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Horizon First Officer Kelsey Yoder Learns the Practical Side of Airline Flying

“Flying is everything I dreamed of and more.” Courtesy Kelsey Yoder
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Kelsey Yoder's first flight as a Horizon Air First Officer was a challenging but validating experience, including a weather diversion that reinforced her training and passion for flying.
  • Her journey involved attending and instructing at ATP Flight School, benefiting from Horizon's Tuition Reimbursement Program for financial support and a guaranteed job.
  • During her Initial Operating Experience (IOE), Yoder gained crucial practical skills, learning to master complex aircraft handling and multitasking in real-world scenarios.
  • Despite starting with low seniority affecting her schedule, Yoder expresses immense satisfaction with her career choice over law, finding fulfillment in flying and inspiring future pilots.
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The first day at most any new job can be a little stressful. But when you find yourself sitting in the right seat of a 65,000-pound airplane like Bombardier’s Q400 with a training captain in the left seat and a load of real passengers in back, a person’s blood can really start pumping. That was how the first line flight shaped up for Horizon Air First Officer Kelsey Yoder. Just to keep things interesting, “We had an Atlas Airlines 747 captain headed back to Seattle sitting in our jumpseat,” she also remembers.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

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