Kate
Airline Pilot
My name is Kathryn Zack. I currently live in Memphis,
Tennessee and fly for a regional carrier for Northwest called
Pinnacle Airlines.
I’ve been with the airline for a little over a year and love it!
From before I can remember, I wanted to be a pilot. When I
was young, I heard stories of my grandpa flying Stearman’s
(PT-13’s) in WWII for the Navy.
My plan was to join the Air Force when I graduated high
school, but I didn’t meet the qualifications. The mistake I made
was that I gave up on flying completely. It wasn’t until a few
years later that I decided to get my private license. That
passion for aviation just wouldn’t go away!
The more I got into aviation and the more I learned about the
profession, and I realized that I could fly for an airline without
military experience. After a lot of consideration and debate, it
was my parents that really backed me going into aviation as a
career. I took out a loan, got all my ratings, and here I am!
What an incredible journey it has been so far!
I learned to fly originally in Scottsdale, AZ and then in Daytona
Beach, FL. I trained in a variety of different airplanes; mostly
152’s, 172’s Diamonds and Seminoles. I am currently a First
Officer on the CRJ-200.
At the moment, I fly about 16 days out of the month. There
are other types of flying that I might get into later in my
career, but I can’t imagine doing anything else but flying. The
coolest part of my job is that my office is at 35,000ft and I get
to see some of the most amazing things that very few people
get to see!
Airline Pilot
My name is Kathryn Zack. I currently live in Memphis,
Tennessee and fly for a regional carrier for Northwest called
Pinnacle Airlines.
I’ve been with the airline for a little over a year and love it!
From before I can remember, I wanted to be a pilot. When I
was young, I heard stories of my grandpa flying Stearman’s
(PT-13’s) in WWII for the Navy.
My plan was to join the Air Force when I graduated high
school, but I didn’t meet the qualifications. The mistake I made
was that I gave up on flying completely. It wasn’t until a few
years later that I decided to get my private license. That
passion for aviation just wouldn’t go away!
The more I got into aviation and the more I learned about the
profession, and I realized that I could fly for an airline without
military experience. After a lot of consideration and debate, it
was my parents that really backed me going into aviation as a
career. I took out a loan, got all my ratings, and here I am!
What an incredible journey it has been so far!
I learned to fly originally in Scottsdale, AZ and then in Daytona
Beach, FL. I trained in a variety of different airplanes; mostly
152’s, 172’s Diamonds and Seminoles. I am currently a First
Officer on the CRJ-200.
At the moment, I fly about 16 days out of the month. There
are other types of flying that I might get into later in my
career, but I can’t imagine doing anything else but flying. The
coolest part of my job is that my office is at 35,000ft and I get
to see some of the most amazing things that very few people
get to see!
I’ve seen some incredible sunsets and sunrises, and some pretty
scary lightning storms. I get to travel to all kinds of cities and I get to
meet lots of new people!
I’ve encountered mostly shock from people when they find out what I
do for a living. Its not the first thing they would expect me do to as a
profession. It is still a male dominated industry and I’ve encountered
some resistance, although minimal, in the year I’ve been at the
airlines.
If you are interested in aviation start as soon as possible! Don’t wait
and don’t be discouraged like I was! There is a way to make your
dream come true! Start out getting involved in anything aviation. I
found that just by hanging out at the local airport and getting to
know the people there, you can learn a lot about the industry and
find even more ways to get involved. I was able to get where I am on
the help and inspiration of my parents and the people around me. I
hope to be able to pass that encouragement along to others that
may need it!
Best of Luck to all of you!
scary lightning storms. I get to travel to all kinds of cities and I get to
meet lots of new people!
I’ve encountered mostly shock from people when they find out what I
do for a living. Its not the first thing they would expect me do to as a
profession. It is still a male dominated industry and I’ve encountered
some resistance, although minimal, in the year I’ve been at the
airlines.
If you are interested in aviation start as soon as possible! Don’t wait
and don’t be discouraged like I was! There is a way to make your
dream come true! Start out getting involved in anything aviation. I
found that just by hanging out at the local airport and getting to
know the people there, you can learn a lot about the industry and
find even more ways to get involved. I was able to get where I am on
the help and inspiration of my parents and the people around me. I
hope to be able to pass that encouragement along to others that
may need it!
Best of Luck to all of you!
TM
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