Sophie Rogers

Becoming a pilot wasn’t anything I ever dreamed about or aspired to be growing up. One day, as my father and I watched a small aircraft flying above us coming in to land, my father said, “Wouldn’t it be great to be flying that little airplane?” I had never given that idea any thought and all of a sudden, at that very moment, a seed was planted. I lived right next to an airport and signed up for flight lessons that week. My very first flight in a small aircraft was in 1999 and went above and beyond anything I had ever imagined. From that moment forward I was completely swept off my feet. I went from getting my Private Pilot license, to acquiring an instrument rating, multi-engine rating, Commercial and Flight Instructor licenses and finally an Airline Transport Pilot license. I just kept right on moving forward, as I loved the training and learning process. Being a Flight Instructor enabled me to share my joy of flying by teaching others how to fly. Over the years I’ve acquired over 10,000 hours of flight time. I’ve had wonderful opportunities along the way, my favorite being able to fly a 10-seater jet since 2004. That opportunity has enabled me to be immersed in a fast-paced highly professional environment and for that I am forever grateful. This has enabled me to share my experience and knowledge with students. Although my father has passed away, I think about him often when I step into an airplane and am grateful for the day, he Introduced me to an extraordinary idea. I will never forget how big his smile was when I took him up for his first flight as a Private Pilot!