Every one of them became wonderful people and productive citizens . She was surrounded by a loving community until passing away in 2020 at the age 87 . My mother is the one who taught me the value of helping others .
My father gave me the confidence to be the person I am today . He was influential in fostering my interest in aviation . He would take me to Crystal Airport in Minnesota to just sit in the car and watch airplanes take off . Growing up I saw him building an aluminum homebuilt aircraft in the basement of the house . At the age of 13 , he took me to the Oshkosh EAA Fly-In . There he put me in the copilot seat of a Ford Tri-Motor . This thrill ignited my lifelong passion for aviation . I started flying lessons , and was flying , before I could drive a car . Ultimately , I went on to get my FAA commercial , instrument , and multi engine flight ratings . In addition , I had a technical side and acquired an engineering degree plus airframe and powerplant license . Today , at 94 ½ years old , my father decided to take flying lessons and he has about seven hours in now . This is inspiration ! My father is directly responsible for my passion for aviation .
I continued my aviation path at OEMs , airlines , MROs and much more . I supported the F / A-18 program , developed specifications for the Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A320 , and managed engineering and technical publications as well as shop operations and maintenance training . This led me to work for Jeppesen and initiate the delivery of structured maintenance data for airlines worldwide . During this time , I gained a perspective on the needs of airline and maintenance operations . Early on , I saw the need to implement digital processes to optimize the aviation / aerospace business .
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