@fly.with.shannon
Hi everyone, my name is Shannon O’Brien and I am currently a Private Pilot! I am originally from Maryland, am based in New York City as a Delta Air Lines Flight Attendant, and pursue my flight training outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I have been a Flight Attendant for the last 7 years and it has been a ride of a lifetime!
Just like Rae, two of my passions are pageantry and aviation. I competed at Miss International with five state titles including Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, New York, and Georgia. My platform over the 8 years while competing was dedicated to collecting military appreciation letters from schools and churches around the country and hand delivering them to military bases beyond the borders of America. Since retiring from the Miss International division, I now serve on staff as the At Large Contestant Coordinator for the Miss PreTeen, Miss Teen, and Miss International divisions. It’s been special to pursue my dreams of learning to fly while still staying involved in the world of pageantry.
Are you involved with any aviation organizations?
Yes, I am a proud member of the Ninety Nines organization of women pilots and am the Public Relations Chair of the Maryland Chapter. This organization is how I met Raliene. While I was helping to plan our Mid-Atlantic Section Conference I found an article of Raliene online and invited her to come speak at our meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. We were so excited when she agreed and her presentation was so inspiring. I highly encourage all female pilots to join our international Ninety Nines sisterhood where we host monthly meetings, networking events, fly-ins, and scholarship opportunities.
I am also a 2nd Lieutenant in the Andrews Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. In CAP I am currently an Aircrew Mission Scanner and Public Affairs Officer. This summer I am pursuing my Mission Observer, VFR Pilot Form 5, and Aerial Photographer qualifications. The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and a great way to volunteer in your community, learn leadership skills, and get involved with aviation. This organization offers you training in specialty tracks related to aerospace education, emergency services, and cadet programs. One of my longterm goals is to earn my Mission Pilot and Orientation Pilot qualifications for the Civil Air Patrol and fly cadets on their first introductory flights!
Who inspires you?
Flying is a lifelong dream of mine inspired by both my Grandfathers who had careers in the U.S. Air Force and the National Transportation Safety Board. Their passions were contagious for aviation and safety. I have also met so many inspiring people who are military aviators, flight instructors, aircraft mechanics, airport managers, in the Civil Air Patrol, the Ninety Nines, Women with Wings, and at Delta Air Lines. My friends and mentors along my journey have extremely special places in my heart for the amazing work they do both in the air and on the ground especially Raliene!
I also have to give a special shout-out to my close friend and fellow Delta Flight Attendant Annie Verblas-Kryke who I lost this past year. She was a former Pan American World Airways Flight Attendant and was like a big sister to me. Through the years she would share her aviation adventures during her time being based in Tehran, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and New York. I loved seeing her eyes light up when I shared my dreams of becoming a pilot with her. One of my favorite days with her before she passed away was showing her my YouTube video of my first solo flight wearing my Pan Am hat in her honor. Annie was a guiding light who will always live on in me while I follow my heart and continue to fly. I pray that my story one day also inspires young girls, like hers did to me, to follow their passions especially if it leads them to the runway both in regards to pageants and aviation!
What was your first flight like?
My first discovery flight still feels like yesterday and is a memory that time will never have the power to fade. My Grandfather brought me to a flight school after I graduated from college outside of Orlando, Florida. As soon as the wheels lifted off the runway tears fell from my eyes. A love of flight was born that grows inside my heart more every day. I knew in that moment I was fueled with passion to pursue my path of becoming a pilot one day.
What do you like about flying?
Aviation truly opens the curtains to the world. Each time I enter an airplane I become more alive. There is no greater feeling than to operate and feel like you are a part of such a powerful and miraculous machine.
What’s the best and most challenging part of your job? How do you cope with it?
The best part is endless travel! Being based in New York City has been the most thrilling experience allowing me to explore the world and meet people from all walks of life. So far, I have visited all 7 continents and 36 countries. I have learned so many life lessons while traveling and I agree with the saying that travel teaches you more than being inside a classroom ever could. It’s also incredibly special to me to help transport passengers to their destinations and for a small point in time learn their stories and be a part of their life journeys.
The most stressful part for me are the long days. Flying as crew requires a determined mindset to be positive amongst some hard times and focus on utilizing crew resource management. You have to make sure you get enough sleep and prioritize self-care. There’s going to be days where you are exhausted, homesick, and endless miles away from home. Some days blurred together, at least in the beginning when I was crossing time zones and on reserve. However, as I achieved seniority over time, my schedule became more flexible, and my patience grew for unexpected circumstances and I learned to find the silver lining in dark clouds.
Did you encounter any other roadblocks on your path to your licenses that you want to talk about? How did you overcome them?
Flying was always on my career goals but timing has been a determining factor in the process of my success. Pursuing to become a pilot requires a significant sacrifice of time, finances, and dedication to succeed. It was not until recently after retiring from Miss International that the timing in my life worked out to pursue this chapter of my life. I also pursued a full time career in the Federal Government for five years after college and before becoming a Flight Attendant. Managing my time required me to realistically plan out and set prioritizes to reach my goals.
If flying is something you have “always thought about” I would give advice to plan out what you need to succeed. Make a bucket list and manifest the career you want to create. Journal your anticipation in writing so you can look back and remember the feelings you’re experiencing before training so that on turbulent days ahead, you’ll remember your “why”. Most importantly, have patience because if you’re anything like me you are dying of anticipation. Trust and have faith that everything will work itself out exactly how it’s meant to be as long as you put in the work. Not everyone’s path to the flight line is the same, so enjoy your journey!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue aviation?
Schedule a discovery flight at a local flight school near you and fasten your seatbelt for the ride of a lifetime! The aviation industry has endless possibilities and opportunities whether you want to learn to fly, learn aircraft mechanics, get involved with air traffic control, or airport logistics. I am a huge believer in the power of mentorship so finding a mentor in the path you want to take can help you reach your potential. You never know who you might meet in your aviation journey at an air show, a local airport, or on a spontaneous trip!
What is your dream job in aviation?
My lifelong dream job in aviation would be to earn a pilot slot in the U.S. Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard. Being a small part of support to large-scale, global missions, and serving our country would mean the world to me!
