Life Takes Flight

There were no female pilots when I was growing up on a farm in Southern Illinois, so, no, I did not always want to be a pilot. I thought my choices were limited to teaching or nursing, I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to speak my mind, think for myself, be independent, solve my own problems, and test my own limits. Even as a child, I questioned society’s limitations based on gender and preferred my father’s company outside as a farmer over my mother’s inside the house. While always respectful, I don’t remember being concerned about what others thought of me. I early-on learned to distance myself from meanness and bullies.

As a teenager, I began to discover a strong spiritual belief system that has served me well and complemented my grandmother’s advice to “do for” others. I became aware of my abundant fortune of good health, appearance, education, upbringing, and security and the responsibility to use my best efforts with those gifts to imporve the world and others’ lives. I wanted to find a profession where I would continue to learn and grow so I would never be bored and that also led to a way of giving back for all I had.

After attending University of Illinois to pursue a teaching career and teaching in inner-city Chicago, an opprotunity to become a flight attendant arose. I took it. Becoming a flight attendant when TWA began round-the-world service in its new Boeing 747s fullfilled my wish beyond my dreams. I was able to see the world on layovers and use travel privileges to return to places and people I found the most intereistng. I learned to sail and spent months sailing in the British West Indies and French Polynesia. I climbed the Matterhorn, learned to ski and scuba dive. I visited the Far East and lived in Madrid where I taught English. I was able to work out of a New york airport but live on an island in Vermont or in Miami where I had a second job as a flight instructor – all while emplloyed as a flight attendant.

However, the biggest gift the lfight attendant job gave me was an intorduction to pilots and their job in the cockpit. Within twelve years I went from flight attendant to 747 captain, the pinnacle of a flying career.

Life Takes Wings tells my deeper story and exists because of my desire to “do for” and give back to others. I want to share my journey and the lessons learned along the way in hopes that it will encourage and inspire others to follow their dreams. So many people helped me along the way – now it is my turn to be the guide.

Life Takes Wings also allows me to give back in another way. Many of my flights were to Honduras where I saw the desperate need of the people. After retirement, friends encouraged me to write my stories while others helped me start an international non-profit charity organization, Roatan Support Effort (ROSE) so I could continue helping a land I had come to know and love. The two ideas combined into using my story as a fundraiser to support and expand the charity. I spent over ten years writing, referring to journals, diaries, logbooks, calendars, letters, and the people who took me back to those past days. It was wonderful to relive those days as I penned them for the enjoyment of the reader, trying to put you in my place as much as possible.

After a decade of writing, I wasn’t sure when I would find the time to publish my stories. Then, as it often does, the Universe answered – We had a pandemic. Stuck at home, I completed the task.

I hope you enjoy my life stories and create even better ones of your own.

Spread your wings. Enjoy your journey.

Captain Lynn Rippelmeyer