This week, I spoke with Angela Coppock (sophomore, aviation) doing the pre-med program with a chemistry minor about her experiences as a woman in aviation, including the challenges she’s faced and future goals she has for after graduation.
What ignited your passion for aviation? When did you realize you wanted to do this major?
This might sound cheesy, but my passion for aviation actually started when I first heard about Amelia Earhart in the second or third grade. For me, the idea of exploring the far reaches of the earth and sky seemed too tantalizing to ignore, so I promised myself that when I grew up I was going to get a private pilot’s license and look for those new adventures. Going to college for an aviation major didn’t cross my mind until my junior year of high school. My high school history teacher was a former Airforce Combat Instructor, so he liked to tell some crazy stories from his flying days. Hearing about his adventures made me realize that I wanted aviation to be more than a hobby in my life, but I needed to try it out first. For my eighteenth birthday, I flew for the first time, which to date has been one of the best experiences of my life. Since then, I’ve been hooked and I can’t imagine my life without it.
What is your favorite aviation-related class?
Flight Training 3. Most of the Flight Training classes have been one-on-one instruction between the student and the instructor, which allows the students to have personalized training so they can learn the different avenues of flight as efficiently as possible. Flight Training 3 primarily focused on teaching students how to fly in clouds (or other weather), however, this training was done in a flight simulator instead of the actual plane. This has been my favorite class so far because, for the first time since the beginning of my training, I felt like I was learning how to be a professional pilot instead of just some person who likes to fly in their pastime. By learning how to take care of myself as well as my equipment, be aware of my surroundings, and properly communicate with others, I was able to grow my confidence not just in my flying but also as a woman.
Are there any major difficulties or challenges you’ve faced so far as a woman in aviation?
Sadly, I have had some challenges simply because I am a woman. Although most of the aviation community is welcoming and gender inclusive, there is still some gender bias in the classes. Some people in the aviation community still believe that men are more adept at learning to fly as well as maintaining a higher mastery of the skill itself. Still, I’m thankful for those in the aviation community who recognize that women do not have any disadvantages when it comes to flying; thanks to more and more women are joining the aviation community every day.
Have you been able to create or experience community in your field?
One of the first things I heard when I first came to the aviation department head at Andrews was that I had just joined an international community that was full of resources and support if I only asked for it. However, I didn’t believe those words until I talked with an airline pilot after a flight from Washington DC to Fort Lauderdale. During the flight, there was some turbulence and storm clouds near the plane. As a flight student, I know that pilots routinely change course mid-flight if they get too close to storms, so I wanted to ask one of the airline pilots whether or not they made any major course corrections during the flight. One of the flight attendants brought me to the cockpit to talk with the first officer (who happened to be a woman); of course, I introduced myself but as soon as I said that I was a flight student, it was like I had just said the magic words to this international community. The first officer immediately smiled and asked all kinds of questions like where I was training, what stage I was in, etc. Before I knew it, she was offering me her contact info so that if I ever had any questions regarding interviews, training, or future jobs, I could contact her. She even offered to be a mentor to me and put me in contact with other female pilots in all stages of their careers. Aviation already has a community full of people who want to help and guide new as well as long-standing members of aviation; all one has to do is be brave and ask.
Do you have a role model that you look up to?
As I mentioned above, Amelia Earhart started my passion for aviation; so of course, she has been one of my major role models for most of my life. To me, she seemed like such a fierce woman who was changing the world by doing what she loved, no matter what the world had to say about it. She taught me that one should choose their life based on what makes one happy rather than what social expectations dictate for you. Today I strive to live up to her spirit of adventure, fearlessness, determination, and profound sense of self.
What are your future goals and plans for after graduating?
I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but my major isn’t just aviation–it’s pre-med, too. So right now, the plan for after graduation is to go to medical school (hopefully Loma Linda Medical School). While I’m in school, I would like to be a flight instructor; this would allow me to keep up my flight skills as well as provide a low stress work environment so that I could continue my studies. After medical school, I have no clear idea of what the future will bring, but my end goal is to become a missionary doctor and pilot through the Loma Linda program.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.