Allison Gale
My name is Allison Gale and I am an Air Transportation Major. When we were young, my classmates and I would constantly be asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. This question was always answered by future princesses, fairies and mermaids. However, none of these aspirations appealed to me. I was going to be a pilot. My answer was always responded to with a look that encompassed a mixture of confusion and surprise followed by a phrase along the lines of, “that’s a boy’s job.” Although this phrase was a constant throughout my life, I never let it squander my aspirations. I decided that I wasn’t going to let society’s path limit me, nor was I going to believe that I couldn’t do something just because I’m a girl. These doubts from my peers sparked a fire in me and I became completely infatuated with every aspect of aviation.
The summer after I graduated high school, I completed a discovery flight at a local airport near my home. Sixty minutes of bliss, a touch-and-go and a successful landing came and went, and I was sold. This experience left me awestruck and beaming with uncontainable excitement, for it was this moment that I knew that this was going to be my life. The flight instructor referred to me a “natural” and was hesitant to believe that I had never flown before. From that day on, I decided to put my all into aviation, and strive to be the very best pilot I can be. I chose aviation as my major immediately upon acceptance into Ohio State and will continue to grow in my knowledge and passion for aviation for the remainder of my time here. Through this major, I will be able to hopefully complete my Private Pilot Certification and begin working towards my instrument ratings and then Commercial License and ATP Certification. When I graduate, I hope to find a job with a private jet or charter company. Once I work my way up and gain as many hours as possible, I hope to find a job in a regional airline or a cargo company. If all goes as planned, I will be able to reach my goals and enter officially into the aviation industry as a professional female pilot.