Corporate Pilot

While on break at home in Akron, Ohio, before graduation, she took her first flying lesson and knew she had found her vocation, and she moved back home after graduation to get her ratings. Working on her instrument rating, she asked Michael Grossman, chief executive officer of Castle Aviation at Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK), if she could fly there for free. He told her to come back once she had her commercial and multiengine ratings. So, she did, and ended up working for Castle for several years, flying private passengers for the charter. During those years, she says she learned a lot, built time, and “covered a lot of ground.”

From there, she went on to fly under FAR Part 91 for a local corporation, which means the flying is noncommercial and incidental to the company’s main, nonaviation business. She’s been there for almost 20 years, currently flying a Falcon 900, and she’s responsible for this aircraft’s documents, certificates, and stock. A typical day for her basically means getting the aircraft ready to fly employees to a meeting and back. The majority of these flights are regional day trips, getting everyone home in time for dinner. On occasion, there are overnights when trips go to destinations like Florida, Georgia, Texas, or the West Coast, but they rarely last more than three days. Childress gets to know her passengers very well and likes that she flies every level of employee, not just the CEO.

On other days, she takes the aircraft to and from maintenance, cleans it for the next leg out, and deals with paperwork.

Childress enjoys that she’s flying with a small group of people, being one of just seven pilots on staff. She said that flying for huge companies, “you might fly with someone once and then never again, or maybe just on occasion.” She feels lucky to have a “wonderful company to fly for and a wonderful flight department,” and a schedule that fits her lifestyle. Childress and her husband, also a pilot, have two young children. “I love flying for a living, because it allows me to do what I love to do for a job and to pursue my passion for recreational flying.” The family owns a Piper PA–12 Super Cruiser, and her father has a Cessna 180 and a Piper PA–30 Twin Comanche, which she also flies regularly. “I fly jets to pay for the avgas to run through these airplanes.” FT

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