Oshkosh | My Life @ Riddle

This summer I had the honor of representing the Golden Eagles Flight Team, the Women’s Air Race Classic and the Embry-Riddle Prescott student body at Oshkosh. Not only did I get to attend one of the largest airshows in the world, I got to meet with future pilots, engineers and astronauts as they considered attending ERAU.

Oshkosh is an aviation haven built to be an amusement park of sorts for those involved in every aspect of flight. When I wasn’t answering the questions of prospective students and curious alumni, I was sitting in aircraft of all kinds, enjoying the many aerial spectacles and grabbing a few souvenirs along the way.

Three experiences in particular stood out to me to be especially unique. The first was the opportunity to tour the impossibly large KC-135, capable of air refueling and carrying 83,000 lbs worth of cargo. Second was a tower tour that allowed for a 360 degree view of the event. With formation flight overhead, I had a clear view of the over 10,000 aircraft in attendance as well as the thousands of spectators who were enjoying them.

Third and final was the impressive Night Air Show. Dazzling lights coupled with daring aerobatics made it one of my favorite aspects of the week. To top it off, an extensive fireworks show and an entire ‘wall of fire’ brought the show and my week in Wisconsin to a climactic end.

I feel very grateful for being able to participate in this wonderful tradition and highly recommend it to my fellow aviation enthusiasts.

Hey everyone! We are really getting close to the end of the semester here, and getting excited for Christmas Break!

Being a student employee for Embry-Riddle has opened up doors by increasing the people I interact with and of course providing some money too. I have been working in the Admissions office since freshman year, and with this amazing job I have given tours to prospective students, and even traveled the around the country promoting ERAU, including Oshkosh 2014.

However, now that the end of my flight training and BS in Aeronautical Science degree is approaching I am looking ahead. For years now I have worked through the flight training program with the end goal of eventually becoming a flight instructor. Earlier last month I applied to become a Flight Instructor for Embry Riddle. After submitting the application, I was offered an interview for the position. At first I was excited but also nervous for the upcoming interview. I prepared in every way I knew how, getting my suit ready, reviewing any last CFI or CFII knowledge that I was unsure about, and of course the lesson plan. For a CFI interview, not only do you have to answer standard HR questions and technical flight questions, but you also have to present a lesson plan like you would to a student. This was the one part of the interview I was uneasy about; however with enough practice I nailed it.

I am happy to report that as of Monday, I have been offered a position as a flight instructor! My new hire date is scheduled for January 5^th upon successful completion of my CFII check ride (expect a blog about that next week!). Many updates to come!

The first picture you see is me as a freshman, right after my first Solo flight in October of 2011. The following two are from the multi engine cross-country flight that I did to Salt Lake City, Utah (KSLC). You can also find great images and videos on our Flight Department facebook page. As a matter of fact I recommend you “like” the page so you can keep up on the cool things you’ll do as a flight student.

I cannot convey enough how awesome all of these flight experiences have been thus far. Here’s to clear skies!

Your instructor will take a picture upon the successful completion of your first solo flight!

Making progress in my training. This picture was taken last summer during my Multi-Engine Cross Country to SLC!

Sunset over Utah/Arizona Border!

Tag Archives: Oshkosh

Oshkosh 2016 by Guest Blogger Rachel Hutzell

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