Success Story

Sarah Preedy Bay Village, Ohio Age:23 First officer and ground instructor, CommutAir; Commercial multiengine, instrument, CFI, DHC-8 SIC type rating Total time: 750 hours; 490 multiengine; 450 turbine

An internship was enough for Sarah Preedy to realize that she was in the wrong place. The internship related to her international relations degree from Cleveland State University. Witnessing employees at a logistics company labor in a tiny office all day proved to Preedy that this was not the job for her.

Preedy comes from an aviating family-her father flies for a major airline, and her brother is a pilot for a regional carrier. She began her flight training at the T Flying Club located at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport. After she had acquired her certificates and ratings through the flying club, T began paying her as a flight instructor. "Hectic and cold," is how Preedy describes her time flight instructing with T during winter 2007. "I'm very glad that I did instruct, however, because I learned a great deal."

Cleveland-based CommutAir interviewed Preedy in March 2008 for a first officer position in the Bombardier Dash 8 Q200. To prepare, she brushed up on the regulations and instrument and multiengine skills, and practiced situational questions using past experiences. She got the job. And, after impressing the training department during her initial instruction on the Dash 8, she was offered a position as a ground instructor as well. She credits her brother for helping her ace the training.

"Being able to do what I love is amazing. Whether it's making a perfect landing, figuring out a tough systems problem, battling weather, or just seeing the view from the top, it is all so rewarding," Preedy says. "The Dash 8 is great fun and is a great stepping-stone from general aviation airplanes."

Of airline training, Preedy says: "It's like drinking water from a fire hose; you just have to take it one sip at a time. Finding a really good instructor can help you with the training as well. There is a wealth of information out there, so use all the resources you can."

Pete Bedell is a Boeing 737 first officer for a major airline and contributor to AOPA Flight Training and AOPA Pilot magazines.