In this episode, I sit down with Alicia Hunt, a Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. Before becoming a pilot, Alicia had a 13 year career in film, commercial work and theatre in Los Angeles. Alicia found she could never stop looking for her next gig and never turn off her phone and risk missing a call from her agent. She burnt out and planned a trip to Asia with her best friend. But the trip didn’t rejuvenate Alicia, it confirmed her life needed to shift. She says, “I thought I would come back refreshed. And instead, I got back and felt a natural point of separation. It was a natural point to change my life. I was ready to find my next step.”

Alicia knew she needed something hands on and very “boots on the ground”. Alicia thrives on high intensity situations and those around her offered suggestions such as becoming a surgeon, a 911 operator or a police officer. There was a very consistent theme.

Alicia enlisted the help of a career counselor, and she provided some blunt analysis: “Alicia, you are a complex person. There will be no perfect fit for you. Whichever career you choose, you will be leaving large parts of yourself at the door.” During this time, Alicia heard of the pilot shortage— that there weren’t enough people to fly planes, let alone women and people of color. Through twists and turns along the way, Alicia got herself into the sky and now teaches others how to fly. Alicia works to recruit women to the field and mentors both women and people of color to secure scholarships for flight school.

Alicia, like other pilots, is critical of her landings. Asking herself these questions helps her to remember, perfect is not the goal: “Did you bend any metal? Did anybody get hurt? Did anybody die? No? Then it was a good landing.” For Alicia, being imperfect is part of the job.

Highlights from Alicia:

"I took a train all the way across China from the eastern edge of it all the way to the edge of Tibet, and made a lot of stops in between. It was incredible. And when I finished the trip, I thought I would come back and feel refreshed, it was the vacation of a lifetime. And instead, I got back and I was at a natural point of separation. It was a natural point of being ready to change my life. I was ready to find my next step."

"One of the things I knew I wanted out of a new career is I wanted something high demand. I was really tired of being in a market that was saturated. And where I knew I had so much to give in that field. But so did everyone else. And I was tired of constantly pushing and pushing and pushing to look for work."

"One of my favorite things about acting is how you must be present. You can't be anywhere else. You have to be completely immersed in your character in the moment and the scene and the dialogue. And it's the exact same when you're flying a plane. You can not be distracted with anything else. You need to be listening to air traffic control. You need to be ready to deliver your own line which is coming up soon. You know your traffic control talks then you talk and it's a script. Let me tell you, if you can do Shakespeare you can sure as heck can do air traffic control."

Don't Miss a Beat.
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https://www.instagram.com/aliciahunt1/