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I had purchased them for $2.00 at a garage sale and by carting them around somehow thought I could learn to fly, I suppose, through osmosis. It seemed like an unattainable goal for a wee Irish Lass from a small farming community near the end of the earth in north central Iowa. But I could wish, couldn’t I? As a kid, the closest I remember being to an airplane was lying on my back in the freshly mown grass and yelling out loud, “I want a ride!” to a moving spot attached to a contrail passing miles overhead. Years later, after moving to Colorado, I was driving home from the University of Colorado where I had just finished my Master’s Degree in Art History. As I was driving past the end of the runway at Jefferson County Airport, a plane took off across the road, right in front of me. I thought to myself, you know . . . I want to do that! I turned the car around and inquired about flying lessons at the airport. When I continued on home I told myself, “You have mighty big ideas little lassie, how do you think you are going to pay for those?” But they don’t call the Irish “lucky” for nothing. From aviation passion to aviation fashion A few weeks later I was having a garage sale and a young couple wanted to buy a pair of antique farm lanterns I had hanging on a back wall. I was thinking about what to charge for them, when out of the blue the young man offered to exchange an hour flight lesson for the lanterns. I was shocked! He happened to be a flight instructor at Jefferson County Airport and remembered seeing me there when I was inquiring about lessons. YES! THERE IS A GOD! And so I finally began lessons. With each one I was scared to death and yet unbelievably excited all at the same time. I flew barefoot for the first 8 hours to get the “feel” of the plane. My instructor reminded me I would have to wear shoes for my flight exam, which I did, when completing my private pilot’s license in San Diego at Gillespie Field in 1998. Creative design ideas just kept coming I was so proud to be a pilot; I wanted an outward sign of my accomplishment. I searched for aviation clothing for women. But, all I seemed to find were “sayings” on MEN’S shirts. I wanted GIRL STUFF! So, being an artist, I decided to design my own sayings and put them on girl-type clothing for women who enjoy flying. I swear it to be true; I have literally sold the shirt off my back to women pilots who have seen me wearing one of my designs. They also wanted to say, “I’m not just another pretty face, but I can fly an airplane too!” Hmmm . . . I think I just discovered another design idea. Find a link to clothing at the end of this article. Enjoys flying when not at the easel
In addition to my love of nature, I like to think I have inherited a little of my great-grandparent's pioneering spirit. When not at my easel, I enjoy flying. It should not come as a surprise that I also enjoy creating “Airplane Art” Palm to Pines Air Race I must say, aviation has opened up some unexpected adventures for me. For one, I joined the San Diego Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots and as my Irish luck would have it, I meet chapter member Fran Bera. Fran is very famous in the aviation world. She has over 25,000 non-commercial hours and is a flight instructor who still flies her own plane at age 85. She loves to fly and says the hardest part of flying now is getting in and out of the plane. In 2009, I was overjoyed when Fran asked me to be her co-pilot in the 40th all women, “Palms To Pines Air Race” from Santa Monica, CA to Bend, OR. Fran is not only an amazing pilot, but a terrific person. The race was, to say the least, a wild adventure. Racing throttle to the wall for 700 miles while searching for the best winds was a trip to remember. We won second place . . . giving up first place by a mere .15 mph over 700 miles. I made a video of our race and put it on the Internet. View it here Teddy Bears are an immigration challenge Another opportunity came along when I got to fly as co-pilot on 14 missions all over Mexico for San Diego’s Mercy Hospital Outreach Surgical Team program. Small planes carried medical supplies and surgical instruments into little towns for the doctors and nurses who would fly down commercially and bus in to operate on children who could not afford surgery. I was privileged to experience Mexico from north to south and east to west, coast to coast. The people are wonderful and it is a very beautiful country from the air. But some of the flights were not without challenges. On one trip, getting 40 little teddy bears for the kids through customs was a major event. In San Diego, to get them into the plane (which was stuffed to the ceiling-speakers with medical supplies) we took them out of the box and squeezed them into every little corner. Since they were not in a marked box, Mexican customs did not want to let them enter the country. These bears helped the kids deal with surgery . . . they must go through! So, as a last resort, I had to claim all the stuffed little creatures were my personal items. The authorities set them free and we were back in the air. “What a satisfying feeling when it all comes together…Life is good.” Mary Ford. Mary Ford is a painter and a pilot who has successfully created a fashion line called, Flying: It’s a girl thing (http://www.cafepress.com/maryford) . She is a Professor of Drawing and Color but also a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary/Air Division. Mary lives and works in San Diego and may be contacted at marymarysd@aol.com or phone +1 619-449-0099.
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