to the humidity fogging up
my glasses when I step outside. It was a different story
when the Whirly-Girls Board of Directors met in sunny
– dry – Las Vegas to start planning for next year’s festivities at HELI-EXPO, and we hope to see you all there.
Keep in mind that the dates have changed: it’s Tuesday,
March 5 through Thursday, March 7 next year, with our
banquet currently scheduled for Monday, March 4. Stay
tuned for details on events.
It’s also scholarship season again. Do make sure to get
those applications in on time. We will be accepting electronic submissions again this year as well as printed copies, but they need to be emailed and postmarked by midnight, October 1. You can download the application
from our website: http://www.whirlygirls.org/wgscholarships.
I have been interviewing quite a few flight instructors
for Bristow Academy recently, and I wanted to pass
along a few pointers for those of you looking for new
positions in the industry.
1. Be ready to talk about yourself. Some questions are
an opportunity for a concise introduction: “Tell me about
yourself.” “How did you get into helicopters?” Getting
flustered, answering with monosyllables, or rambling on
at length can all be avoided with practice.
2. Be honest, but remember your audience. You may be
asked to identify a trait about yourself that you’d like to
change, or to describe a time when you did something
you later regretted. These are questions that demonstrate
your good judgment, so be prepared to answer them.
Saying that you’re already perfect, or that you can’t recall any examples of less-than-optimal situations, seems
questionable in an interview. At the same time, don’t
bludgeon yourself verbally. This is a serious industry
and it’s important to show that you can identify and correct your mistakes and move on. If you have had an accident or a DUI, don’t hide it. But there’s no need to go
into detail unless asked.
2 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
3. Be prepared. Bring a copy of your resume. Be ready
to talk about the material you’re expected to know. I like
instructors to teach me a lesson so I can get a sense of
their style. And very personable individuals can be
eliminated if they mangle a lesson, especially when they
are told to prepare in advance. Other employers give
written tests. Don’t be taken by surprise.
4. Make sure your resume and cover letter are absolutely perfect. There’s no room for spelling, capitalization, grammar, or punctuation errors on a resume or
cover letter. Remember: your resume is your initial introduction of yourself, so make a good impression. Flying is all about attention to detail, and your resume is a
prime example. Give your resume to others to review.
Verify your references. Make sure to ask permission of
those you wish to be your references before you provide
their names to a potential employer; you want to know
that they will speak well of you.
5. Dress appropriately. Women in particular get loads of
different advice: wear a dress/never wear a dress/look
like a businesswoman/dress in white shirts and stripes/
bring your flight suit/don’t even think about it. The context is important here, and that’s where your contacts in
the Whirly-Girls can help. For a flight instructor position, I expect a candidate to look nice, and it would be
weird to arrive with epaulets and stripes, or high heels.
Avoid plunging necklines and obvious cleavage; I’ve
heard men describe other women, saying that they
“couldn’t tell what she was selling.” Look like a pilot.
You can ask if you’ll be flying and bring a change of
clothes or different shoes if necessary.
6. Try to relax. There are those in interviews who want
to unnerve you, but that’s not my style. I want to know
who you are. If you sit tight in the chair with arms and
legs crossed, you are projecting a rigid image. Do a practice interview with a friend and a propped up cell phone
taking video. Know what you look like and project the
image you want me to see.
Keep cool, and fly safe,
Laura McColm, WG #1329
President
Announcement-VP of Operations
We are sorry to announce that Patricia Calder, WG
#1213, our VP of Operations, has stepped down from
the Whirly-Girls Board of Directors. She's done great
work over the last few years and we are sorry to lose
her. But we’re happy to announce that Dianna Stanger,
WG #1178, has been appointed interim VP of Operations in her place and will take over the responsibilities
of the position for the remainder of the term. Many
thanks to Dianna for her help on the Board.
www.WhirlyGirls.org
Whirly-Girls International is a non-profit, educational, and
charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in
helicopter aviation. Special projects include providing
scholarships to help women helicopter pilots achieve their
aviation goals.
Formed in 1955 by Jean Ross Howard Phelan, today the
association numbers more than 1700 members from 41
countries. The organization is dedicated to advancing professionalism in helicopters while providing women helicopter pilots a forum for the exchange of information and opportunities.
For information on Whirly-Girls International and the
scholarships or to donate to the scholarship fund, please
contact Laura McColm, WG#1329, or visit
www.whirlygirls.org.
CORRECTION—SPRING CP ISSUE
Table of Contents
P. 1 & 5
Women Hovering Over the World 2012
P. 1 & 10 Whirly-Girls Auxiliary
P. 4
Whirly-Girls Emeritus Circle
P. 5
Livingston Award Winner Sheryl Jones Brakey
P. 6
Whirly-Girls Endowment Digitized
P. 6
99s Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative
P. 7 & 10 Whirly-Girls 2013 Scholarships
P. 11
WHOW Memories
In Every Issue
P. 2
Message From The President
P. 8-9
Meet Our New Members
P. 11
Notes From All Over
P. 12
Event Schedule
P. 12
Change of Information
Collective Pitch Staff
Editor: WG#1676 LeAnne Gomez
The article titled, “WAI: Whirly-Girls found HOVERING on
the 27th Floor of the Anatole in Dallas” was written by Joni
Schultz, WG#1711, and was mistakenly credited to Michelle
Parkington, WG#1518. Special thanks to Joni for her contribution and understanding.
A Whirly-Girl to be Enshrined at the
National Aviation Hall of Fame this Year
Geraldyn "Jerrie" Cobb, WG #53 and a member of the
99s, will be enshrined at the National Aviation Hall of
Fame at its Annual Enshrinement Ceremony on October 6, 2012. Jerrie set world records for speed, distance,
and absolute altitude while in her twenties and won numerous awards, including the Amelia Earhart Gold
Medal of Achievement and Pilot of the Year. Jerrie was
also one of NASA's original Mercury Thirteen female
astronaut candidates who passed all of the physical and
psychological tests to be astronauts but ultimately were
denied admission to the program. The University of
Oklahoma School of Drama presented a play last April
based on her life. The play by artist-in-residence Laurel
Ollstein was entitled They Promised Her the Moon.
Assistant Editor: WG#1626 Lori Irvin Connorton
Proofreaders: WG#31
Danna Henderson
WG#426 Lee Hixon
WG#740 Lisa Di Giovanna
wgcpeditor@gmail.com
Printing:
3 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
Leesburg Printing Company
If you missed the deadline for submitting your story,
never fear! Submit it along with a photo for
publication in the next CP.
Submit your stories and photos to:
wgcpeditor@gmail.com
2012 Emeritus Circle Award Winners
By: Deborah Sawyer WG #388, Emeritus Circle Chair
Every year the Emeritus Circle presents awards to outstanding volunteers who are nominated by the membership. The 2012 winners are:
Sarah Neely #1259 – Whirly-Girl Diamond Volunteer
Award, presented to a member who has given of herself
to a long-term project that has benefited the WhirlyGirls. Sarah has been putting the Whirly-Girls Directory
together for years. She updates the information regarding the organization, officers, and previous award winners. She includes various member listing formats so
that it is easier for us to contact each other. She compares prices and investigates different formats at the
Board’s request. She visits potential sponsors and encourages them to advertise in the Directory to help defray printing and distribution costs. She is consistently
highly competent, optimistic, and efficient.
Danna Henderson #31 – Whirly-Girl Volunteer of the
Year, presented to a member who has done something
outstanding for the Whirly-Girls in the past year.
Over the years Danna has taken a large part of the website maintenance responsibilities, primarily updating all
of the member information on a regular basis. However,
this year Danna did an outstanding job of adapting to
changes/upgrades that the website provider made with
no warning. Danna ended up working in emergency
mode to debug the problems following the upgrade. Among other website tasks, she adapted the
scholarship applications so that they can be submitted
electronically. That allowed sponsors and judges access
to individual accounts, thereby streamlining the whole
process. Plus she is constantly investigating other website options due to ongoing technical issues.
Ian Turner – Whirly-Girls Auxiliary Award, presented
to an Auxiliary member who has done outstanding promotion for the Whirly-Girls throughout the years.
Ian has been a member of the Whirly-Girl Auxiliary for
twenty-five years. Ian has promoted and supported the
Whirly-Girls both at all the HAI Conventions and
throughout the year. He helps with booth setup and
breakdown as well as moral support for the volunteers in
the Merchandizing and Membership Booths. Ian makes
sure he stops by and lets us know what is happening during the HAI show. He helps with our other functions
such as the Silent Auction. His amazing happy attitude
and protective presence of our members is what they
think of when people say his name. Ian is a valuable
asset to the Whirly-Girls organization.
TIME TO MAKE YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR
THE 2013 EMERITUS CIRCLE VOLUNTEER AWARDS
--------------------------------------------------------------------Every year the Emeritus Circle presents awards to outstanding volunteers who are
nominated by the membership. The three categories are:
Whirly-Girl Diamond Volunteer Award
Presented to a Whirly-Girl who has given of herself to a long-term project benefiting the
Whirly-Girls.
Whirly-Girl Volunteer of the Year
Presented to a Whirly-Girl who has done something outstanding in the past year.
Whirly-Girls Auxiliary Award
Presented to an Auxiliary member who has done outstanding work for the Whirly-Girls.
Please send your nominations with a short paragraph explaining the reason for the
nomination to Deborah Sawyer #388 Auxiliary Chair at wgauxiliary@whirlygirls.org
Award Nominations are Due No Later Than January 15, 2013
4 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
This Year’s Livingston Award Winner: Sheryl Jones Brakey, WG#340
By: Laura Goldsberry WG #515
Established in 1988 by Nancy Livingston Stratford, WhirlyGirl #4, in memory of J. Arlo Livingston (Alaska pioneer helicopter pilot, member of the Whirly-Girls Auxiliary and past
president of the Helicopter Association International), this
award is designed to honor a woman who has achieved distinction for the contributions she has made on behalf of women in
helicopter aviation. It is to be awarded to a living Whirly-Girl
who personifies the high standards and ideals of women in
helicopter aviation and who has contributed in a significant
way to the advancement, recognition and credit of women in
helicopter aviation.
participant for many organizations as an officer or a volunteer.
As a Whirly-Girl, Sheryl is a Past President, a Past Secretary
of the Scholarship Fund, and a Past Executive Director. When
Jean Ross Howard, founder of the Whirly-Girls, had her first
heart attack, Sheryl took over as Executive Director, making
sure the Whirly-Girls kept their not-for-profit organizational
status, keeping finances in order, buying items for the sales
booth, and planning and arranging the hovering and banquet
at HAI. She also produced the Whirly-Girls newsletter, kept
up correspondence, took care of new members, and put all the
Whirly-Girls in a database.
This year's Livingston Award was presented to Sheryl
Jones Brakey, WG #340. In addition to a BS in biology, an
MBA, and an MA in international relations, Sheryl has ratings
in both helicopters and airplanes and was General Aviation
Marketing Manager for ALCOR. She was the first woman
hired by NARCO Avionics as Western Regional Manager. She
then became a Regional Marketing Manager for Bell Helicopter Textron, the first woman hired by Bell for outside sales. She
received numerous awards for helicopter sales while at Bell.
Before medevac services were available in Florida, she transported a newborn baby in critical condition to a hospital and
helped a Sheriff's Department in Florida search for a lost 3-year
-old toddler. And she always wore a business suit with a skirt
and high heels when she flew, carrying the blue dyed rabbit's
foot that her daughter gave her.
Sheryl has been a role model for women in aviation,
helping to open the door for women in a previously closed
industry, speaking to schools, clubs, and other groups about
helicopter flying and aviation, promoting the Whirly-Girls on
television, and being profiled in booklets promoting women in
aviation.
Sheryl Jones Brakey has been an aviation industry
Although retired from aviation, Sheryl Jones Brakey
keeps reinventing herself. She and her husband volunteered in
the Peace Corps for two years. They produce DVDs of marine
and wildlife behavior. They scuba dive, do the underwater
videotaping, edit, and narrate the DVDs. Sheryl also hand
makes jewelry and other craft items. At this year's HELIEXPO, she donated jewelry to the Silent Auction for the
scholarship fund.
“WHOW” Continued from Page 1...
SCHOLARSHIP WINNER UPDATE
fighting fires as an second in command for Columbia Helicopters. She flies one of those baby Chinooks called a Boeing Vertol. She is another one who grabbed the opportunity by the hand
and kept moving forward.
After a lot of hard work, patience, and determination I was
ecstatic to learn that I was the recipient of the 2011 WhirlyGirls Helicopter Add-on Scholarship. As if the Scholarship
wasn’t exciting enough, the Whirly-Girls also helped me attend my very first HELI-EXPO. At the Expo I learned so
much about the industry, available opportunities, and the best
part of all was meeting so many great Whirly-Girl mentors. I
began helicopter lessons almost as soon as I returned from
HELI-EXPO. Between work and A&P school it took me
about a year to complete my training. I am very excited that
on May 29, 2012 I completed my Commercial Helicopter Add
-on Rating and on June 11, 2012 I completed my A&P Certificate. Achieving my goals was greatly supplemented by having
support from the Whirly-Girls. The Add-on Scholarship has
given me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and I am forever grateful. –Tracy Zedeck, WG #1759
Sheryl Rogers #1008 flies a Challenger 300! Now that is some
kind of airplane. Pilots that go both ways, fixed and rotor, know
what a luxurious airplane this is. She flies all over the world in
this jewel and loves it. Sheryl's stories of when she first started
out and the Captain saying, "clean the toilets" left us all laughing. She has earned every ounce of respect a pilot may receive.
Then there is our young-timer Cassie Morris #718. She had us
rolling with her Texas drawl and talking about how she
works sunup to sundown trying to get people to understand a great deal on an aircraft. It’s amazing that someone turns down a helicopter in the right price range due to
color. One more time, Thank You Michelle for asking all of us
to get together and being so persistent with your dream.
HOVERING IN HEAVEN
This is Nancy Smyth Antista, WG#77, and I'm sorry to tell you my husband, Lawrence William Antista, passed away suddenly on
May 3rd. I am retired from Boeing after almost 30 years, living in Reno, NV, and love it here.
5 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
The Whirly-Girls Endowment: The Digital Collection Takes Off
By: Kat Bell
Texas Woman's University Libraries Woman’s Collection staff member Kat Bell has been hard at work on
the Whirly-Girls collection since January 2012. In an
effort to expand the Whirly-Girls digital collection,
Bell is digitizing photographs and documents that
highlight the wonderful history of this organization of
female helicopter pilots. As of the end of July, the
digital collection consists of more than 1,000 images.
Photographs from all the membership files have been
added, accompanied by biographies of the individual
pilots. Two photo albums and nine scrapbooks have
also been digitized. Seven scrapbooks are left, including documents from the early years of the organization
and material received just this summer.
The Woman’s Collection is a preeminent research center for woman and military history and has been the
official archive of the Whirly-Girls since 2001. All
Whirly-Girls are encouraged to send any items for the
archive. The Woman’s Collection can be contacted by
phone (940) 898-3751, email womansc@twu.edu, or
mail P.O. Box 425528, Denton, TX 76204.
To Make A Donation To The Endowment…
We at TWU are excited about the establishment of
the Whirly-Girls Endowment, which allows us to
promote and preserve your history for generations to
come. The history of aviation is not complete without the stories of how women such as the WhirlyGirls, dedicated and determined to fly the skies, are
not documented. If you have not yet made a donation
to the TWU Foundation – Whirly-Girls Endowment,
please consider this opportunity to do so. Checks can
be made out to the TWU Foundation with WhirlyGirls Endowment written in the memo line; these two
things must be present on the check for your donation
to be accepted.
All gifts whether large or small make a difference
that lasts a lifetime. We look forward to working with
each of you in the years ahead to establish the most
comprehensive collection devoted to women’s aviation history.
Whirly-Girls at the 1978 HAA convention.
The Whirly-Girls digital collection can be found
at twu.edu/library by clicking on Digital Collections (under Collections) and Whirly-Girls Digital
Collection Takes Off by Kat Bell.
Interested in a Formal Mentoring Program?
Have you heard about the Professional Pilot
Leadership Initiative?
By Lorena Knapp, WG# 1322
The Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative (PPLI) is a
highly structured mentoring program of The NinetyNines. It aims to accelerate the advancement of women
in all pilot professions, facilitate mentoring, and enhance
our leadership role in the aviation community. The program provides participants with tools to develop their
careers and leadership abilities. It strengthens and expands the network of women pilots through guided activities and formal mentoring partnerships .
The program is divided into three distinct phases. It typically takes 18-24 months to complete. In the first phase
participants are assigned a mentor to help them create a
6 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
“flight plan” for their career. The second phase of the program is peer mentoring; participants discuss topics like
balancing family/career, financing flight training, and dealing with gender discrimination. The final phase of the program has women give back by mentoring an incoming participant. Participants will also complete leadership projects
designed to enhance their skills and confidence as leaders
while in the program.
Many Whirly-Girls have benefited from the PPLI. In fact,
the current leader of the program, Lorena Knapp, is WG
#1322! To find out more about this program please visit
http://www.ninety-nines.org/index.cfm/
Whirly-Girls 2013
Scholarships
By: Melissa Zizzo WG #1557, VP of Scholarships
Now is the time to apply for Whirly-Girls Scholarships!
The Whirly-Girls organization is pleased to offer the following scholarships this year to members in good standing, as
well as to non-Whirly-Girls holding ratings other than helicopter. A Whirly-Girl is able to apply for up to five scholarships
and may be awarded one each year.
Whirly-Girls Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
This scholarship is provided by the WGSF, Inc., and
combines the Phelan International and Doris Mullen
Flight Training Scholarships. This scholarship provides
$6,000 and is given in memory of our founder, Jean Ross
Howard Phelan, WG #13, and her husband Jim, as well as in
memory of Doris Mullen, WG #84, who lost her life in a fixed
-wing accident in 1968. This scholarship provides any WhirlyGirl with a chance to upgrade her current rating. (It is typically
applied toward Commercial, Instrument, Instructor, ATP,
Long Line or Turbine Transition Training.) Requirements:
The applicant must be a member in good standing
and must have been a member for no less than one
year by the time she is awarded the scholarship
(March 2013).
Robinson Helicopter R22/R44Safety Course and R44
Scholarship This scholarship, sponsored by Robinson
Helicopter, provides a Whirly-Girl currently flying Robinsons
the opportunity to attend the Safety Course. Robinson
provides this 3-1/2 day course in Torrance, CA,
USA, including five hours of R44 flight time. The
course includes 2-1/2 days of classroom instruction,
awareness training and SFAR 73 in the R22 and R44
helicopter systems. One day is devoted to maintenance,
pre-flight inspections, and flying with an experienced
RHC pilot. The course is open to any rated female helicopter
pilot who has at least three hours in the R22 or
R44 helicopter. This course is required by most insurance
companies and serves as a CFI refresher. Requirements:
The applicant must be a member in good standing
and must have been a member for no less than one
year by the time she is awarded the scholarship
(March 2013).
FlightSafety International Bell 206 Initial Pilot Scholarship Sponsored by FlightSafety International, this
scholarship is awarded to a Whirly-Girl who possesses at
least a Private Pilot Helicopter certificate and has landing
currency in a helicopter. (Note: the applicant need
7 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
not have landing currency in a Bell 206.) This newly
created training program includes initial type training,
recurrent training, and inadvertent IMC training using
the world’s first Bell 206 FAA Level 7 qualified Flight
Training Device. This five-day course consists of academic
training and six hours in the FTD. Training will
be available at FlightSafety’s Helicopter Learning Center
of Excellence in Lafayette, LA, USA. Course value
$10,000. Requirements: The applicant must be a member
in good standing, must have been a member for no
less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship
(March 2013) and have landing currency in a helicopter.
Aircraft Ditching Course Scholarship
Once again we have been granted the opportunity to provide
two Aircraft Ditching Course Scholarships. These scholarships are provided by Survival Systems USA and each one
provides a deserving Whirly-Girl the knowledge and skills
necessary to react to an aircraft-ditching emergency, care for
herself in a sea survival situation, and participate to the maximum extent in her rescue. The pilot taking this course should
have at least a private pilot license and is required to have no
physical limitations that would prevent her from participating
in strenuous physical training. Training will be at Survival
Systems USA in Groton, CT, USA. Requirements: The
applicant must be a member in good standing and must
have been a member for no less than one year by the
time she is awarded the scholarship (March 2013).
Whirly-Girls Helicopter Add-on Fight Training
Scholarship This scholarship, funded by the WGSF, is
provided this year in memory of Bob Vetter, WG
Auxiliary member and husband of Bev Vetter WG #459. It
provides $6,000 to assist a certificated female pilot, who
does not currently have a helicopter rating, in earning
her add-on helicopter rating. Applicant will be evaluated
for evidence of intent to work in the helicopter industry.
American Eurocopter Flight Training Scholarship
Sponsored by American Eurocopter, this scholarship
will give a Whirly-Girl the opportunity to attend an
AS350 Turbine Transition Course at the American Eurocopter
Factory School in Grand Prairie, TX, USA.
Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good
standing and must have been a member for no less than
one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship
(March 2013).
Aviation Specialties Unlimited Scholarship
This Night Vision Goggle (NVG) scholarship will be
awarded to a career-minded Whirly-Girl who needs an
initial or recurrent Night Vision Goggle endorsement
for a flight position, such as airborne law enforcement
and airborne EMS, as well as a variety of government
“Scholarhips” Continued on Page 10…
Welcome Our New Members
WG #1749 Theresa LaRue is a new Whirly-Girl
who hails from Seattle, WA. She holds her Private Rotorcraft Certificate. She is employed by Clay Lacy as a
Customer Service Representative. Her contact information is: 3007 16th Ave South, Seattle, WA 98144, Email: theresalarue@gamil.com, Ph: (206) 909-8347
WG #1750 Aimee Juliane
Starks holds a Private Rotorcraft Certificate and has approximately 60 hours of flight time.
Amiee had dreamt of becoming
a pilot since she was 7 years old.
In 2010 she finally made her
dream a reality when she started
her helicopter training. She received her certificate in 2011.
Aimee is also a musician and has
been playing guitar and bass for over 20 years. She
would like to take the knowledge she has gained from
her aviation experiences and pass it along to other
young women with dreams of flying. Amiee works as a
manager with Urban Vines. Her contact information is:
4353 SW Mills St. Seattle, WA 98136, E-mail: babysilvertooth@msn.com, Ph: (206)938-8321.
WG #1751 Cairon Ferguson was a UH-1H pilot with
the Philippine Air Force. She is
both a fixed wing and rotorcraft pilot. She is now transitioning to civilian life after serving 13 years in the military.
Cairon is interested in submitting articles to WG publications and interacting with
other women helicopter pilots.
She is interested in hooking up with a mentor to offer
her guidance in starting her civilian flying career. Her
contact information is: 13723 E. 45th Ln., Yuma, AZ
85367, E-mail: Cairon@Ymail.com, Ph: (928) 597-1147.
WG #1752 Margot Lauren Taylor knew she was
destined to fly helicopters after her first helicopter ride
with a pilot doing utility work with the nature conservancy. “As soon as he picked the helicopter up ‘into a
hover’ I knew this is what I wanted to do.” She obtained her Private Rotorcraft Certificate in 2009. She
is also a glider pilot and she and a friend actually built
8 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
and test piloted their own ultralight glider. Margot
holds a B.S. degree in astronomy & astrophysics from
Penn State. Her contact information is: PO Box 622
Waimea, HI 96796, E-mail: Margotsbox@gmail.com,
Ph: (805) 433-2583.
WG #1753 Stephanie Conte holds both fixed wing
and rotorcraft flying
certificates. She is
also close to completing her multiengine
and seaplane certificates. Stephanie will
complete her Commercial Rotorcraft and
Commercial Fixed
Wing Certificates this
fall. Her contact information is: 3 Dickey Court, Commack, NY 11725, Email: sconte2@gmail.com.
WG #1754 Chelsi Marie Nelson obtained her Private Rotorcraft Certificate this spring. She
is employed with the United
States Forest Service as a Wildland Firefighter. She is pursuing a
degree in aviation administration
at Utah Valley University. Besides her love of flying, Chelsi
also enjoys running, hiking, photography and reading. Her contact information is: 1605 S. Main
St., Bountiful, UT 84010, E-mail: nelli7@hotmail.com,
Ph: (406) 260-5217.
WG #1755 Janie
Halaba obtained her
Private Rotorcraft Certificate in 2010. She has
approximately 90 flight
hours in helicopters
and 131 hours in fixed
wing aircraft. She currently works as an administrative assistant with Academy Mortgage. She is
also a Certified Massage Therapist. Janie is active in
Welcome Our New Members
her community doing volunteer work and is excited to
get involved with the WG organization. Her contact
information: 4353 Vrain St., Denver, CO 80212, E-mail:
janiehalaba@gmail.com, Ph: (720) 838-5511.
WG #1756 Jenifer Gordon is
employed as a Citation 560XL
pilot with NetJets. She has approximately 12,000 hours in
fixed wing aircraft and recently
received her Rotorcraft Add-on.
She enjoys skydiving and was at
one time a record holder; however, she states that record has
been superseded five times. She
is now a skydiving judge. She holds a B.A. in economics
and political science and an M.A. in international relations. Her contact information: 30807 Bayonne Ct.,
Westlake Village, CA 91362, E-mail: jeterw@aol.com.
Ph: (818) 679-2747.
WG #1757 Heather Bradshaw is both a fixed wing
and rotorcraft pilot. She has flight
experience in the R22 and R44
helicopters. Heather’s hobbies
include hiking, camping, traveling,
drawing, photography and meeting new people. She is a member
of the 99s, AOPA, WIA and the
Civil Air Patrol and volunteers at
the Warhawk Air Museum. Her
contact information is: 3772 East
Baja Dr., Meridian, ID 83642, E-mail:
hbrashaw11@hotmail.com, Ph: (208) 250-8383
WG #1758 Patricia Ray Burch is a pilot/flight instructor and owner of East Texas Flying Services. She
is both a fixed wing and rotorcraft pilot. She is active in
her community and volunteers
her time flying an OH-58A for
the local police agencies and donates time, fuel and maintenance
to keep it flying. She also volunteers monthly flights with Angel
Flight. Her contact information:
PO Box 441, Ben Wheeler, TX
75754, E-mail: justplanepatti
@gmail.com. Ph: (903) 571-0116.
9 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
CONTINUED
WG #1759 Tracy Zedeck is
a pilot with Trans Maldivian
Airways. She holds a fixed wing
CFI and a Commercial Rotorcraft Certificate. Tracy graduated from the University of
Colorado with a B.A. in psychology and is a certified Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic.
Her contact information is 15
Windsor Ave., Kensington, CA, 94708, E-mail:
tzedeck@yahoo.com. Ph: (303) 472-3467.
WG #1760 Kristan
Hebbe is a professional
photographer and recently obtained her Private Rotorcraft Certificate. Kristan is the first
pilot in her large extended family. She holds
a B.A. in portraiture from Brooks Institute of Photography. Her contact information is: PO Box 458, Pflugerville, TX 78691, E-mail: kristanhebbe@gmail.com. Ph:
(512) 296-7701.
WG #1761 Kristin Blumberg is a Commercial/Instrument rated pilot with
the US Army. She has logged
flight time in TH-67, UH-60
A/L, and UH-72A helicopters.
Kristin holds a B.A. degree in
English from the University of
Alabama. Her contact information is: 1838 Oak Berry Circle, Wellington, FL 33414, Email: Kristin.blumberg@gmail.com. Ph: (561) 843-8050.
WG #1762 Margarita Marinova recently obtained
her Private Rotorcraft Certificate and has flight experience in both the R22 and R44 helicopters. Her hobbies
including traveling, diving and learning languages. Margarita holds a B.S.in Aeronautics and Astronautics from
MIT and also a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from Caltech.
“New Members” Continued on page 10
Welcome Our New Members
CONTINUED
Margarita works as a scientist with Bay Area Environnental Research Institute. She reports the best thing about her
job is studying and visiting the
most extreme environments on
Earth. Her contact information:
405 Stierlin Rd. #10, Mountain
View, CA 94043, E-mail: margaritaita.m.marinova @gmail.com.
Ph: (650) 861-2150.
“Scholarships” Continued from Page 7...
agencies. The NVG course will go to a Whirly-Girl who possesses the following prerequisites: Commercial Rotorcraft Certificate, Instrument Rotorcraft Rating, Current Class II Medical,
500 PIC Rotorcraft flight hours or more, turbine transition
(preferably BH-206). The selected applicant will receive eight
hours of academic training and five hours of turbine instruction.
The value of this scholarship opportunity is $7,000. Training
will be conducted at Gowen Field Airport, Boise, ID, USA. The
scholarship will be provided to a member in good standing who
has been a member for no less than one year by the time she is
awarded the scholarship (March 2013).
Advanced Mountain Flight Training Scholarship
This scholarship is provided in memory of Keiko Minakata,
WG #1339. This scholarship gives a deserving Whirly-Girl the
skills to cope with turbulence, rugged terrain, and landing zone
selection in mountainous and canyon areas, with special emphasis placed on decision making. It also provides the skill needed
to fly various private and commercial helicopter missions that
require off-airport landings anywhere in the country, regardless
of altitude or terrain. It's a real confidence-builder, especially if
the pilot has very little experience in off-airport operations. It
includes ½ day extensive ground school with five hours of flight
time in the MD500. The pilot taking this course should preferably have 500 rotorcraft hours and be current in the MD500 series or the Schweizer/Hughes 300 series, but this is not mandatory. Training will be at Western Helicopters Inc., Rialto, CA,
USA. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good
standing and must have been a member for no less than one year
by the time she is awarded the scholarship (March 2013).
This year we are once again encouraging Whirly-Girls
to submit their scholarship applications by email using the electronic files that are available on the www.whirlygirls.org website. The application is divided into three separate parts:
1. Instructions: This document contains instructions for the
scholarship application. It does not need to be submitted with
the rest of the application. It is for informational purposes only.
10 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
2. General information: This document contains general information about the applicant. Please note that the last page is a
signature page. Whirly-Girls are encouraged to return the entire Word document once it is completed. However, they must
also sign the signature page, and scan it. The scanned signature page, plus scanned images of their photo ID, medical, and
both sides of their pilot certificate, must also be attached to the
application. Note: some scanners create very large full-color
image files which are difficult to email. Black and white images are often much smaller, but please make sure the information is legible.
3. Essays: Each Whirly-Girl is allowed to apply for five scholarships. She must write a separate essay for each of the scholarships she desires. For your convenience, we have created a
separate file for each scholarship essay. Attach each file to
your application. The application fee is $45. We accept Visa
or MasterCard and U.S. checks.
“Auxiliary” Continued from Page 1...
would not feel left out. At the Whirly-Girls Awards Banquet
the men would get up and sing a funny song one of them had
written about the Whirly-Girls. Nowadays the song would
probably be considered politically incorrect but then everyone
had fun. Many members were well-known men in the helicopter industry. Heads of helicopter manufacturers, famous
male pilots, and organization presidents were proud members.
This was due to the fact Jean Ross Howard Phelan
had many high-level contacts through her job in Washington,
D.C., at Aerospace Industries Association of America (AIAA)
and was an unabashed promoter of her Whirly-Girls organization. Not only could she get the men to join, but she got them
to give up HAI activities during the convention to come to the
Whirly-Girls Awards Banquet and to donate significant
amounts of money. At that time the money from Auxiliary
dues and donations went to support one of the Whirly-Girls
scholarships. Later the Auxiliary membership was extended
to everyone and the organization was known as the Auxiliary
Power Unit.
It is now called the Whirly-Girls Auxiliary. The
funds raised by the Whirly-Girls Auxiliary through dues and
contributions go toward many aspects of our organization including supporting scholarships, operating costs, and the international recognition of the Whirly-Girls organization, to name
a few. It is for members’ friends and family and for employers who wish to show pride in “their” Whirly-Girl. It is also
for helicopter operators, helicopter manufacturers, and other
helicopter organizations who wish to support the efforts of the
organization. Cost of membership is only $25.00—additional
contributions welcome. Auxiliary members receive our quarterly newsletter Collective Pitch so they can keep up on members and activities.
To join you can email me, Deborah Sawyer #388, at
wgauxiliary@whirlygirls.org for an application or go directly
to our website www.whirlygirls.org (please notice the “.org”),
then to “Join Now” on the upper left side, then scroll down to
the Auxiliary section for further instructions.
WHOW Memories: Auguest 4, 2012
Left:: Pictured at
this WHOW
event in Savannah, GA, are
Michelle Parkington WG #1518,
Josie Richard WG
#1644, and Mary
Martin WG #687.
also in attendance
was Josie's husband Philip.
Right: Well, it
was just me from
11:30 to 14:00.
Here I am inside
of The Runway
(8/4/2012).
Becky Mackenzie,
Auxilliary. Pittsburgh, PA.
Above: Jessica Banas attended her first hovering at Bristow Academy in Titusville, FL, with Laura McColm WG #1329, Kelly
Anderson WG #1611, Lisa Schmucker WG #1649, Annie Anderson WG #1738, and Deb Sawyer WG #388. Jessica is a CFI at
Bristow Academy and works with Kelly (Assistant Chief) and
Laura (newly appointed Chief). Annie is working on her CFI at
the school. Lisa and Deb braved traffic and storms to join in.
News and Notes from All Over
Left: WG#4 Nancy Livingston Stratford,
originator of the WG Livingston Award,
celebrated her 93rd birthday on June 12,
2012, in the company of WG #465 Bev
Haug-Schaffter, who presented her with a
celebratory bouquet.
Right: Just finished my CFII
at Northeast Helicopters
Flight Training. We took a silly picture of me with foggles on. Now its
time to find a CFII job. Kristin Duarte, WG #1739.
Left: In February, I completed my
ATP rating! I currently work for
SKY Helicopters, Inc. in Garland,
TX as a ENG/Commercial Pilot
and CFII. Courtney Pierce
#1480.
HOVERING IN HEAVEN...Helicopter pilot and manager of
flight operations Marie Johansson WG #425 from Umeå, Sweden,
passed away at the age of 52 after battling a prolonged illness. Marie
is survived by her daughter Lovisa Johansson, life partner Stig-Martin
Persson and mother Margareta Giseke-Johansson. The team at Lapplandsflyg and her friends are mourning together with the family.
11 Collective Pitch, Fall 2012
Left: Katarzyna "Kat" Dudzinska passed her Commercial checkride and received her wings from
Bristow Academy in Titusville, FL.
Right: The Racing
Aces, Victoria Holt
and Dianna Stanger
WG #1178, were
declared the champions of the 36th Annual
Air Race Classic on Sunday, June 25. Dianna said that a
lot of the skills she drew upon came from her 1,800 hours in
rotorcraft—priceless when it came to flying low!
The 36th Annual Air Race Classic was a four-day air race which covered eight states. nine stops and 2,682 statute miles in which only
female pilots compete. The Racing Aces competed to bring awareness
to the fact that out of all the pilots in the United States only 7% are
female. The team will be using the winning purse and sponsorship
money they collected to empower a female to realize her dream of
flight by offering scholarship money.
HOVERING IN HEAVEN… Evelyn Bryan Johnson WG #20,
Livingston Award Winner in 2004, pilot and instructor, died at 102.
She had piloted an airplane more hours than anybody else alive —
57,635.4 hours, or more than 6-1/2 years. No woman has flown
more and only one man has. In 2002, Mrs. Johnson, then 92, was the
oldest flight instructor in the world, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. She continued teaching for three more
years. Born just six years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight in
1903, she flew 5.5 million miles, equal to 23 trips to the moon.
“Mama Bird” will be missed...
Whirly-Girls International
c/o Cassie Morris
2429 Chestnut Way
Bedford, TX 76022 USA
www.whirlygirls.org
PRSRT STD
US Postage
PAID
Permit # 1040
Leesburg, FL
34748
Address Service Resquested
Upcoming Events:
September 11-16th
ILA Berlin Air Show`
October 1st
WG Scholarship Deadline
October 13th
Take Flight for Kids
SAN JOSE REID HILLVIEW AIRPORT
FOR FURTHER INFO GO TO:
http://www.takeflightforkids.com
March 14-16th
Women in Aviation Conference
Nashville, TN
Events at: www.whirly-girls.org/event-list
www.whirlygirls.org
CHANGE OF INFORMATION FORM
Mail or Email: WG#718 Cassie Morris: cjm351@tx.rr.com
Whirly-Girls International, Attn: Cassie Morris, 2429 Chestnut, Bedford, Texas 76022 USA
NAME: _______________________
MAIDEN NAME: ______________________
WG# _________
HOME ADDRESS (Street/City/State/Postal Code/Country) ___________________________________________
EMAIL: ________________________ PHONE: ______________ CELL: ______________
(International Whirly-Girls please list country code & city code with phone number)
EMPLOYER: _____________________________________________
WORK ADDRESS/PHONE/EMAIL: _______________________________________________________