Flight Training - July 2021 - 19

COURTESY STEVIE TRIESENBERG
FIVE QUESTIONS
BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER
STEVIE TRIESENBERG
INSTAGRAM CREATES A NEW PILOT
IT WAS AN INSTAGRAM POST THAT
introduced Stevie Triesenberg to aviation,
and social media platforms like Instagram
and TikTok have earned her more
than 1 million followers-and a YouTube
interview with FAA Administrator Steve
Dickson. The 22-year-old " @PlaneGirl "
had such limited exposure to aviation that
she was amazed by a " friend of a friend's "
post that he was learning to fly. " I did not
realize there were these small aircraft and
had no idea you could just fly for fun, "
she said. She looked at flight schools in
the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area where she
was in engineering school and whipped
through all of her certificates in less than
two years. She's now a commercial pilot
and CFI and the owner of a 1952 Beechcraft
Bonanza C35, N5921C. When she's
not flying, she works full-time as a mobile
software engineer.
How did you get started in aviation?
When I was in high school, I saw a photo of
someone with a small airplane on my Instagram
explore page. I had absolutely no
family in aviation, I had no idea that small
airplanes even existed, and I never thought
you could just go learn to fly! Learning to
fly was always in the back of my head until
the summer of 2018. I had an engineering
internship that allowed me to fund my
training and decided to give it a go. I fell in
love with flying and the rest is history.
What were your biggest challenges?
While I was getting my ratings, I was
also a full-time student at the University
of Michigan College of Engineering
studying computer science. The biggest
challenge throughout all my training was
managing my schoolwork and flying at
the same time. I had a lot of early mornings
at the airport, a lot of late nights at
the library, and a lot of coffee, but I'd do it
again in a heartbeat.
What is your favorite aviation-related
activity? My absolute favorite thing to
do is to hop in an airplane with friends
and go get breakfast at the Tin Goose
Diner at PCW [Erie-Ottawa International
Airport in Port Clinton, Ohio]. There's
nothing better than sharing aviation with
other people. I'm really looking forward
to going to fly-ins and airshows in the
future; I love meeting people in the aviation
community.
Favorite aircraft? Beechcraft V-tail
Bonanza, but I might be a little biased!
Advice for students? First, don't lose
sight of the big picture. During training
it can be easy to get frustrated when
you're stuck on one topic or maneuver.
Remember to look back at how far you've
already come and how much progress
you've made. Even if you just started your
training, you've already taken the most
important step: getting started. Second,
don't forget to have fun. Every flight is a
learning experience, even the flights to go
get breakfast or to meet up with friends.
Aviation opens the world in so many
ways, take advantage of it!
julie.walker@aopa.org
@bayflight
@planegirl
youtu.be/6k0WHtJ-7T8
AOPA.ORG/FT
19
http://www.youtu.be/6k0WHtJ-7T8 http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT
Flight Training - July 2021

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