Dream Jobs: Airplane test pilot

"I go to the most beautiful places in the world in the worst conditions," says Christine Walsh, Boeing test pilot. Photo:

Photograph: Anna Tims for the Guardian.

Pilot Christine Walsh flies to the most beautiful places in the world's worst weather. In fact,

she wants it to be as bad as possible. She'll jet off to the Alaskan city of Fairbanks in mid-

winter when the temperature plunges below minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4

Fahrenheit). She will drop by the South Pacific island of Guam during a heat wave. The

tornado season in the American Midwest is a special favorite.

Walsh, 44, is a test pilot for the Boeing Company. When your airplane flight is smooth and

problem-free, you can thank Walsh and other test pilots. They check every detail of an

airplane after it leaves the factory.

She might be testing something as tiny as a new indicator light or as large as a plane's

emergency backup system. Routinely, Walsh and other test pilots will shut down and refire

each of the engines mid-flight. Sometimes, they suggest a lifesaving change.

Hoping To Inspire Female Students

It's a job that calls for a cool head, courage and expertise in engineering. "Some clients

are surprised when a woman shows up as their captain for the day," Walsh says. She

demonstrates new aircraft for new customers.

By Anna Tims, The Guardian, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.12.16

Word Count 774

Currently, four of Boeing's 40-odd test pilots are women. In the past two years, female

engineers were in charge of building three of the company's five new jet planes. Experts

predict that a million new airline pilots and technicians will be needed worldwide by 2031.

Walsh hopes to inspire female students to fill some of these jobs.

She was determined to become a test pilot. "I took one of Boeing's chief test pilots to lunch

and asked him what I had to do to become one," she says. "He said it was impossible

because most test pilots come via a military rather than a civilian route. He made out a

huge list of things I would have to achieve." The hardest was to get the 1,500 hours of

flying time needed to become a pilot.

Seven Years To Earn Pilot's License

Walsh began training for a pilot's license. It took her seven years, and when she

completed all her goals, the test pilot offered her a job as his co-pilot.

Although Walsh is the first to fly a brand-new aircraft, she says she is excited, not scared.

Every plane is thoroughly tested before takeoff, so the most important part of her job is to

test how, rather than whether, it flies. To her, the complicated control panels are beautiful. "I

love it when I turn it on and they all light up like a Christmas tree."

Walsh is the daughter of a miner and a professor. She was 2 when she realized that she

wanted to conquer the skies. "I wanted to be an astronaut," she says. "The space program

was at its height in the U.S., and men had just started walking on the moon."

From Engineer To Test Pilot

Walsh was studying aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado. After graduation,

Boeing offered her a job as an engineer. The job wasn't very exciting. "I had to redesign

the underneath of the toilet bowl," she says with a grimace. "It wasn't flushing properly."

During her first test flight, she had to flush dog food down the toilet in midair.

Almost 25 years after she began with Boeing, Walsh is still dazzled by her own good

fortune. "So many people are involved in designing and making these planes and they

never get to go up on a test flight and see their work in action," she says. She is proof that

anyone can move up to the cockpit if they are determined. "Having a goal is the most

important part," she says.

"When I first mentioned that I wanted to be a test pilot I had zero flight hours," she said. "It's

amazing how many people from everywhere in life came forward to help me achieve it."

Job Stats

Salary £97,000-£140,000 ($139,000 to $186,000)

Hours Usually 40 hours, five days and one flight a week, but more if there's a big project.

Work-life balance "We find out the day before where we are to fly and when to report in."

Sometimes, when meteorologists predict the right weather conditions, they fly off at a

moment's notice. The unpredictable schedule makes it hard to find time for family and

friends.

Best thing "The anticipation when, after months of planning, you step up to the aircraft for

a test flight."

Worst thing Guilt. "Most of the people in the teams I work with will never have the privilege

of actually flying the plane they helped create like I do."

Quiz

1 Which section highlights the idea that Walsh was inspired to be a pilot at a young age?

(A) "Hoping To Inspire Female Students"

(B) "Seven Years To Earn Pilot's License"

(C) "From Engineer To Test Pilot"

(D) "Job Stats"

2 Select the paragraph from the last two sections of the article that explains how being a test

pilot affects Walsh's personal life.

3 Why does the author include the information about Walsh meeting with one of Boeing's chief

test pilots?

(A) to introduce a challenge

(B) to tell about an important person

(C) to describe her first job

(D) to explain the hard work Walsh did

4 Read the following paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

Walsh, 44, is a test pilot for the Boeing Company. When your airplane

flight is smooth and problem-free, you can thank Walsh and other test

pilots. They check every detail of an airplane after it leaves the factory.

How does the paragraph contribute to the development of the article's MAIN idea?

(A) by encouraging the reader to thank test pilots for their work

(B) by describing the details of a particular flight project

(C) by providing information about Walsh's age and company

(D) by highlighting the purpose and importance of Walsh's job