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Welcome to an aviation podcast that caters to all aviation enthusiasts, ranging from pilots to airplane spotters. Our show covers a wide range of topics, including private pilot training, airline operations, and the latest aviation news. Our knowledgeable host, an experienced airline pilot with eight years of flying under his belt, is thrilled to share his own experiences and offer valuable advice to help you pursue your aviation dreams. We are here to support you on your journey, constantly wishing you Tailwinds & Sunshine!
Rachel Part 1 of 3
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Manny: [00:00:00] Hey folks, from the flight deck, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to the Tailwinds and Sunshine podcast, where we talk everything aviation. I am your host, Manny Ramirez. It's always a pleasure to have you on board. So please sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. Thank you so much for being here, for letting me inside your homes and spending some time, some quality time with me and just enjoying my rants here in the tailwinds and sunshine podcast. I have a very special guest today with me, and I promise you it's going to be super special.
And if you are a Denver based pilot, You are going to have an even double treat with a guest that I have here with me today. This person is an entire vibe. It's [00:01:00] I, she is a person that when you're around, you can't help but smile as she's a very special person. Rachel, welcome to the show.
Rachel: Thank you.
Yeah.
Manny: Well, I'm so glad that you're here in our and we're going to talk a little bit more about how our meeting was a very serendipitous. I think it was very serendipitous. And just, so I'm going to kind of start off with how I know you, cause you have no idea who I was before we met exactly. But I.
Thank you. Everyone knows who Rachel Mason is. So just to give you a little bit of a little bit about Rachel. Rachel is a runway model. She is also a mental health advocate. She is a self proclaimed tequila connoisseur, unless you have an actual title. She loves hiking. She loves traveling. And she is a, it seems like to me, she's a workaholic as well, based on the information I've gathered from her.
But I think that but the way that, that. How I know Rachel is that I knew her as a the ramp controller in [00:02:00] Denver. That's what we, you know, we know the MADS is ramp controller in Denver and she has a very distinct accent. And so every pilot in Denver knows that, you know, we always would play with, like, I wonder where she's from because she has a very distinct Southern accent.
So a lot of people miss misidentify her as being from the South, but in fact, she isn't, and she can tell us a little bit about that in just a second. But I thought that she was from the south, but she was the nicest like person on frequency, you know, she would always say like, Oh, how are you doing? You know, happy to help you have a nice evening and everything.
She was the, I think the only one that was really nice to everyone on frequency. And you know, she made us smile every time we come in or leave Denver. So it was really, it was really special. The nickname that we bestowed upon her on the pilots, I guess we call her is, we know her as Dolly Parkin, not Parton as the country singer, but parking as like parking airplanes.
So, so Dolly Parkin. So we always knew her as that. So anytime we had we heard her on frequency, Oh, that's Dolly Parkin, you know, Dolly [00:03:00] Parkin. And the one thing that I remember recently is that one of our Skyways pilots posted on the Skyways Facebook page saying that she was going to leave.
So she was going to leave that position. And so what happened was that I was like, I got to add her on social media. I got to find her this. This cannot be the last time that I, you know, that I get in contact with her. So I found her on social media and we started following each other and that was kind of the end of it.
And what ended up happening was that I think it was three weeks ago. We had a, we had a longer sit in Denver. So we sat there for about two, almost three hours said we had in Denver and I was going down to the crew lounge. And I got off the elevator and I saw you there talking to my coworker, my colleague, and it was like, I think that's Rachel.
I think that's Rachel. And one of my other friends were like, yeah, that's her, you know, that's her. And I was just like, starstruck. I was like, I got to meet Rachel Dolly Parkin, you know? So to my surprise, to my surprise, she was also giving it, she was offering a tour of the tower, [00:04:00] a ramp tower to my two colleagues.
And I joined up and so you can see those pictures actually from the tour of of the ramp tower on my Instagram, which you can find at climb VX that's C L I M V as in Bravo, V as in Victor X ray. And so yeah, that's how we met. It was very like I said, what was the word I said earlier?
Serendipitous.
So that's, that's Rachel. So Rachel, tell us where, where are you from? Tell us that let's start off with that. This is the
Rachel: million dollar question. My most asked question ever. I'm from
Manny: Illinois,
Rachel: Illinois, definitely not Chicago and from the central part. So I'm from a town. We have more cows than people where I come from.
Very country. Nice. Yeah.
Manny: Cows make, and by the way, just an FYI, cows are my favorite animal. I love cows. Yeah, they're like
Rachel: dogs.
Manny: So, I love cows, they're one of my favorite animals, so I love it. So cows are more kind than human beings most of the time, [00:05:00] so I love it. So you're from you're from Southern Illinois.
So tell us a little about your story of as far as your passion for aviation, because I know you gave me some information and you've done a lot. So where did your passion for aviation, where, where did your passion for aviation begin?
Rachel: So I had zero passion for aviation and zero, I had no idea it existed.
I was a dental assistant before I got this job and I worked for like the world's worst dentist. So I left. I was like, I'm done. I'm going to go on like a three month vacation and my information was on Indeed and I forgot about it. And Alaska Airlines reached out. They said, Hey, we lock your resume. Let's interview.
Cool. I'm in the middle of lock. A whole like this ridiculous workout like I can't breathe. I can't talk and they're trying to interview me on the phone I'm like, yeah, it's fine perfect timing So interviewed on the phone met with him in person the next day and was hired that night Went to training two weeks later in seattle And like within the first hour of training, I was like, this is for me, like, this is [00:06:00] whatever it is, it's for me.
And so I locked the challenge. And then I had my one coworker who was training to be a pilot and he's like, this is the difference between an airbus and an airbus and a seven three. And I was like, I don't care. And then a month later, I was like, look, that's an airbus. So it jumped into my lab out of nowhere.
And I clicked. We was like, all right, there's more to this. That's how it started.
Manny: So you didn't know anything about airplanes before you came to Alaska. Like you were a dental assistant with a world's worst dentist. Right. But then you're really, your passion kind of started when you started working for Alaska, right?
This is when you started kind of learning about it and you started looking into it and you're like, okay, this is kind of something, what I want to do. So your progression. So tell me about your progression. So you work for Alaska. What did you do for them?
Rachel: So I technically worked for G2, so a contract company.
But for that, I'm grateful because I did get to do Alaska. So because it's a lawn station, I was customer service. I was gate agent. [00:07:00] I was a jet bridge driver. I was supervisor. I was ramp agent. I was literally everything. And some days I was the, I was wing walker number one and I was the jet bridge driver.
So it was like, meet the plane. And then with a timeline, I had to have that L1 door open within 60 seconds. So I had it timed perfectly to get it done in 43 seconds. Wow. Every time. Yeah. So it was just a rush, rush, rush, but I
Manny: loved it. So you worked G2, that's a company. I used to work, actually, when I was younger, I used to be a ramp agent for ATS.
I'm sure you're familiar with them. Airport Terminal Services. So I used to work for Airport Terminal Services out of John Wayne in Orange County, California. And yeah, I remember it was just it was one of the most physically demanding jobs I had because I knew we were like, there was only like two or three of us to do the entire thing.
We're talking about cleaning the aircraft. A loading aircraft, loading the bags and push it back. And it was, it was, it was, it was fun. But it was I think that they paid us some peanuts. Like we were just [00:08:00] like,
Rachel: it was, they did for sure at that. They for sure did .
Manny: So maybe pretzels, but it was, but I think it was, it, it, it was me, for me.
I mean, 'cause my passion started when I was a kid as far as I wanted to be a pilot, but I think this allowed me to get a little bit closer. To the operation and see how everything works out. So I think it was a really it was a really good move. I got to experience it a little bit, but then at one point I said, well, I need to get something else just because, you know, it's just this is not paying the bills.
So, you know, I had to get something else, but it was but it was, it was a really good experience, you know, to be around. We used to service in John, when we used to service frontier Alaska. Do you remember Aloha airlines? Yeah. Yeah. So we used to service Aloha Airlines and I forgot who else we did.
I think Frontier, Alaska and Aloha. I think those are the only ones we serviced there in John Wayne. And but it was, it was fun. I remember, I still remember my my supervisor. He always, always, always, always used to call me a bonehead when I used to do something stupid. I was like, Oh, you bonehead.
Yeah. So, but it was fun. So then Rachel, after Alaska, then you decided what, what [00:09:00] happened and what was your move after that?
Rachel: So St. Louis being basically a line, it's not a hub for anybody. I mean, I guess it's a mini hub for Southwest. So I had reached the capacity I could with GT. Like I had done everything training, supervise, you name it.
I had done it. I'd pushed wheelchairs. I'd done security for a while, everything. So I was like, I just went on with one of the bigger lines. I don't want to be contracted anymore. Yeah. So I applied to all of them. And then the first one that called me back, I was like, yes, I don't care what it is. I don't care what I'm doing.
I don't care what the pay is. Yes. Please. Yes. So then I worked for that airline in St. Louis for two years. And then I was like, I still need more. This airport is not doing it for me. I need more. So then I wanted to experience a hub. So Denver was my first and only choice. I didn't want to go anywhere, but Denver.
So I wanted to come to a hub, experience what it's really like, get the wide bodies, heavies, whatever you want to call them. No more, you know, RJs, love my RJs, but I pray I needed more. I
Manny: feel [00:10:00] personally insulted. I feel personally insulted right now that I am all regional planes. I'm just kidding. I know what you mean.
There is something about white bodies. There's something about white bodies. You cannot, if you're an av geek, you know, if you're an aviation geek, you just know there's something special about white bodies, right? We all love airplanes. In this community, we all love airplanes, but there's something definitely special about a wide body aircraft.
And we are around it. It's just this awe, right? This awe of the stuff. Every time. And even, I remember when you took us up to the tower and we were looking at different planes and you're like, look, this little, like, little tiny like little. Planes, you can move with your fingers, right? They do like little toys.
Right. And even, even the, the the big ones look like toys, but the regionals just look even smaller. You know, you feel so like, Oh my God, my plane looks so insignificant. It's so embarrassing. You know, cover my face. I'm just kidding, but you mentioned something that you said you wanted more. Was it more as far as responsibility?
Was it more as far like you mentioned just to see bigger planes? What is it? So
Rachel: I don't know if it's necessarily the. [00:11:00] So, that's the responsibility part, cause I'd already had that right? Working for a contract company, you take on responsibility you don't realize you're taking on. So, it was more so like more experience.
Like, I had only dealt with the largest aircraft I'd ever dealt with was 7. 3's and Airbuses. And that was rare. I would see a 7. 5 Winston and Blue Moon when we did the MLB charters, but even then like, it's just there and you're just greeting people to get on, but to get like up close and personal with something larger than laughs.
So to see these planes land at this giant, this giant airport, I mean, St. Louis compared to Denver, right? It's like, holy crap. And I started customer service in Denver. I didn't even want to go right to the tower. It was customer service still, but in a
Manny: new airport. So you did customer service and you, so that, that's pretty much, you went from Alaska.
And you worked Alaska in what base did you work at, at for Alaska? Was it in Seattle? Oh, St. Louis. Yeah. Okay. St. Louis. And then you worked for but that was G2 as a contract. Correct. So then you decided after that, [00:12:00] you decided to go to this airline and then you went to Denver. Okay. So you went to Denver and you started as customer, you started as customer service there in Denver?
Mm hmm. Yep. Just transferred right over. How did you get that gig as a tower controller? I'm sorry, a ramp controller. So it
Rachel: is just, so we're a union, so it's just a, it's within the customer service branch and the first person I ever met in Denver told me about it. She was like, you need this job. And I was like, huh?
The tower, like I'm not going to school. I was thinking big tower. I was like, I'm not going to school. School for that. And she's like, no, no, no, no, no. It's the SOR. I was like, what is, what is that? I don't know what this is. All these new terms are being thrown at me. And I was like, okay, never really thought about it.
But then an email came out and it was like, if you want to shadow and I was like, yeah, I want to shadow email the person in charge, picked a day. I went on my day off. Cause obviously you can't get paid for that to shadow. I was up there for 10 hours. Just shouted. I couldn't stop. I was like, Oh my God, I need like [00:13:00] this.
I need this. So it goes by seniority. So when the position opened, I was like, in even the manager was like, you're the first one that box submitted, but it goes by seniority. So I didn't think I was going to get it. But then when I got the call a couple of weeks later that I got it, I was like, what? It was insane.
How long were you up there? So I was up there for 18 months. I started in February of 2022.
Manny: What made you say, Hey, I'm going to leave this position and do something else.
Rachel: So there were several things I had already been in the process of like, what else can I do? Right? Because when you're, it's not just like when you're with an airline, there's multiple things that you can do to grow, but it was like, what else can I do?
To challenge me, I need to be challenged. And I'm not talking like passengers yelling at me at a gate challenge. Cause I smile at that lock. You can yell at me all day. So I was already in the process of trying to see what I could do to get my dispatch lessons. That was the first thing that kind of came to mind for me, but also the role in the [00:14:00] tower, they turn it into a management position.
And that's not something that I wanted to stay and do. I didn't want to be a manager. So you, there's a, there's downfalls to that, you know, like as a manager, you know, like you lose some vacation time and so on and so forth. And I was like, that's not for me. I don't want to, that's not my thing.
Manny: So they were changing the way that the positions were filled, I guess.
So now they're going to become managerial positions. Okay. And then someone's like, yeah, it's not, cause not for me. So I'd rather do something else. So what are you in the process of doing now? So I'm
Rachel: in the process, so January I'll be getting, starting the process to get my dispatch lessons. I'll be doing it like the I'll be doing it through Centennial Airport.
I forgot like, the class I'm doing, but the class I'm doing I found out, I don't even have to do the 13 weeks. Class because of the experience I have, they were like, you actually qualify for six weeks. So I can do the six week class. Most of it's just test prep and go from there. So I'm going to do that.
And then our training centers in Denver. So I've been like tiptoeing around the idea of potentially doing [00:15:00] stuff with the training center, but for now I'm just happy at the gates. It's just seeing, now I see my pilots face to face. They're like that voice. I know that voice. So I'm like, it's me. I exist.
I know what's
Manny: funny though. Like I, I've I, I don't have a very good ear for distinguishing people on frequency. You're very distinguishable. Like I can take that voice out of anyone's right. But like for example I remember when I first started flying out of Denver. Well. My base, when I started flying my SIM partner and I were, you know, FOs.
He's now a captain cause he's been flying more than I have, but he would apparently hear me on frequency and recognize my voice. And I'm like, Oh do you didn't hear me? And he was like, you didn't hear me. I'm like, I have no idea. Like you have, I would have to hear you thousands of times before I can actually recognize your voice on frequency.
Cause I wouldn't be able to, but yeah, it's Yeah, it's, but it's nice to put a face to the to the voice. Like yeah. And I remember when you took us up to the tower you know, I started putting those, I, I heard them. I was like, Oh, that's [00:16:00] this person. That's this person. Like I could remember just having interactions with them.
And but yeah, so it's nice to, it's nice to have that interaction with the people that you work with, you know, especially I think you to put that human component with the voices because you, I think you can easily forget that there's another human being on the other side of frequency, you know, that they're just, they can make mistakes, you know, they're stressed, they have lives, you know, and stuff like that.
So it's nice to go out and visit them and be like, Hey, you know, they're human beings just like you and me, you know, so you kind of remember and when maybe. you know, things are not going perfectly that particular day, then you kind of, kind of it's easier to be a little bit more understanding.
Rachel: No, I was like that too with, I think it's just a part of like extending grace.
I think that we forget to extend grace. It's the same with ATC too. I think people forget that. people actually walk. It's real human beings that work up there. So like, sure, they're going to say something and they actually mean the other. There were so many times I needed you to go west, but I told you to go east and the pilot was like are you sure you want me to go this way?
And I'm like, [00:17:00] yeah. And I'm like, no, I'm just kidding. Please don't do that. Or they would just do it. They would just go west. In log as I'm sending them and I'd be like, thank you, you know sky West, one, two, three, I appreciate you just doing that. Help me out.
Manny: I think you have a gift. I think you'd really do have a gift for being kind.
And I think just the interaction that I had the one day and just you know, the stuff that we've exchange or Instagram, just so we kind of stay communicate, you know, we communicate with each other. I think you definitely have a gift for dealing with people. Like you just mentioned just a second ago, I think you, you said a second ago, I think that you said you said, Hey you know, people can yell at me.
I laugh at that, you know, because I think maybe you can and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can associate someone's behavior towards you because it's not personal. Whereas if someone, if someone were to yell at me, I feel like I would take it very personal. Like I'd be like, they're attacking me personally, but they're not really doing that.
And I think that's a very that's a skill that not a lot of people have. And I think that you have, and [00:18:00] you have a very good portion of that. I'm a a very good dose of that in, in you that I think you're very kind in it. And I think you're able to I think you're just, you read people. I think you're a very good you read people.
Yeah, I think you're, I think you are. And I, another thing that Rachel does that I'm very impressed is that I think she has a very good attitude is that she says, my. I like to see people succeed. I like to see people move forward. I like to see people's success and sharing their success. And I think that's also very important because you are not self serving.
You are someone that you literally serve others and you try to help others so they can reach their goal. And, and, and, and the hope Hmm.
Rachel: Yeah. But I know how to take care of myself, right? Like I think we've all gone through things in life. Like I've had a lot of hurt in life and I think you grow through that, like, is it the worst ever? No, because somebody is always going to have it worse than you do. But if I had a friend that [00:19:00] came to me and was like, I don't want to do my corporate job anymore.
I just want to, you know, go to the local yogurt stand and just serve yogurt all day. I'm like, then go serve that yogurt, be the best yogurt server. That place has ever seen. I'm going to come see you. Like, if that's what makes you happy, I'm here for it. I
Manny: feel like the majority of the world really is, they're at a job because they have to be at a job, not because of something they want to do.
And but I think it's very important that yes, there is certain suck that you have to suck, you know, that you have to go through it, but it gets to a point where you are actually doing more harm by staying at a job or a certain position, then it doesn't matter how much they pay you. You know, so I think it's very important to you go to a job and if you put up with some of the stuff, because you're always going to have a gripe of, you know, where you go, where there you go, you know, whether you're at United, whether you're at American or SkyWest, you're always going to have something to complain about, but it's just about your, your, the way that you handle it and you process that and is all about perspective and attitude.
So I think[00:20:00] that's why I always tell people to just. You know kind of take that and what's the word I'm looking for? Take stake of what they're, if they're really happy. I mean, some jobs are not gonna be too happy, but if, you know, just there's a threshold you need to be able to say, at this point, I'm just gonna say no more.
I'm gonna go something now. When you're done.
Rachel: Now when you're done now when you're done,
Manny: yeah. It's huge. Huge. So now I I, I know you mentioned to me that you would work so much that you would have to actually sleep in your car. Yeah. So you were like, oh my God. So now how. Now, how, how do you find, and I want to talk about more about your modeling as well.
And I want to kind of segue into that because I want to sell, because I want to know, how do you find balance? Cause I know you're busy. I've seen some of your stories on Instagrams and you're like at two o'clock in the morning, you know, on flights to New York and then back and it's like, Oh my God, like how do you do that?
So how do you, how do you find balance in your kind of of your life?
Rachel: Now at this point in my life, I'm not a yes person anymore. When I was taking those, like working those 18, 20 hour days, like, I [00:21:00] would go take a, cause I live 35, 40 minutes away from the airport. So it's like by the time I would drive home and like actually fall asleep, I have to be right back up and on the road.
So I would just like find a bag cart. Like if it was nice outside, I would just sleep on a bag cart. We were able to sleep on the plane. So like after it, cause it would be Iran. So I remain overnight and you would. Do the fleet. And sometimes you could just sleep. I can't say how many times I would just sleep in the X era, my car, something like that.
But that's when I was a yes person. It was like, Oh, well, eight people called off. Can you work? And I'm like, yeah, sure. No problem. But it was like, it eventually like was killing me. Yeah. Now I'm not like, I'm a yes person to a point. So I just, the balance is like. I wake up at two o'clock in the morning for work, but I'm also not that person where I'm like, I have to be in bed by six o'clock.
If I have friends that are in town and I haven't seen them and they went, I'm not going to go. I have to be in bed at six because I wake up at T. It's a, okay, well you're off at main, just suck it up. You're going to get a couple less extra or a couple less hours of sleep to not. So for me, it's just like doing [00:22:00] what makes me happy.
So I'm working my career, which I love. Makes me happy. And then I'm also doing everything in between that makes me happy. It's all my choice. I don't feel like it's forced on me.
Manny: Also, if you want to be part of the show, go ahead and hit me up. That doesn't matter where you are in the world. We'll make that show happen. We'll make you a friend of the show until next time. Wishing you tailwinds and sunshine.
The statements made on the show are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.