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 developed a passion for aviation as a child, inspired by astronauts and Space Camp, leading her to pursue flight training from a young age.
She earned her private pilot certification at 17 with scholarship support and later, at the University of North Dakota, made a pivotal and rewarding decision to switch from fixed-wing to rotorcraft training.
Excelling in a male-dominated field, Karner leads the University Helicopter Association and plans to become a rotorcraft flight instructor before pursuing a career in emergency medical services or rescue 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.