By Denise Rae Donegan and Ana Carolina Uribe Ruiz

WAI pilots and CHP in front of CHP aircraft at Signature in San Jose airport. (Denise Rae Donegan)Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area has been an adventure, to say the least. On any given day you can hop in your plane and enjoy the view as you make your way down to the Monterey Bay. Take a deep breath as you and your passengers follow the rugged coastal mountain ranges south, and discover the many treasures and little towns dotted along the way.

It seems as if I’ve been back and forth between these bays for a lifetime. Forty-four years ago, my father moved our family from Cleveland, Ohio to the San Francisco Bay Area. I was eight. My dad was a sailor and veteran of the Coast Guard and NAVY; he relocated our family to California for a new job and business opportunity in South San Francisco. After graduating college, I had the opportunity to join the family business, and with that came many working lunches sitting with my dad on the side of the bay, watching planes take off and land at the San Francisco International Airport.

Author Denise Rae Donegan trying sky-diving. (Courtesy Denise Rae Donegan)My dad loved to fly. He wanted to fly. And, my mom did not. In fact, it scared her. Although, this fear was not enough to not get on dozens of airplanes and jet off to their next amazing adventure! My mom still loves to explore as much as my dad loved to get lost and look up to the sky to identify as many aircraft as he could. This passion for flight rubbed off on me! It’s in the blood. My love for flight, travel, and discovery has led me to a world of amazing people and opportunity within the industry of aviation. My friend, pilot, writing partner, mentor, Co-President of Women in Aviation, International San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (WAI-SFBA), and Jefferson Award Winner for Public Service, Ana Carolina Uribe Ruiz, introduced me to Women in Aviation, International, and opened the doors for me and others to discover the career possibilities within the world of aviation. Ana’s father formed an airline in Ecuador in the late ‘50s that was the flag Airline for the country for many years…

Recently I asked Ana why she loves to fly. Her response was simple, “Why? The view and the space you are in. Nothing better than looking outside and being able to fly, a bird’s eye view. That’s what I see!”