Carla Mueller

My aviation career has been a journey of perseverance and dedication, though it hasn't always followed a straight path. I've worked as a flight instructor on and off throughout my career, and I've had the opportunity to fly various aircraft including a Piper Navajo, an MU2 out of Teterboro in New Jersey, and a Caravan for Plane Masters. One of my proudest accomplishments was earning my ATP certification during one of my first Part 135 check rides in a Piper Navajo with the FAA in New Jersey - it was a very long 3-hour check ride, but I got it. About 20 years ago, I bought my own airplane, planning to keep it for just 6 months and flip it for a profit, but it's been such a good airplane that I still have it today. I recently got it instrument certified again with a Garmin 480 GPS. My career took an unexpected turn in 2012 when my mother had a severe stroke. I became her full-time caregiver and managed to rehabilitate her at home after bringing her home from a nursing facility under hospice care. I got her off the feeding tube, got her walking and talking again - she improved so much they took her off hospice after a week. I tried to balance caregiving with flying jobs, including a position with the Department of Agriculture in Texas and flying a Caravan locally, but the challenges of finding reliable caregivers meant I had to resign from positions I loved. After my mother passed away in 2018, I've been trying to find another full-time flying position, though it's been challenging. I continue flight instructing, working with students as they come to me. If you ask me what's been the key to whatever success I've had, I'd say perseverance and stubbornness - I've come this far, so I may as well try to continue.