A Different Approach to Working in Aviation

By Anna Hare

Emily Norman grew up surrounded by aviation. Her father is a retired Army helicopter pilot, and her mother is a flight attendant for United Airlines. Still, she never thought she would end up working in the aviation industry, let alone become a pilot herself one day.

Growing up in a small Texas suburb near Houston, aerospace and aviation was a way of life that shaped Emily’s childhood. She even recalls driving by NASA’s Johnson Space Center every day on her way to school and loving the sight and sound of T-38’s taking off nearby.

Despite growing up in this environment and developing a fascination with airplanes, she was terrified to fly, especially in small aircraft. Her father was an exceptional pilot, but she had a hard time building the courage to join him in his four-seater Piper Arrow.

“One day I decided I needed to overcome this fear and asked if he would take me up for a ride,” Emily said. “As soon as my dad handed me the controls and I saw where I grew up from an aerial perspective, I caught the aviation bug. After landing, we walked over to the flight school on the field, I signed up for my first lesson, and I’ve been flying ever since.”

Emily now has her Private Pilot’s License and works for ForeFlight, a leading aviation software company that develops industry leading apps for pilots and flight departments. “ForeFlight helped me become more confident in the cockpit, and we’re constantly changing the game for pilots of any level,” she says.

Emily joined the ForeFlight team in 2018 as Community Marketing Coordinator and quickly realized she could turn her passion for flying into a career. She now oversees the company’s social media channels and leads its influencer marketing efforts, while also hosting ForeFlight’s video and podcast series, Between Two Wings, where she interviews industry professionals and aviation enthusiasts.

As the company’s social media liaison, Emily interacts with customers daily and loves hearing about how the app has impacted their lives - whether by making them better, more confident pilots, or even by helping them out of dangerous situations.

“It’s incredible to work for a company that is saving lives, and it motivates me every day,” she says, adding that her favorite part of the job is getting a behind-the-scenes look at how ForeFlight makes flying easier and safer.

Emily’s job also takes her to popular aviation events like EAA’s AirVenture convention and airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the largest in the world. Here she can meet customers face-to-face, gain more insight into how they use the app, and share flying stories with fellow avgeeks.

Another perk to the job is ForeFlight’s flight stipend, which the company provides to invest in their employees’ growth and aviation knowledge. Employees can apply this stipend to most flight expenses as well as training costs, from their first ground school lesson all the way to a Commercial rating. With more than half of the company actively flying or in training, using the app in real-world flights is fundamental to ForeFlight’s culture and development process.

With over 200 flight hours logged, Emily knows a thing or two about the real-world issues that pilots face, such as planning for rough terrain or weather, practicing for emergency landings, and handling radio comms. However, like many who are learning to fly, she initially lacked confidence in her capabilities as a pilot. But as time passed, she learned to trust herself and her proficiency at the controls.

Emily is a true testament to the opportunities that exist in any industry. You don’t have to fly for a living to find a fulfilling job that supports your passion for aviation, just like you don’t have to be a computer scientist or developer to work at a tech company like ForeFlight. But, confidently following your passion will take you places you never thought possible, and with a dash of experience and education, success is sure to follow.