This Aviation Student Has Been Exploring All Her Life

Sonja Karner already has a diverse resume, and hopes to become one of a very rare breed.

Ellen Voie

Friday, December 24, 2021 at 08:23 AM ET

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Sonja Karner after her first helicopter flight. [Courtesy: Sonja Karner]

Key Takeaways:

Sonja Karner's childhood dream of flying was nurtured by an EAA presentation, a National History Day project involving astronauts, and a Young Eagles flight, leading her to earn her private pilot certificate at age 17 with a Ray Aviation Scholarship.
While studying aviation at the University of North Dakota, she transitioned from fixed-wing to rotorcraft training, finding helicopters more challenging and aligning better with her aspiration to fly for emergency medical services or rescue operations.
As one of few women in her rotorcraft program, Karner actively leads the University Helicopter Association and plans to become a certified flight instructor to inspire new pilots, ultimately pursuing her goal of a career in critical helicopter operations.

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As a child, Sonja Karner looked up at the sky and wondered what it would be like to fly.

“I knew I wanted to learn how to fly and hoped it would turn into a career for me, but at [the very] least [I thought it could be] a hobby,” Karner says. She admits to enjoying science and math and likes to challenge herself. When she was 12, she attended a presentation about the STS-71 Mission by Charlie Precourt at the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Museum during Space Week.