Women’s History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

March 22, 2023
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airline, aviation, career, pilot shortage, women

Women’s History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

#WomeninAviaion

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

"Many years ago, I made a pact with myself that any time I set out a goal, I would see it through and now that I’ve achieved this goal, I feel immensely gratified. I think my dad would be proud. I know my mom is. "

Jordyn M

Airline Pilot

Aviators and Aviatrixes, this Cap’n Aux speaking!

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week we welcome to the blog female pilot Jordyn M., who was recently hired as an A321 First Officer for a major US Airline!

High Flyin' Family

First Officer Jordyn is blessed to have a wonderful, supportive mother, who also happens to be a Flight Attendant for the same airline Jordyn now flies for!

In fact, on her very first line flight, Jordyn’s Purser was none other than “Mommy!”

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

Late Bloomer

Team Aux: While most pilots often tell stories of dreaming of flying since they were in diapers, I understand you came to flying late in life. How did you get started flying?

Jordyn: Growing up, my initial career aspiration was to become a dentist. I began working as an orthodontic assistant my senior year of high school and after four years working as such I realized I did not particularly enjoy the dental field. So, I pivoted to a basic Communications degree while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my professional life.

After college I moved to Vitoria, Spain to improve my Spanish and work as an Au Pair for a small Basque family. While doing some traveling with my new foreign family, I reflected on all of the amazing cities I’d been fortunate to visit (and on my upcoming twenty-fourth birthday), and it was then that I realized I might be interested in a career in aviation. My mother is a flight attendant, her father was an air traffic controller, my paternal grandmother has her private pilot certificate, and her husband (my step grandfather) was both a corporate pilot and an air traffic controller. I have a lot of ties to aviation, to say the least!

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

Once set on the idea, I sought out flight schools in Spain to apply to. However, after some discussion, my mother convinced me to come back to the U.S. and seek out a local flight school.

After ten months in Spain, I said goodbye to my Spanish-Basque family and flew back home. Luckily for me, aviation has an enormous presence in Arizona and there’s a flight school around every corner. I took out a private ten thousand dollar loan, enrolled at Chandler Air Service, and took my first flight lesson within three weeks of getting back to the States.

A Career on Afterburner

Team Aux: How long did it take you, from your first flight lesson, to being hired by your major airline? Briefly, what was your “road to the airline cockpit”? What were some “ups and downs”, as it were, during your climb?

Jordyn: My first flight lesson was September of 2016 and I was hired by a legacy airline in May of 2022.

After getting my private pilot certificate at Chandler Air Service in February of 2017, I went on to complete the rest of my ratings at ATP Flight School (the Mesa-Gateway location) by February of 2018. I instructed for ATP Flight School for a month as a 1099 employee, then got on with AeroGuard Flight Training where I was salaried and had a guaranteed income.

To be honest, teaching others is not a talent of mine and I did not particularly enjoy it. I started seeking out Part 135 jobs fairly quickly. Once I hit around 550 hours I was lucky enough to get hired by Contour Airlines in October 2018 to fly an Embraer 135, based in Phoenix. I was a First Officer there for two years and a Captain for one year.

I was then hired by Allegiant Air in October 2021. The training timeline at Allegiant was incredibly long and inefficient, and a week after I got my A320 type rating in March of 2022, I went to a hiring conference and was given a job offer from my dream legacy airline.

So, I completed my Initial Operating Experience on the Airbus at Allegiant and then put in my two weeks notice to begin my ultimate airline career in May of 2022.

There were a few “downs” throughout my career, but I have been incredibly fortunate to have mostly “ups”. I didn’t realize I would time it just right and get on with my dream company in only five and a half years, but I put in a lot of time, effort, and dedication and here I am!

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

Tragedy to Triumph

If your dream is to become a pilot, do whatever you need to do to achieve it.

Jordyn M

Team Aux: I understand you had at least one deep personal challenge early in your life. How did that affect you, and how did that ultimately help to forge you into the woman, and the pilot, you are today?

Jordyn: My father passed away when I was four years old and that has certainly influenced much of my decision making today. Growing up, my mother was a single parent. There were a few years of financial struggles, and that was tough for me. We always had a very tight budget and I was a kid that just wanted. I remember boasting at family dinners that I was going to make one hundred thousand dollars one day. So clearly I had big aspirations. Many years ago, I made a pact with myself that any time I set out a goal, I would see it through and now that I’ve achieved this goal, I feel immensely gratified. I think my dad would be proud. I know my mom is.

Just be yourself and you’ll have so much more fun in this field!

Jordyn

Advice for Fledgelings

Team Aux: What advice might you have for upcoming “wannabe” pilots, both male or female?

Jordyn: If you want it, go for it. It doesn’t have to be the “fast track”, take as long as you need to get there. If your dream is to become a pilot, do whatever you need to do to achieve it.

Team Aux: More broadly, do you have any advice for women as they pursue a career in what is perhaps a traditionally male-dominated field?

Jordyn: It’s very cliche, but be yourself. I’m very goofy and silly by nature. I thought I had to button that all up and put on a professional facade if I wanted to be a pilot and gain respect from my fellow aviators. Not the case. Just be yourself and you’ll have so much more fun in this field!

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

Sky High Dreams

Team Aux: Do you believe there is a “pilot shortage,” and that it will be continuing for some time? What’s your take?

Jordyn: I’m no expert but I do believe all of the retirements at the legacy carriers do have a trickle down effect. The big three (United, Delta, American) will never be wanting or struggling for pilots, but we will see the smaller carriers have issues filling seats. I don’t know how long this will last but my guess is that we will see this trend continue for the next 5-10 years.

Team Aux: What is your ultimate aviation dream? What are some other dreams you may have?

Jordyn: My ultimate aviation dream is to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. If you had asked me 3 months ago what other dreams I might have I would tell you buying a home, but my husband Jameson and I happened to accomplish that one just last month!

Team Aux: Congratulations to you and Jameson on your new home! Speaking of which, how is balancing home and family life with flying for the female aviator?

Jordyn: Honestly, it’s been great. I was Phoenix based at Contour which allowed me plenty of time at home. Since starting at my current carrier, I have had decent flexibility, but I know that will improve with time and seniority. I can’t quite get weekends off yet, and I’m still commuting to LAX from PHX, but I have not been away from home more than 15 days a month which has been nice.

I still have plenty of time to hang out with my two dogs and my husband when I do get to spend time at home.

Lofty Expectations

Team Aux: So far, is this the career that you expected? What were some unexpected challenges? If you could “improve” the pilot’s lifestyle, in what way would you do it? Are you still enjoying it?

Jordyn: I honestly didn’t know what to expect before getting into this field. So, yes and no. Covid was certainly an unexpected challenge, but I was at Contour Airlines at the time and we flew Essential Air Service routes (government subsidized air service to small cities), which saved the company from going under.

Now that we’re past that, things have been good. I’ve worked really hard to get here and now I finally feel like I can breathe. I’m definitely still enjoying it. I’m working a lot currently, which is necessary to fund all the new furniture we need to buy!

But, I can’t wait to get back to being Phoenix based, flying a little less (on year two pay to boot), and spending time with my little family even more.

If I could improve the pilot’s lifestyle, I would get rid of the white shirts.

Polos for everybody!

Team Aux: Great idea, Jordyn! We at Team Aux are all for it!

Thanks for a great interview!

Women's History Month: Interview with a Female Pilot

Hemisphere Dancing Report

The Amazing TWA Hotel!

On my last trip, I was assigned a token Domestic trip.

I flew through MIA up to JFK, where I overnighted at the famous TWA Hotel, located right on the airport. It was my first experience staying there, and…

Oh, what fun!

It’s a combination hotel and museum. It’s like walking back in time to the Golden Era of Aviation! There are collections of old uniforms, 50s and 60s era cars, and other fascinating memorabilia!