Learn from 10th grader Anabelle as she shares how she found and immersed herself in her Intersession internship with a pilot training academy, solidifying her passion to become a pilot.
I am going to be a pilot.
I admire Captain Amsale Gualu, an Ethiopian pilot who flew the first nonstop flight to and from Addis Ababa to Bangkok and Buenos Aires with an all-female crew. I want to change society’s perceptions about girls and women and their ability to do hard things—hard things like flying.
I experienced my first flight at age five. My experience of being transported to a completely different world and a different culture remains one of my earliest memories. It was my first visit to Africa. That experience sparked my interest in flying and for all things engineering. From tinkering with electronics like household appliances to figuring out why my LED lights didn’t work in my room, I am intrigued with the mechanics of things.
After several unsuccessful reach-outs on the internship management platform, ImBlaze, I decided to visit a few flight academies in person to request an interview. With my résumé in hand and hope for what I could be, my mom encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and suggested that I stop by different flight academies in person in Maryland and DC to see if they would take on interns. One early Monday morning, we set out to do just that. First she drove me first to Pilots In Training Flight Academy and then to Washington International Flight Academy (WIFA).
I remember nervously stepping into the WIFA hangar and asking to speak to the person in charge. There I met WIFA’s Founder and CEO, Mr. Ziv. I introduced myself and handed him my résumé. After quickly scanning through it, he asked me in a deep voice why I wanted the internship. I explained to him my passion for flying. With a firm handshake, he said, “We would love to have you.”
Stepping into the hangar at WIFA on that first day, I felt a chill on my scalp knowing I was surrounded by seasoned aviators three times my age. All five of my senses took in the full experience of the hangar. The air was thick with the unmistakable scent of gasoline, and my senses were immediately captivated by the sight of a half-dismantled Cessna 206.
I tried my best to soothe my nerves and approached the familiar face of Mr. Ziv. I hastily re-introduced myself as the Washington International Flight Academy’s new intern. As a high school intern, the notion of shadowing the founder of a major flight academy was mind-blowing and almost too good to be true. Wondering what he should do with me, Mr. Ziv called out in a thick accent to a rather young man, Max, who would be my internship supervisor.
Max stood up awkwardly and approached the two of us. Towering over me, Max and Ziv spoke in a language foreign to me. I slowly realized that all these pilots’ and engineers’ first language was Hebrew. Not only was I the only woman and the only black person, but on top of that, now I was the only person who couldn't speak or understand Hebrew. Daunted a bit by this language barrier, I carried myself hesitantly.
Max led me up to the hangar's zenith. Before me stood giant plastic containers brimming with aircraft parts. Max casually tossed a stack of papers onto a table, a chaotic mix of columns and numbers. On my very first day, I found myself stationed at a desk, meticulously conducting inventory checks. It might not have been the most glamorous job, but being surrounded by the building blocks of my future career was an incredibly enriching experience.
During my lunch breaks, I turned the mundane task into an opportunity for exploration. I jotted down the parts I counted and delved into research, eager to understand the specific purpose of each item. That initial week I tried to absorb as much as I could from the inventory process. It wasn't just about numbers and parts; it was about immersing myself in the energy of an industry I was eager to join. I continued assimilating all these details throughout the week and was eventually able to identify those particular parts on a Cessna.
In the second week of the internship, I was offered the opportunity to assist on a 50-hour inspection with a senior aviation mechanic. I first helped remove the hood of the plane. The hood came off abruptly with the scraping sound of old metal. We then changed the oil and the oil filter. The oil was drained using a hose after opening the oil valve. The oil filter was taken out and washed after the spark plugs underwent a thorough evaluation. Visual inspections are conducted to identify wear, fouling, or other visible issues, with attention given to deposits, corrosion, and anomalies that may affect an engine’s performance.
Depending on the findings, the spark plugs may be cleaned or replaced to address fouling caused by oil or lead deposits. The electrode gap, crucial for generating sparks for ignition, is measured and adjusted if necessary. Additionally, resistance checks are performed to ensure optimal ignition system efficiency, and torque checks verify the secure placement of spark plugs. The overall performance of the spark plugs is assessed to guarantee reliable ignition. This entire experience further solidified my love for aeronautics. Being able to watch and even help with the process of flight is so inspiring.
Being able to work side by side with seasoned aviators has always been my dream. No matter how nervous I was during my internship, I had to be courageous. I knew that in order to insert myself into a space as an outsider, I had to advocate for myself, to fight for the opportunity I had earned. I was able to show the men in the hangar I was just as capable. I was able to shatter any personal or cultural biases these men held about black women in engineering or aviation. This act of courage taught me the importance of self-advocacy. Taking the risk and being able to voice my goals allowed me to work with people, who were different from me in language and culture but who shared a common passion for aviation. I will use this memorable experience throughout my career as a female aviator.
This experience at Washington International Flight Academy further nurtured my love for flying, by showing me the more intricate details of what goes into flight. At the end of my internship, I was offered a summer position as an apprentice. I cannot wait to keep growing and expanding my knowledge in the field of aviation and I’m happy that Field offers an internship program for students, like me, to explore their career interests.
