11/05/2025
1993... That's when I first started taking flying lessons in Columbiana County Ohio (02G). Like many of us, life, work, money (or lack thereof) grounded me despite my continued passion for flying and all things aviation. Fast forward to 2008- my career was taking off at Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) and my husband had gotten his A&P license when we bought our first airplane - a 1968 Cessna 182 we affectionately named, "Big Agnes". We LOVED that airplane: flying it from Chicago to Ohio to see our families; taking trips with it to places like Put-in-Bay; and camping under the wing at Oshkosh for the next several years. Then in 2010, we moved to Denver. I immediately took a mountain flying course, which made us realize how unforgiving mountain flying was and how it was nearly impossible to plan trips into the mountains of CO. We also quickly learned that the C182 was not a good airplane for long cross-country flights, such as those to Ohio nearly 1000 miles away. Our flying went from 100 hours per year down to 25, and by 2013 I found myself shedding a tear as Big Agnes left our hangar for the last time.
Over the next 10 years, I've experience ups and downs, moved into a pure commission sales role, competed internationally on motorcycles, and achieved my Commercial and Multi-engine ratings. Each time, my passion for aviation spiked whenever I found myself in the cockpit of an airplane.
Adversity struck again starting in Oct 2024: my arm was unusable due to a rotor-cuff surgery; I experience a blood clot; I lost my FAA medical as a result; I experienced depression; I lost my father; I lost my dog; and I had ended 2024 in nearly last place in sales at my company. "Why the sob story, Kandi?" you might ask. Well... I have a point:
Life has a way of rewriting our chapters in a way we never expected. Some chapters of our lives are really good and other chapters are filled with unexpected twists, sadness, pain and other challenges. But I still firmly believe we have the ability to control how the main character in these chapters (me) reacts when the unexpected or undesirable happens. These pivotal chapters and how we react are ultimately what defines us and sets our trajectory for future chapters. More importantly, the tough chapters are what makes the good chapters even better.
Last night, I celebrated the fact that I got to fly in my new Cirrus aircraft, received my Instrument Proficiency Check ("IPC") and got night current (landings). Next up will be to get my high altitude sign-off so I can really start to stretch the turbo's legs so I can get back to the thing that makes the happiest - being in the front of an airplane - so I can see friends and family more often, travel more, and spend more time with my mechanic... err, I mean husband. 😆
A special thanks to those of you who feed this desire and have supported me in this journey: Jade Hofeldt, Matt Hofeldt, jetAVIVA, Cyrus Sigari, Emily Deaton, Tim White, Jim Lewis and my family.
