Amelia Rose Earhart shares more than a name with her legendary aviatrix ancestor. She is recreating some of the flying milestones that led up to Amelia Mary Earhart’s 1937 attempt to encircle the globe. Amelia Rose hopes to fly around the world in 2015. She blogs her adventures at http://flywithamelia.wordpress.com/.
STARTED IN AVIATION…I got started in aviation as an aerial reporter and photographer here in Denver, CO at 850 KOA, and KUSA, doing radio and television traffic reports. I always knew I wanted to fly but I couldn’t afford lessons. Having the name Amelia Earhart (being a namesake and sharing common ancestry with Amelia) always prompted people to ask me if I was a pilot. I so desperately wanted to be able to say yes... I knew deep down that I was meant to be a pilot. While I always knew it was something I wanted to do, I had to be able to pay for it first. When I was able to really get serious about lessons and learn to fly, I knew it was something I could fall in love with. It immediately became a passion. I was working in a helicopter and flying a 172, as much as possible. While it took me a few years to get my private, all the ups and downs of flight training were worth it. I am now about to take my instrument checkride in a Cirrus SR22 at Centennial Airport here in Denver.
EARLY CHALLENGES: Early challenges included financing a passion that at times seemed impossible to afford while in college, but when it came right down to it, I had to do what I could to make it work. I had to make sacrifices and really plan for what made me most happy: flying. I saved and planned and eventually earned my private license. Another difficulty was that it was tough to find an instructor that made me feel comfortable, yet challenged in the plane. It is so important to find a teacher who you click with... someone who you feel you can ask the tough questions and who can show you how to find the right answers on your own when they are no longer in the plane with you.
TOUGH LESSONS: The hardest lesson for me to learn was that extended time away from the airplane meant that I would slow down the speed of my learning. I tried to tell myself that I could take one lesson a week and still move forward. When I trained at this rate, I felt that I was spending so much time reacquainting myself with the aircraft that time was lost on learning new material. I have now learned, through training for my instrument rating, that the more often and closer together I take lessons, the better pilot I become. Each lesson is a return to a familiar place, filled with potential to move forward, rather than review and then take a half-step forward.
FAVORITE AVIATION ACTIVITY: My favorite aviation related activity would have to be planning for a cross-country flight. It covers all aspects of flight, from the romantic—daydreaming of where you want to fly—to the practical calculations of fuel, distance, and aircraft performance. This type of flying takes you out of your comfort zone, it forces you to plan ahead, work with other pilots in unfamiliar airspace, and each flight is truly an adventure.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS: This is an excerpt from my flight training blog at www.flywithamelia.wordpress.com.
“Tomorrow morning I am about to climb in an airplane and complete my goal: a transcontinental flight across the US in a single engine aircraft, following Amelia's 1937 route. Two months ago, this goal seemed impossible, more of a dream than a plan. Much has been realized about goal setting and accomplishment in this time, and while I by no means have things figured out, I certainly feel like I have discovered some universal tools to success.
1) Do not be afraid to ask for help. If you are anything like me, asking for help seems a sign of weakness. That is not the case. Differing perspectives, new ideas, experience, advice, and a fresh look can make all the difference in the world. Also, when someone wants to help you for the right reasons, let them. It feels good to give gifts. Sometimes you will be the giver, but other times you will be the recipient.
2) Say your goals out loud. When you take the bold step to tell others what you are planning to do, your goals immediately come alive. From that point, details get filled in, dots get connected and accountability comes into play. In my case, I used this blog to put some real gumption behind my goals. Whether it is family, friends, social media, or a blog, just start saying it! For me, it felt great to catch people off guard. When someone says, "how are you" or "what's new?", REALLY tell them! I started saying, things like, "I am training for a cross-country flight" and guess what the response was... "Oh really? I know someone who you should talk to" or "how can I help". You will be quite surprised to find how much people want to cheer you on and hope for the best. For those who don't cheer you on, decide that you don't have room for them in your life. As I have said before, there is room for everyone to be great.
3) Don't set aside certain times to be the kind of person you strive to be. Be it ALL the time. While we all have roles we play in life, there is no excuse for only allowing yourself to be great when it fits into your schedule or when it convenient to how you feel. Feeling like your own role model is a full time job, but trust me, it pays very well. Off days are for lazy people. Take time to relax, of course... but relax in the mindset of someone who is living a rockin' life, not like someone who is taking the easy road because it feels good to check out.
4) Cheer others on and make friends with your role models. When you see someone making a difference or excelling at something unique, tell them what you think. Tell them you are proud of what they have pulled off and that you look up to their qualities. In terms of role models, it feels great to be able to shoot an email off to someone who you look up to and actually get a response. Maybe it is a friend who is a smart entrepreneur or a successful athlete. Our role models don't have to be world-famous or historic figures. Those kinds are excellent but we are all surrounded by a community of people who are one degree of separation away from us. When you meet someone who you look up to, don't go home and sulk about how you have nothing going on in your own life, call them up, email, or inquire as to how they got where they are! Chances are, they will be willing to tell you a lot about how they got to their position. You are completely in control of who you bring into your circle of friends so you might as well choose some amazing people who inspire you to be great.
5) Stop multi-tasking. This one is simple. Stop trying to be 2 (or 346) places at one time. When you commit to getting something done, put your heart into it, be it dishes, flying, data entry, a conversation, or sleeping. Whatever it is, do it wholeheartedly and with enthusiasm. Nothing is worse than talking to someone when they are texting or have their mind on the next thing they must do. Let's start being genuinely interested in our lives and the people and things we choose to invite into them. It feels great to care.
6) Look each day in the eye. Just as you look your loved ones in the eye and listen to what they have to say, acknowledging them as unique and important, you should do the same thing to each day you are given. When you wake up in the morning, you MUST realize that you have just as many minutes and hours in the day as someone like Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, or anyone you hold in high regard. Not having enough time to reach your goals is a choice, a decision that you make in terms of which items you deem important. What I like to do is get all the tough stuff out of the way early in the day. Work out, pay the bills, make the tough phone calls, get them done so that the rest of the day can be spent in goal oriented focus!
“Maybe I am right, maybe I am wrong. These things have worked for me and I have a huge smile on my face a majority of the time.
“What works for you?”
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