“There’s more to life than being a passenger.”-Amelia Earhart.

Kallan Christman, a Clark, South Dakota native and New York City resident, perfectly epitomizes her aviator idol’s quote.

This 29-year-old natural red head and pilot has taken many paths in life, usually in unconventional and out-of-the-ordinary ways.

Rural Influences & Mentors

An active Future Farmers of America (FFA) member, Callan enjoyed building, participating and leading. She credits instructor and FFA advisor Greg Janisch, as well as her parents, for making her feel that neither her small community upbringing nor her gender would ever hold her back. “Janisch knew how to direct my misplaced energy and turn it into something successful.”

“My parents encouraged me to love thy neighbor, try new things and take everything as it comes. They’ve supported all my crazy dreams and ambitions from day one.”  

Growing up on a farm Kallan learned no job is gender specific. “I was encouraged and expected to fix fences, work cattle and mow hay. I was never raised to think women shouldn’t or couldn’t be doing those things.”

Being raised on a farm also taught her to keep going when things get tough. “My parents couldn’t give up whenever there was a speedbump. We had to keep the operation running even if it didn’t rain, if we lost a calf or maybe when the markets weren’t in our favor.”

She took these examples with her throughout her journey of getting to the airlines.

“I believed I could do anything I set my mind to.”

Not a Straight Line to Becoming a Pilot

Kallan easily admits her journey to becoming a commercial airline pilot was not a straight line. In fact, she says if she could change anything about her life it would be earlier and greater exposure to career opportunities.

“It would’ve been nice to be exposed to the opportunity of aviation and to know it was a career option.”

Instead, she graduated from Northern State University (NSU) in 2016 with a music education degree. “I was raised in a musical family. It was something that made sense to me and helped me find a ‘category’ I belonged to.”

Attending her best friend’s flight attendant graduation in Minneapolis changed her life’s path. “Hearing them talk about the job, the benefits and all the travel piqued my attention.”

Flight Attendant

She shifted her career focus and became a flight attendant for just under 5 years, loving it.  Kallan worked a lot of international flights, especially appreciating layovers, particularly in Scotland, Iceland and England.

“I’ve been to over 30 countries because of this job. I’ve eaten so many kinds of food, met so many people from all over the world and saw landscapes I could only have dreamt about as a young girl in South Dakota.”

What’s not so great is mean passengers. “Passenger aggression has got out of hand. People are attacking flight attendants and mistreating fellow passengers as well. It is very concerning to me because flying used to be such a fun and exciting experience. The lack of humanity is truly surprising.”

Pilot

Kallan’s curiosity and belief that gender is not a barrier to career success spawned quickly in her aviation career. About 18 months into being a flight attendant, she took a discovery flight to learn about the pilot side of things. The mix of adventure, challenge and pay intrigued her.

She also had the chance to enter the flight deck on an unoccupied plane being repositioned at the airport. There she got to see what happens on the other side of the door and why pilots loved flying.

“It was such an amazing experience to see what made that big tube fly. I was instantly interested and had a newfound appreciation.”

Kallan quickly learned becoming a pilot takes both a lot of time and money. Seldom do those exist simultaneously.

She worked full-time as a flight attendant while getting her ratings.

“Figuring out how to make time to take flight lessons was also quite the hurdle.”

There were many steps involved in being able to fly a commercial airline, each achieved at a south St. Paul, MN aviation school.

All steps required a written test, oral exam and a flight test portion.

• Private Pilot
• Instrument Pilot
• Single Engine Commercial Pilot
• Certified Flight Instructor
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument
• Multi Engine Commercial Pilot, add on
• Airline Transport Pilot

It took Kallan 4 months to attain her private pilot’s license and from zero hours to an airline pilot was just under 4 years.

Passing these tests to fly a commercial airline is Kallan’s proudest moment in life to date.

Pilot Role Model

Kallan’s personal goal in aviation is to have a lifelong career of big airlines and cool destinations while sharing them with her family and friends.

But she also understands that she is a role model, especially to young girls. “The best part of being a female aviator is that moment when a little girl come onboard, sees me sitting in the flight deck, turns to her parents and says, “Look, a lady pilot!” Sometimes I feel like maybe it sparked interest in another future female pilot.”

“I encourage all women who have an interest to give aviation a try.”

An annual Girls in Aviation Day is held in Eden Prairie, MN where different airlines, flight schools and military pilots come and give young girls a chance to see the variety of career opportunities in aviation.

You Can Take the Girl Out of the Country…

Kallan has enjoyed exploring and living in every city she’s been assigned to, thus far. She quietly reveals, “New York City doesn’t quite have the Midwest manners thing down yet.”

Also, if tomorrow she stepped away from aviation, she’d circle back to the beginning.

“I would ranch and train horses because I love animals more than anything.”

In the meantime,

LISTEN.

She’s probably playing one of her beloved instruments: piano, guitar, ukulele or saxophone.

LOOK AHEAD.

She’s likely buttering a landing.  Urban Dictionary: butter landing

LOOK UP.

This gal may be up there flying a fighter jet and doing aerobatics-her lifetime goal finally achieved, unconventionally, of course.

More Information

Women Pilot Statistics: Female Representation in Aviation – Pilot Institute

WAI | Women in Aviation International Home

FAA Support to Rural Communities | Federal Aviation Administration

Girls in Aviation Day — Stars of the North

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©June 2023 Linda Leier Thomason. All Rights Reserved.