Pilot SJ Larson discusses perseverance in commercial aviation

Despite her early passion, Larson did not initially consider a career as an airline pilot. "I wanted to be a journalist or a physical therapist but the passion wasn’t there for any one thing and I wasn’t sure what to do," she explained.

Her decision changed during her junior year of college after asking her flight instructor about his earnings. "He laughed and said, ‘Oh, I don’t make money doing this. I own Subway franchises. But you… you should go be an airline pilot.’ And, I think I decided at that moment."

The financial burden of becoming a professional aviator was significant. "Money was always an issue, but growing up on the high end of poverty, I learned resourcefulness," Larson noted. She utilized every available resource and worked multiple jobs to fund her training.

Larson earned her Certified Flight Instructor rating in 2005 amidst industry furloughs. Shortly thereafter, she faced additional challenges related to family planning. "I was a newlywed and wondered when we would have kids... What does it look like to have kids in a dual pilot household? I didn’t have much time to think about it — I got pregnant almost as soon as those thoughts arrived."

Recalling an encounter with a corporate pilot while visibly pregnant, Larson shared: "Before I could ask him anything, he proclaimed that I had wasted all my money and time getting my ratings... Now, I look back and laugh. If I could go back… that man would get an earful!"

To aspiring female pilots, Larson advises persistence and resourcefulness: “We live in a time of immediate gratification, and flight training is not that! It’s a marathon... You’ll fail... And when you finally get your CFI you’ll be on top of the world — and then airlines will stop hiring. I promise it’s temporary. Stay the course.”