My Name is Catriona Adam, I am from Scotland originally and I am Whirly Girl #2020
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I heard about Whirly Girls even before I become a member. When I joined you did need to be a private helicopter pilot to become a member but you can now become an associate member as a student, fixed wing or gentleman. I would encourage every female helicopter pilot to become a member, not only as their mentorship and support is incredible, the scholarships they have available are amazing! Their scholarship deadline is usually around September each year and it requires being a member, writing an essay and getting three reference letters to apply.
This year I was awarded the Edward M. Memorial Scholarship to put towards advancing my helicopter training. I chose to put it towards my instrument and commercial ratings. I became a private pilot in October 2017 after three months of training and I was keen to continue onto instrument straight away but I wanted to make sure I studied and took my written first to get the most from my flying lessons. I took my written in May 2018, then the one helicopter at my school with instruments broke. After 6 months of waiting I changed to another school where I renewed my $130 TSA and started again to work on my instrument rating, then their one helicopter with instruments also broke needing a new engine but this time they did replace the engine but it took another 6 months and now it was winter and my 1 year TSA had expired. In October I renewed my TSA for a second time and tried my best to keep flying through winter, however, ironically you need really good weather to fly instruments and that was not happening in Seattle. By January I was worried time was running out to finish the 20 hours of instrument time I needed before my written expired in May 2020. Between working two jobs; coaching indoor skydiving on my own time; volunteering as a firefighter and my CFII’s limited schedule progress was very slow. Then the Whirly Girls came to the rescue!
I chose to take a risk and pay my TSA a third time to change schools and try and finish 20 hours of flying in Hawaii in three weeks. This was the most work would give me off, at the time. I called around a few schools in places where I thought weather would be best in winter, Arizona, Las Vegas, Florida and Idaho. But settled upon Mauna Loa when I learned they had 14 CFII instructors and a DPE. We do not even have a helicopter instrument DPE in Washington State.
It was incredibly hard switching to a new helicopter, airport and instructor all in one go. But, I could only do my best, I knew what I was doing was going to be difficult. After three weeks of flying almost every day and 8 hours in two days right at the end, I made my 50 hours of PIC cross country time and my 40 hours of simulated instrument time. On the evening of the 29th I was endorsed to take my check ride and my check ride was booked for 6am the next morning.
I can almost say the check ride was enjoyable, if it were not for the huge amount of pressure I was putting on myself. Ben is an incredible DPE, he really made me feel at easy the whole check ride. I enjoyed the way the testing on the oral portion just felt like a chat to check my instrument knowledge and I even learned some things too.
I was feeling intimidated to do the flying portion, I had to do all the flying on my own without an instructor to call on. I eventually just decided to treat it just like all the lessons I had been doing and just to preform the best I could. It was the most current I have ever been in a helicopter after all. The first localizer BC approach was a little wobbly and I really thought I had just failed but on the advice of Kaj I kept my head in the game and just kept going. I then went on to nail the no gyro GPS approach, which I had never managed in training and an ILS for the finish. At 300 feet Ben told me I could take the foggles off as the cloud was “clearing” and told me “I was now an instrument-rated helicopter pilot.”
I am so incredibly happy, it took me almost 2 years and 3 flights schools to get my instrument rating but the feeling of accomplishment is definitely worth the wait.
Now onto my commercial and CFII. I would like to thank to school for their patient and time, especially in the covid-19 pandemic crisis.
