Retiree's flying high, as a pilot By Melonyce
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EL CAJON – She doesn't plan to break the sound barrier or circumnavigate the globe. After all, Connie Charles* only recently achieved her admirable goal: She learned to fly. After 92 hours of flight lessons and more than 200 landings, the 63-year-old retiree can pilot an airplane solo. That's something she did not envision as a young girl or even in middle age.
She got her license in January so she would be able to co-pilot a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane she owns with her husband, Gene. "I never aspired to learn to fly," she said. Gene "frequently talked about flying . . . but it wasn't an alluring thing for me at all." Gene Charles, 72, resumed flying last year after a 30-year hiatus from piloting planes. He had trouble getting medical clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly solo because he'd had heart attacks in the past. He could only co-pilot an aircraft until receiving clearance.
But Connie Charles still plans to learn how to fly their Bonanza, which has a 250 horsepower engine and more complex landing gear than the Citabria. It can reach speeds of up to 210 miles per hour.Even though she never imagined herself winging it so late in life, flying has given her a new sense of excitement."It's the coolest thing to be up there," she said.
| RONI GALGANO
/ Union-Tribune Connie Charles stood next to a plane outside Gillespie Field hangar that she lives in part time with her husband, Gene. As for the buzz of passing airplanes, "it's a wonderful sound," she said. |
 Photo by RONI GALGANO / Union-Tribune |
"At age 63, I feel like I'm still sharp enough and smart enough to learn all this stuff," she said. The former teacher and public relations professional scored a 92 percent on her ground school test. And she had no fear of taking to the sky. Like a seasoned flier, before recently taking off at Gillespie Field, she said, "Flying is safer than driving a car."To go for a spin over the airfield, Charles and her husband, a semiretired former Merrill Lynch broker, only need to travel as far as their garage. The couple live part time in a hangar on Gillespie Field. Their neighbors house small airplanes in the hangars, which boast living space as well.The Charles' living room, dining area and kitchen is a vast loft perched above the garage where their plane is stored. It is decorated in French country style – accented with pale yellow walls and the buzz of biplanes whizzing by the windows."For us who love airplanes, it's a wonderful sound," Connie Charles said. |
She is a member of The Ninety-Nines, an international flying group of women founded in 1929 by 99 female aviators, including Amelia Earhart. The organization encourages aviation among women by raising money for flight scholarships and participating in air shows. Charles said the group is about fellowship and the thrill of flying, no matter what age you are. Fellow member Fran Bera, who is 80 years old, gave Charles her first flying lesson."If you want to do it, you can do it," Charles said. "Don't let your age hold you back."
Her husband said he is impressed by her fearlessness in learning to fly."I guess I'm surprised that she did it so fast and so well and she's enjoying it so much," he said. The couple plans to pursue hobbies such as theater-going and skiing – but with wider mobility. Last year, with a friend as chief pilot, Gene Charles flew to Boise, Idaho, for his granddaughter's graduation. Now that his wife is certified to fly, the couple can go almost anywhere – fast. "Beats getting pushed around in a wheelchair, doesn't it?" he said.