DAVIS ISLANDS, Fla. — High above the clouds is where Olga Kearney feels most at home.
“This is the most wonderful feeling in the world,” said Kearney.
For her, flying has been a lifelong dream.
“I’ve always been interested in aviation. I’ve been passionate about that for a long time. Since I was a kid, actually,” said Kearney.
In fact, she remembers dressing up as a pilot when she was in pre-school in Ukraine, setting her sights on flying early.
“There is no dream like an aviation dream,” said Kearney.
It wasn’t until she was 32 that she turned that dream into a reality.
The pilot, now 36, took a chance on a discovery flight with an instructor at Atlas Aviation at the Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands, and the rest was history.
“I had a full-blown career going at the time, but I kind of put it all on hold to focus on flying,” said Kearney.
Soaring in her career, she’s now a flight instructor at Atlas Aviation, sharing her love for the skies.
“Even my really young students—12 years old, 14 years old—they’re doing really well,” said Kearney.
Reaching new heights in a male-dominated field, Kearney is one of a few female professional pilots.
About 5.8% of the world’s airline pilots are female, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. That’s something she wants to change.
“We need to encourage women. We are really great pilots,” said Kearney.
She’s lived in several countries around the world before landing on Davis Islands.
“I speak seven languages,” said Kearney.
Once she learned the language of aviation, she’ll be the first to tell you that’s when her life really took off.
“They say pilots have an office in the sky, and let me tell you what, yes, we do,” said Kearney.
