Debrief /

Mary A. Schu has a great fondness for the humble Cessna 150. Even though she has flown much bigger and faster aircraft during her long career as a flight instructor, corporate pilot, and designated pilot examiner, she says the 150 “is about my size and I really value having learned to fly it.” The 2015 CFI of the Year learned to fly because stock-car racing wasn’t an option for women in the 1970s. A CFI since 1977, in addition to flying corporate aircraft Schu launched a flying club in Manhattan, Kansas; taught at FlightSafety International; was “chief and only” pilot for Kansas State University; and operated a flight school in central Oregon, where she lives. In her spare time she enjoys being a crewmember for the North American B-25 Mitchell Killer Bee. “It’s big, it’s noisy, it drips oil,” she says. “Flying it is a new reality.”

GETTING STARTED…I was recovering from a divorce, so [flying] was great therapy. Nobody was going to starve if I did it, and nobody was going to be embarrassed if I failed at it.

EARLY CHALLENGES…I was terrified. I’m not exactly sure why, whether it was the fear of failure. Then I almost got sick on every flight for the first 10 hours. Once I learned to land, that went away.

FAVORITE AIRPLANE…If it gets off the ground safely, I like it well enough. I actually love the [Cessna] 150. I did my [multiengine] training in a Cessna 310 and loved it, but probably a Cessna Conquest turboprop—for a single-pilot-IFR all-weather airplane, that was my favorite. Jets are nice [too].

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS…If possible, have time and money put together so you can [train] quickly and consistently. If you can’t fly at least three times a week you’re reviewing at least an hour out of that every time you go back. I believe people ought to take the opportunity to backseat on student flights with good flight instructors and good airplanes.