A C L O S E R L O O K
Meet Your Express Assistant Chief Pilot Christina Rzeplinski
KEY FACTS
Name : Chistina Rzeplinski Occupation : Express Assistant
Chief Pilot Age : 29 Grew up in : Mendocino , Calif . Current Residence : Seattle , Wash . Years with Kenmore : 7 First job at Kenmore : Customer Service
at Lake Union Pilot ’ s License : 2011
FLYING WASN ’ T THE ORIGINAL PLAN for Christina Rzeplinski . But after taking a private jet to tour colleges on the East Coast , the trajectory of her life was forever changed . Christina wanted to be a pilot . “ I was really lucky . A girlfriend from high school took me with her to tour colleges . We flew on a private jet to New York , Boston and Connecticut ,” Christina said . “ Most people get on a private jet and think , ‘ I wish I could always fly on a private jet .’ I got on and said , ‘ I want to fly this thing .’ ”
Despite college shopping on the East Coast , Christina ended up in Salt Lake City at Westminster College . They offered a Bachelor of Science in Flight Operations — the first step in earning her stripes .
Born and raised in California , Christina first visited the Seattle area during a college field trip . Her class toured Kenmore ’ s maintenance facility to learn about small companies that do their own maintenance .
“ I saw the seaplanes on the dock and knew I wanted to fly them . So I told myself after I graduated , I ’ d come back and get my seaplane rating — right there at Kenmore ,” Christina said . And that ’ s exactly what she did . Christina moved to Seattle , earned her seaplane rating through Kenmore ’ s Flight Instruction program , and never left . Although , she didn ’ t end up flying floats .
As with most pilots , Christina worked her way up the ranks . She was initially hired as a Customer Service Agent at Kenmore ’ s Lake Union terminal in January of 2014 . Moving closer to the action in 2015 , she joined Kenmore ’ s Dispatch Department — assisting with the company ’ s pilot and airplane schedules .
“ Dispatch really let me see the interworking ’ s of the company and get a feel for the life of a full-time pilot ,” Christina said .
While Christina loved flying floats , working in Dispatch gave her a unique appreciation for the company ’ s wheeled plane division , Kenmore Air Express . “ I really liked that the pilots got to fly through the clouds . With instruments , we can take off and land with less ground coverage . And we can fly right through weather ,” said Christina .
Named Assistant Chief Pilot in 2018 , Christina has been flying the Express line for four years and , “ Loves it just as much today as the day I started ,” she said . Not to mention the fact that flying will forever be interwoven into her life . Her fiancé recently proposed during an empty leg to the San Juans . “ I was getting ready to descend into Friday Harbor when I looked over and he ’ d pulled out a ring ,” she said .
You just never know what kind of magic will happen aboard a Kenmore Air flight !
18 explore : NW | The Official Magazine for kenmore air