Going to work every day can sometimes be challenging unless you are Christine Gaines, who has the best office view whenever she comes to work. As only 5% of the total piloting workforce is made of woman pilots, one determined resident of Cherokee County decided that she wanted to literally reach for the stars. Christine Gaines knew from the time she was a young child that she desired to be a part of the world of flying the global skies. Meeting the pilots, sitting by the window, announcing when the flaps and gear came down, and receiving her plastic wings on her way off the jet bridge gave her the thrill of being in the air as often as her family could travel. Of course, Christine’s favorite movies had to be Top Gun and Space Camp. Fueling her desire to be closer to the beautiful parts of the upper atmosphere has motivated Christine to continue working towards her lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut.
In her early years, Christine attended both Aviation Challenge and Space Camp as a teenager in Huntsville, AL. While at Aviation Challenge, she received the “Right Stuff Award,” honoring the students with the “right stuff” to become the next pilot. This rocketed her ambition as she began her college major in Aerospace Engineering, the most direct path to NASA. Consequently, after working in the wind tunnel with her professor for multiple semesters, Christine decided she would much rather fly airplanes than design wings. Ultimately, she received her bachelor’s degree in Aviation Business Administration with a minor in Flight Operations and was on track to becoming an airline pilot.
While working on her private rating, Christine was in flight training when she experienced a frightening catastrophe. She was flying her first solo flights around the traffic pattern when an aircraft in front of her lost its engine, declared an emergency, and crashed in the trees short of the runway, killing both pilots. It was upsetting and concerning to watch fellow airmen lose their lives as she perfected her new piloting skills.
Flying is not for the faint of heart. When Christine first moved to Atlanta, immediately after graduating college, she accepted a job taking pictures of Atlanta traffic patterns while flying a Cessna 172. This job paid less than $15 an hour and started every morning before 5 am. Following that job, Christine accepted a position at Epps Aviation at Peachtree Dekalb Airport as a customer service representative because she couldn’t find a flying job. As a woman in a field dominated by men, Christine faced unique challenges. Sometimes, one must sacrifice moments of comfort to be in the right place at the right time to secure the right aviation opportunity. After six short months, Christine was hired as a first officer flying a Citation II jet. During her time in that role, Christine endured attacks on her performance despite her qualifications; she felt her credibility was undermined due to being a young, attractive woman in aviation.
After two years of enduring those challenges, at 26 years old, Christine accepted a position with a regional airline company and became an ASA pilot, flying for Delta Connection. In her first year at the company, Christine made a whopping $19k a year and was on a 4 am short call reserve. After eight years of flying for ASA, she pivoted and accepted a position as an instructor pilot on the CRJ for Flight Safety International. She was the lead Airline Transport Pilot program instructor, teaching ground school and the full motion simulator. Christine is the Captain of a LearJet for Davis Development in her current position. Each opportunity has Christine striving to push herself out of her comfort zone.
Christine’s strive towards excellence does not stop at piloting. Her intense spirit transfers over to her passion as a fitness instructor. After years of dedication to aviation, Christine decided to explore another passion-fitness. She became a fitness instructor, using her platform to motivate others to prioritize health in their lives. She practices what she preaches! Following daily routines of meditation, exercising, and spending time in nature, Christine firmly believes as a professional pilot, one must have good health to perform at one's very best. God made our bodies perfect, but it is up to us to take good care of them.
Christine Gaines is a true inspiration to others. Her energy and love of life are contagious. The only boundaries each of us has are those we set for ourselves. Know that each setback serves a purpose: to shape you to become the best version of yourself. Without the hardships, the goals achieved would not feel as sweet. Embrace the burn—for that is where you grow. It is about the journey, not the destination.
"Never wait for someone to give you something. Strive to be the best so you can fulfill your dreams."
"Push yourself to be more than average. Your capacity to achieve is only limited by your belief in yourself to do the impossible!"
