Special
Features / June 2007
Flight Suited
 Leigh Anna Rice
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By Pat Lawrence
Leigh Anna Rice is a responsible, well-grounded, practical nurse, but sometimes her head is in the clouds. It’s an avocational hazard - she’s a pilot. Born and raised in Hinton, WV. Leigh Anna went to nursing school in Summers County and worked for twenty years at Princeton Community Hospital. A co-worker introduced her to a pilot, and they began dating. “I flew with him for a while, but the longer we dated, the more interested I became in flying myself. In the beginning I thought I should at least learn to handle an airplane in case anything should happen to him!”
One of Leigh Anna’s friends was a pilot and invited her to a meeting of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots from 35 countries. After one meeting, Leigh Anna was ready to learn how to fly.
“It was right after my birthday, and I decided that would be my birthday present.”
She took her instruction in Ravenswood. Since she was working full time, the lessons were mostly on weekends. when she could find time. To get a pilot’s license, she had to log at least 40 hours of flight, have at least 20 hours of flight with an instructor and at least 10 hours of solo flight, pass the FAA Private Pilot written test and pass an FAA Private Pilot flight exam. It took two and a half years, but Leigh Anna got her license. “I did a lot of local flying to get maneuvers done, then had to do cross country flying, then started working on technique, landings and procedures. And then there’s the check ride. I was so nervous.” She says, “My instructor was always just a little anxious about my emergency landings. I couldn’t wait to tell him it was perfect! But, the day I flew solo - it was West Virginia Day, June 21, 2001 - was the most memorable day I ever spent in the air.”
Now, she and the pilot are a two plane family living on 38 acres in Gay, WV. “He flies a Cessna 140 and I fly a Cessna 150.” Leigh Anna has logged 140 hours in flight, but hasn’t ventured past Coshocton, Ohio though she’s planning a Pennsylvania trip. Eight years ago Leigh Anna left clinical nursing and now reviews medical claims for Wells Fargo Third Party Administrators. “All the work is with computers and the phone.”
Like most women pilots, Leigh Anna became a member of the Ninety-Nines. “Being part of the Ninety Nines has introduced me to so many interesting, wonderful women! The group was started 1929 and named after the 99 women aviators that were charter members. Amelia Earhart was the first president.
They promote world fellowship through flight, aviation education and occupations in aviation for women. There are many, varied employment opportunities in aviation, from being a mechanic or technician to being a charter or commercial pilot. Even if a woman isn’t certain she wants to get her license, she should at least take a test flight to see how it feels.”
Of course, most Ninety-Nine members fly to their meetings and conferences. In April, Leigh Anna and another West Virginia member flew to Lincoln Nebraska for a section meeting, picking up a third member on the way up. On the way back, as they were landing in Hamilton Ohio, the pilot lost control of her plane. Leigh Anna was in the back seat but knew immediately there was a problem. “She tried to pull the plane back up so she could start the landing over, but she couldn’t. The plane went into a nose dive about 200 feet from the ground.”
The plane was totaled, but all three walked away, though the flying pilot broke her ankle and had numerous facial fractures. “It wasn’t pilot error or inattention. What happened was as unexpected -and resulted in the same loss of control - as hitting a patch of ice on the highway.” Leigh Anna also had facial injuries and bruising. Two weeks later, a fellow patient at the doctors office asked if she’d been in a car wreck. “I said, no, a plane wreck. It’s funny how no one believes you were in a plane wreck. And I had pictures of the plane!”
She has no intention of giving up flying or her red and blue striped Cessna 150. She hopes to form a West Virginia chapter of the Ninety Nines. “Flying is still the safest transportation available and thousands of flights are completed every day without incident.” And, besides, she says, “I love to fly.”
For more information about women inaviation, visit ninety-nines.org.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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