September 05, 2018
I’m always amazed when I read or hear that one “really enjoys what they do for a living.” Why? Because so many people who go to work every day hate their jobs – I find this very sad. Personally, I think part of this issue is “attitude.”
When I was 15-years-old I fibbed about my age and got a Saturday job at Woolworth’s – now gone. I worked in the houseplants, gold fish and budgie bird department (if you can imagine). I loved every minute of it but my greatest moment was when I discovered a little bottle with a sponge applicator of (drum roll here) PLANT SHINE.
The minute I hit the floor on Saturdays I’d whip around and shine up every green leaf in the entire department. You could see yourself in the split leaf philodendrons. A couple of disgruntled, long-term female employees would see me coming and start mumbling, “Oh God, here comes the brat with the bottle.”
A Split Leaf Philodendron
SHE FLIES HIGH AND IS GOING HIGHER
This brings me to today’s subject: an enterprising female named Rohaise Firth-Butterfield, who has a private pilot license from Texas Central College. This is a community college that offers flight training. I came across her story in Air & Space, May 2018 that is put out by the Smithsonian Institute.
After acquiring her pilot’s license Rohaise found that she could apply these hours of flight training as credit hours for a college degree so she transferred to Texas A&M to earn her bachelor’s degree in aviation science. Smart girl.
Rohaise Firth-Butterfield – photo courtesy of Air & Space, May 2018
SHE’S FOLLOWING HER DREAM OF FLYING THIS AIRCRAFT
What’s next? After giving it some thought, she decided to apply for advanced flight training, so she applied to become a Reserve Officer Candidate in the U.S. Air Force. “The people were very friendly and welcoming,” says Rohaise. “It didn’t feel like a job interview. They told me they were just trying to make sure that I would fit in with them.” Note: A “reserve” typically serves one weekend a month and two weeks per year.
In May 2018 she began her advanced training in Lackland, Texas. “This training is the type of flying I really wanted to try as a civilian but I never had the opportunity,” she says.
A Grand Prize-winning photo taken by Angela McLain-Toland – a female photographer in El Centro, California who says, “I was photographing the Blue Angeles’ winter training. I knew they would fly their diamond formation takeoff right over these hay bales. I walked the bales eight times to guesstimate where to stand – I could not see the planes approaching. Thanks to the skilled flying of the pilots, they lined up perfectly for the shot – photo courtesy of Air & Space, May 2018.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE “RAYTHEON T-6 TEXAN II?”
Brace yourself. This is a single-engine, two-seat aircraft that places one crewmember in front of the other: student and instructor positions are interchangeable. A pilot may also fly the aircraft alone from the front seat.
Now, here are the nitty-gritty details:
WHY IS ROHAISE SO INTERESTED IN THIS JOB?
After her training she will be following her dream. “I really like the fact that I will be helping people on the ground by flying humanitarian missions. I really want to be useful.” She’s a young woman who is heading into a very unusual occupation – here are two more mavericks that we’ve written about.
CLICK TO READ ABOUT the first female coach in the NFL – now THAT’S impressive!
CLICK HERE and learn how a female children’s book author (who started with a big idea and an old typewriter) became a billionaire.
Shaun Nelson-Henrick
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October 22, 2020
I just read an article that sounded – to me at least – like “a canary in a coal mine” or an early warning of danger. This piece, written by Joe Pompeo, appeared in the May 2020 issue of Vanity Fair magazine with the title “The British Tabloid Invasion” and a subtitle that read, “How the Daily Mail is conquering American gossip.”
The paparazzi horde, La Dolce Vita, 1960 – photo courtesy of Vanity Fair