Shirley M. Phillips — How Not to Fly an Airplane: Lessons from 40 Years in Aviation

Shirley M. Phillips — How Not to Fly an Airplane: Lessons from 40 Years in Aviation

Author: Liz Booker - Pilot, Writer, Aviation Diversity Advocate August 10, 2025 Duration: 55:44
Send us Fan Mail Shirley M. Phillips is a pioneering female pilot and author whose new aviation memoir, How Not to Fly an Airplane, captures four decades of pilot life stories and lessons from the cockpit. From her start as a teenage student pilot in New Hampshire to becoming the first pregnant airline pilot at her company, Shirley’s career in aviation is filled with grit, humor, and resilience. In this pilot interview, Shirley shares what it’s really like to be a flight instructor, including...

Hosted by pilot and writer Liz Booker, Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story-Women in Aviation explores the rich intersection of flight and narrative. Each episode features conversations with authors who have placed women aviators at the heart of their work, spanning fiction and nonfiction, from forgotten historical figures to contemporary pioneers. You’ll hear about the specific challenges and triumphs these stories uncover, moving beyond simple biography to understand the deeper cultural and personal forces at play. This podcast is driven by a dual mission: to celebrate these compelling books and to dissect the craft behind them. In dedicated Writers' Room segments, Liz and her guests delve into the practical aspects of storytelling, offering insights on research, writing, and the publishing process for anyone interested in adding their own voice to this genre. It’s more than an interview series; it’s a resource and a community, championing diversity in the skies and on the page. Tune in for a unique blend of literary analysis and aviation passion, all grounded in Liz Booker’s perspective as an advocate for broader representation in both fields.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation
Podcast Episodes
Flying Around Australia: Author and general aviation pilot Fran West talks about Plane Reflections about her three-month flight around Australia’s coastline—weather, grit, and why turning back is sometimes the bravest choice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:44
Send us Fan Mail Australian private pilot and author Fran West joins me to talk about her remarkable three-month journey flying around the coastline of Australia in a Cessna 172—an adventure she later captured in her pho…
Aviatrix Classics: Pioneer Ruth Nichols’ Wings for Life—record-setting flights, devastating crashes, and the resilience to find purpose that joined aviation skill with Quaker compassion to deliver air relief worldwide. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:41:47
Send us Fan Mail In this deeply immersive Literary Aviatrix Classics conversation Dr. Jacque Boyd, Captain Jenny Beatty and I discuss Wings for Life, the extraordinary memoir of pioneering aviatrix Ruth Nichols. Nichols’…