Opportunity on every horizon

When Swift graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in agriculture, she thought she found her career path. She began working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a training role. After giving it a 90-day trial period, she realized that life behind a desk wasn’t for her. That decision to listen to her instincts set her on a course toward her career in aviation.

By January 2023, Swift joined Modern Aviation in Sacramento, California, as a client services representative. The role gave her a strong foundation in airport operations while she pursued her private, instrument, and commercial certificates. It was during this time that a random encounter changed everything. While working at the FBO, she crossed paths with a former JAV Imagery employee, who encouraged her to apply to the aerial survey company. True to her philosophy of “always say yes,” she followed up, interviewed, and landed her first flying job. That opportunity became the foundation for her philosophy “Network as much as possible. Don’t get stuck thinking there’s only one path. Banner towing, glider towing, survey work, there are so many ways to build experience. Say yes to everything, put yourself out there, and work really, really hard."

Flying for JAV, Swift built hundreds of hours and gained unique experience in aerial survey. “I wasn’t expecting to get anything right out of my commercial,” she recalled. “But when the opportunity came, I didn’t even care what it was. I just wanted to fly so badly. Saying yes made all the difference.

In a single season, Swift logged more than 450 hours on her Cessna 172 “Echo”. Cross-country assignments helped her build hours quickly as she traveled over 5,000 nautical miles. These projects varied in length, with the shortest lasting around three weeks and the longest stretching three months, making aerial survey flying a lifestyle that often means living out of a suitcase. Employers value pilots who can adapt to this nomadic lifestyle, stay ready on short notice, and remain disciplined in both flying and aerial study.

Swift’s experience was not just about building hours; she enjoyed how it reshaped her lifestyle. Constantly in the air, she learned to live minimally and stay flexible. “You kind of don’t need a lot in life,” she laughs. “You just need an airplane, a sweatshirt, and some shoes.” And by shoes, Swift means hiking shoes. She now keeps her hiking shoes and camping gear in her car for those moments she has to stay grounded. “Whenever I had a weather day or cloudy day, I’d just go exploring. I never used to be like that. I always thought I had to have a plan. Now I just go."

Her openness and discipline didn’t just open the door for her first role—they created the momentum for everything that followed, carrying Swift through her next career milestone: earning her multiengine rating. “I looked at it as kind of a full-time job. So I gave myself two months and I basically devoted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to studying. I was chair flying once a day. I would go out to the school and sit in the airplane in the hangar and just run through all the maneuvers.” That discipline paid off. She completed her rating in just 25 hours and walked away with a new level of confidence. “Having two of everything forced me to slow down and be deliberate with every step… Every rating teaches you something new about yourself. The multi reminded me to slow down, focus, and trust the process."

For pilots, stepping into survey or entry-level flying careers, the work takes more than hours in a logbook. Employers notice when a pilot can stay sharp in changing conditions, handle long days, and bring curiosity to each assignment. Time spent in roles either at an FBO or in operations can open doors, especially when paired with a wiliness to say yes.

Today, Swift works at Cutter Aviation while building hours toward her airline transport pilot certificate, as well as earning her certified flight instructor certificate. Her long-term vision is clear: One day, she’ll be flying for the airlines, following in the footsteps of her father, a captain at Atlas Air, perhaps even in her hiking shoes.