Aviation has quite a grip on Jennifer Fuller. Since the age of 3, she's been enamored with being a pilot and she continues to enjoy flying as both a career and a hobby.
Jennifer Fuller |
Fuller is motivated and driven and it shows. Her resume is loaded with quality aviation experience from working customer service at an FBO, interning at Northwest Airlines, flight instructing, and flying Beech 1900s and Dash 8s for Commutair all by age 25. "I can't say enough about putting your best foot forward in any endeavor," said Fuller.
As a student at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Fuller worked for Northstar Aviation, a full-service FBO at Mankato Regional Airport. "I got to meet a lot of great people and interacted with other pilots and aviation enthusiasts--it was a great job for starting out in the industry," said Fuller.
In 2005, she became a flight instructor for Minnesota Aviation Inc. in Albert Lea. With her usual gusto she managed to rack up 700 hours of flight time in just 10 months. Most of those hours were accumulated teaching students and, whenever possible, flights in the right seat of the company Cessna 414. But she also squeezed in pleasure flights as a member of the Southeastern Minnesota Flying Club. She also flies for fun with her fiance on short vacations, one of which led to the marriage proposal.
In 2006, Fuller was hired at Commutair and says the company is a great place to start a career. "If you want to fly for Commutair, diversify your resume and gain quality flight experience, not just pattern time," said Fuller. She was in the last captain upgrade class so her seniority is quite low in that seat, requiring some sacrifices in quality of life. "I look at every obstacle as an opportunity to show your leadership and skill," said Fuller. And with those four stripes, Fuller is acquiring some of the most valuable flying time that can be had in the challenging airspace of the Northeast.
Pete Bedell is a Boeing 737 first officer for a major airline and contributor to AOPA Flight Training and AOPA Pilot magazines.
