Five questions: Niki Britton

She resisted pilot training believing she did not have the confidence, but after earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and working alongside her father in The 111th Aerial Photography Group at San Martin Airport in California, Britton had an epiphany. “Every day I would come to work and longingly watch the airplanes take off and land from my office window. When it was time to go on a photo shoot I would sit in the back seat and wish that I was flying. Then one day it hit me, What are you doing, lady? You can be a pilot, let’s do this! I walked the three feet from my office to the FBO and set up my first lesson with one of our resident CFIs.” She now flies the aerial missions and photographs commercial real estate, aerial surveys, and vertical mapping for the family business.

How did you get started in aviation? I come from an aviation family and was introduced to aviation at a very young age. I am a third-generation female pilot, my mom and grandmother were both pilots, and my dad is a retired F–16 fighter pilot and airline pilot. I took my first airplane ride in my grandma’s 182 at the age of 4. My dad was flying while I sat right seat on a phone book, unable to see over the panel. After putting off flying for a long time, I finally got my private at age 29 and my commercial this past June.

What was your biggest challenge? I struggled a lot with self-confidence in my teens and early 20s. I felt that I didn’t “have what it takes” to be successful in the aviation industry and decided to sideline my flying dreams and study business. Getting over the self-doubt was tough at first but the more I fly, the more my confidence grows.

What’s your favorite aircraft and why? This may seem like a very unexciting choice, but my favorite airplane is my 1969 Cessna 182M. My grandmother purchased the aircraft brand-new from the Cessna factory and the aircraft has been in the family ever since. The 182 is an amazing piece of family history and although my grandma never got to see me fly, flying her 182 makes me feel like she’s flying with me.

What is your favorite photo/pilot activity? People ask me what kind of things I take pictures of from the air and there’s never one answer. From commercial real estate to large surveys and mapping jobs, I am doing it all. Our 182 is equipped with a photo window in the back and a belly port for mapping in the back of the aircraft. On a typical photo flight I do the flying to and from the photo site. While on site my dad takes over the flying and I move into the back seat to take the photographs or run the mapping software.

Do you have any advice for students? Learning to fly can be intimidating, mentally straining, and hard at times, but don’t let those small setbacks stop you. Flying should be fun. The aviation community is amazing in its willingness to support other pilots. Surround yourself with like-minded pilots who will push you to achieve your goals.

@eyeintheskylane