Whole Life Concept Project

Atlanta Blair












Introduction to Engineering 1201

Linda Hargrove

February 28, 2014

I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this assignment, nor witnessed any violation
of the UNC Charlotte Code of Academic Integrity.






Date:





Blair Whole Life Concept Project 1



Passion
My passion has always been flying, whether it is in a small personal plane, or a larger commercial
plane. I first discovered my passion for flying when I was younger. I discovered my passion while
watching jets flyover the Martinsville speedway, the tradition that has always kicked every speedway
race. It was then that I knew what I wanted to do with my life, I knew I one day I wanted to become a pilot
in the Air Force. My passion didnt happen overnight, nor did I learn about it on my own. People have
helped me and influenced me along the way. Specifically my parents, my teachers, and the people I have
worked alongside of. My parents helped me pursue my dream by always supporting me, they were
constantly driving me from place to place or helping me write essays. For example, when I first
discovered my passion for flying, I wanted to be involved in the military in order to pursue passion. I
applied for the Air Force Academy, which involved acquiring several nominations from government
officials, including senators and house representatives. Both my parents helped me with my essays as
well as taking me to meet with these senators and representatives. My teachers also supported my goal
by encouraging me to keep going after my passion no matter how hard it might get. My teachers also
wrote letters of reference time and time again because they wanted to, because they believed in me
enough to take the time to write them. Not only have people influenced and helped me by supporting me
and encouraging my passion, but experiences have also influenced me. After I discovered my passion for
flying, I wanted to constantly be in the air, or just be around airplanes. I tried to go places where I would
have a chance to fly just so I could get more experience. When I was I the eighth grade, I applied to and
won an essay contest and the prize was a free guided turkey hunt in Wichita, Kansas. This trip was my
first experience on an airplane and I was nervous before the trip, but once I go on the airplane I was more
excited than nervous. It was then that I discovered how much I truly did love flying. The following two
summers after my first experience I had the opportunity to fly west for an adventurous gun camp that was
held in New Mexico. Each time I flew I not only gained experiences, but also continued to discover how
much fun flying really was. With each experience I found more and more things I liked about flying, but
my favorite has always been the take-off. This experience was my favorite because I was on my own
flying across the country, but I was also in my element. In high school I had the great opportunity to take
an internship at Foothills Regional Airport, our local airport. Not only was I around planes for a few hours
each day, but I was also able to see behind the scenes. I learned what goes into ground work in order
for a plane to land, how to operate radio controls, and also complications that pilots and their planes can
experience on any given day. I also that different planes different planes can take different types of fuel, I
learned the various styles of small planes and I learned that there is more to flying than just being in the
air. I liked the idea of learning all these new things, and I also enjoyed the idea of all the challenging
aspects that make up flying.
My experiences might not be like others experiences. When most people find a passion, or a
dream they would like to pursue as a career, they do not always get opportunities to learn about it or even
gain hands on experience. A majority of the students I graduated with never had the opportunity to look
more in depth to their future careers. I have had a different experience from others because I have had
more hands on opportunities such as the internship I participated in, as well as having the opportunity to
fly across the country two summers in a row.


Impact
My passion for flying can impact the world both globally or locally. It could also impact the world in
small ways that, overtime, could lead to bigger ways of impacting the world. Flying can impact the world
of women, and could influence other women to fly or even influence them to do something else they have
never done before, but have always wanted to. As I mentioned, I would like to hold onto my passion and
become a pilot in the Air Force. Not many of the pilots that are in the Air Force are women, and I want to
make an impact and be one more woman pilot the Air Force has. My impact from my passion could be
local or it could be global, it could be small or it could be large. In regards to the Air Force, another
possible impact would be piloting large cargo planes (C-130). These cargo planes are used to carry
anything from soldiers to equipment to even mail. Being able to transport soldiers, equipment, or mail is a
huge part of what the military does. Without pilots and their planes, soldiers would not be delivered to
their destination, or be carried safely away from their mission. The United States military has bases all
over the world, and it is not always possible for equipment to be driven over or carried over on ships, this
is also where cargo planes come into play at. Soldiers rely heavily on their equipment, and the United
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States relies on pilots to get it to the soldiers. Without pilots it would be close to impossible for soldiers to
do their jobs. When soldiers cannot do their job is when the impact hits home. Our soldiers are trained
and are fighting for our freedom and for our safety; Without them America would not be safe or free. This
impact is comparable to a continuous cycle, because without pilots there are no planes, without planes
there is no equipment, without equipment soldiers can not complete their task, when soldiers do not
complete their task America is in jeopardy. Jeopardizing American soil does not end well. America needs
defense in order to stay safe, but defense does not stop on the ground. My passion for flying could make
an impact if I choose to become a fighter pilot and defend the sky. As a fighter jet pilot, I would have the
honor of defending off enemy aircraft that could potentially endanger the United States from the air. This
impact would protect against terrorist attacks which would stop another attack before it happened. With all
of these goals and responsibilities also come issues or complications.
Issues and complications that stand in the way of me pursuing my passion include: current
integrity issues, jobs women cannot hold, and the current economic standing. Recently the Air Force
discovered several nuclear missile launchers who had cheated on a nuclear proficiency exam (Whitlock
January 15, 2014). This issue causes major problems for the military and the individuals who were at
fault. The individuals who were to blame have been let go and now not only are those positions vacant
now, but this investigation gives the Air Force and our military a bad reputation. Cheating was not the only
integrity issue the military has dealt with. Other problems have recently showed up such as drug abuse
that occurred at six different Air Force bases (Whitlock January 15, 2014). Knowing that some of the
United States top military personal are participating in cheating and drug abuse makes other nations
perceive us to be weak, and it also discourages American citizens trust in our military. What this means
for me is that the Air Force will more than likely conduct more testing on future officers, and that they will
start initiating more dug tests. If testing to become an officer becomes more difficult due to these integrity
issues it could affect my chances of pursuing my passion. Being able to pursue my passion is not a
problem, what is a problem, however, is that although women are moving forward in the Air Force and
becoming more abundant, there are still jobs that women cannot hold. Some of these restrictions include
positions such as an enlisted tactical air command and controller (Davis June 26, 2013). Not being able to
be an air command and controller is almost heart breaking, but the rules are changing. The military has
just added more jobs women can now hold and will continue to update these job fields. As my standing
now, I am working to become an officer, not an enlisted member; however, if anything was to happen and
I needed to dismiss myself from ROTC I may want to become enlisted. If I became enlisted then I could
not hold this job title. As integrity issues are spiraling downward and womens roles are being argued,
another problem to worry about is finances. The United States economy is not at its best, and prices are
rising, but that is not news to anybody. Due to the budget cuts the government has put in place, cuts have
also affected defense spending. The global economic crisis is putting a three-sided squeeze on the
defense budget that could leave the nation at greater risk (Maze March 16, 2009). By cutting the
defense budget it could mean, that I would earn a smaller salary each year or it could mean that each
year they will be making less and less pilot slots. In ROTC the uprising cadets, myself included have
already been affected by this defense spending budget. Cadets that have graduated the program or
upperclassmen cadets have all gone to field training. Field training was originally a month long with pay to
each cadet, now the program is shortened and the pay has been taken away all together. With the
budget for the military decreasing, the competitiveness to become a pilot will get increasingly harder.
Each of these complications or problems are important and each of these could possibly impact my future
and my passion.


Knowledge
Because my passion is flying and my goal is to become a pilot in the Air Force, I need to
familiarize myself with all of the military history, rankings, how to stand in formation and how march in
formation. Starting with ROTC, as a cadet I am required to know everything we discuss in class, because
just like all my other classes ROTC has tests and quizzes. In order to graduate, commission, and become
an officer, I must be an excellent cadet, graduate field training, pass a few tests, and be chosen for a pilot
slot. Within all these categories are smaller categories, beginning with field training. Field training is a 22
day long camp that I will have to attend in order to have the potential of becoming a pilot. At field training
we, as cadets, are expected to know how to drill (marching), proper formation, how to greet higher ranks,
how to become part of the flight, what all the rankings are and be able to identify them by the picture of
Blair Whole Life Concept Project 3



the rank, and are expected to perform peak physical fitness. There are several tests on the path to
becoming a pilot, the first being the PFA, the physical fitness assessment. This test tests your skill and
ability to do physical activities held at the Air Force standard. This tests includes a mile and a half run
which should be ran between ten minutes and sixteen minutes, pushups(minimum 18, maximum 47), and
sit-ups(minimum 37, maximum 54). The next test is called the AFOQT, or the Air Force Officer Qualifying
Test. This test is identical to the SAT, so it is made up of a math, writing reading, and also science
section. The last test is the TBAS, Test of Basic Aviation Skills. The TBAS is a simulator test in which you
are actually controlling a joystick. It tests your hand-eye coordination and your ability to focus on
numerous things at once. All of this information, skill and ability does not happen overnight. All of the tests
are spread out over the course of the four years I will be at UNC Charlotte.
As a UNC Charlotte student I am pursing a Civil Technology Engineering major. Choosing this
major, I have been a little skeptical about it; I have not exactly felt like this is the place for me. While doing
this project; however, I have been able to talk about me and talk about my passion and it makes me want
to keep encouraging myself. When I talk about flying I always get so excited and I just want to go fly right
then and there, and working on this project has helped see the big picture. I feel as though now I am
more confident and more determined to go after my career. Seeing the big picture is not always helpful
though. Sometimes I take a step back and look at everything that is going on and I get discouraged. I
think to myself that I have set my dreams too high, that I will never be able to become a pilot. I also ask
myself, is this really important, is it necessary, or how am I ever going to learn all of these things I need to
know. To answer these questions I have set smaller goals for myself throughout college. These goals are
to ask questions when I do not understand, do not be too proud to ask for help, seek a tutor and an
advisor, and if absolutely necessary go talk to a counselor.
I chose an engineering major because engineering majors are more likely to become pilots than
any other major. As I have already mentioned ROTC is required for me in order to become a pilot, but
other courses that are required for me to be an engineering major include the engineering pathway
courses, physics and chemistry courses, and pre-calculus and calculus courses. Physics is not only
required for my engineering major, but also for flying. Physics is the theory, the concept, and the math
that keeps planes in air. This academic course I have chosen is helping to prepare me for my career by
slowly guiding me into a military lifestyle instead of throwing me directly into one. The ROTC program is
also helping to prepare me to become a leader, because it gives me an idea of how each day of my life
will play out, how I will live and where I will be living. I had previously wanted to attend the Air Force
Academy, and looking at it now I am happy my application was rejected because at the academy it would
have been military lifestyle twenty-four-seven. With ROTC, however, it almost babies you into the process
of being in the military. With ROTC comes a leadership lab that I plan to use to achieve my dream of
becoming a pilot. I also plan to use my physics and pre-calculus courses everyday when I am a pilot,
because flying utilizes multiple math and physics concepts. I hope to reside at one of the many Air Force
bases around the world to live out my passion. The Air Force is worldwide, and the United States Air
Force has bases all over the world. Some bases are located right here in the states in places like
Montgomery, Alabama where Maxwell Air Force Base is located and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Globally, bases are located in Italy, Germany, Guam, and multiple others (Active Duty Installations May
20, 2011). Traveling to these different places is paid for by the Air Force, but pilots have to earn a living
as well. Starting off officer pilots make about $2,000 a month, which may not seem like much, but living
on base does not require much considering most things are paid for (Parker). After graduation, assuming
I make a pilot slot, I will go to flight or officer training school (Alyson 2014). These two technical schools
are required in order to go on to become a pilot. This is also known as continuing education. Non-
technical requirements would include field training. Field training is, a camp held during the summer, that
teaches cadets how to be a leader, how to work together as a team, and also how to become better
members of the Air Force. In order to obtain a spot at field training, I plan to remain in good standing with
the Colonel and the Captain in our detachment. Colonel Fitzgerald and Captain White are the two main
people who decide whether or not I am able to go to field training. I also plan on using my mentor through
ROTC, that each cadet is assigned, as a source for guidance until field training begins. Each of the
cadets mentors have successfully completed field training; therefore they have become the mentors to
guide us into field training. Field training is helping me to become a pilot by preparing me to be an officer,
forming me into a better leader, and without it I could not continue forward to become an officer.


Blair Whole Life Concept Project 4



Reflection and Conclusion
My passion has always been flying. It started as a dream I had as child, then as I came in more
contact with flying, it became my passion. Now it is my goal to become a pilot and serve in the Air Force,
making my impact on the world by providing for soldiers, supporting soldiers, or defending the sky. While I
am only a freshman in college, this process and my future are of high importance right now. Beginning
now, how well I do in school, ways I become a better cadet, and knowing what is ahead of me is
important because all of these aspects are the fundamentals to becoming an officer. It is important that I
know what is ahead of me so that I may know how to prepare myself for it. While working on this project I
have become much more aware of what is yet to come. Writing it all out, going into detail, and explaining
it to someone else has made me realize how much I really want to stick with this major and pursue my
goal of being a pilot for the Air Force. This project has also influenced my perceptions of my passion by
making me take a step back, and really pay attention to everything that goes into being a pilot, becoming
an engineer, and serving in the Air Force. My passion is not just going to college and graduating, it
includes so much more. When I first began this course I did not think I was cut out to be an engineering
major or to become and engineer at all, but after doing this paper I realize that I have made the right
choice, and that it is just a matter of how bad I want it. At the end of this project, I found that I am more
committed to my major. I want to become a pilot because there is nothing else I would rather do with my
future. I know now, after the midterm in 1201, the math problems, and the daily quizzes, how much more
effort and extra work I need to put into my engineering classes. Since I have been at UNC Charlotte, I feel
like I have whined the whole time about being here and how much I do not like it here, but I know this is
where I am supposed to be. I am pursuing my passion, going after my dream, and hopefully on my way to
making my own future.


































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http://work.chron.com/air-force-fighter-pilot-qualifications-8456.html.
In Text: (Alysn )

Air Force Magazine, "Active Duty Installations." Last modified May 20, 2011. Accessed February
27, 2014. http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine Documents/2011/May
2011/0511bases.pdf.
In text:("Active Duty Installations" May 20, 2011)

Air Force Academy, "Life After the Academy." Accessed February 27, 2014.
http://www.academyadmissions.com/about-the-academy/faq/life-after-the-academy-faq/.
In Text:
("Life After the Academy" )

Parker, . Chron, "What Is Starting Pay as an Officer in the Air Force?." Accessed February 27,
2014. http://work.chron.com/starting-pay-officer-air-force-8890.html.

Davis , Schogol. Air Force Times, "7 AFSCs Finally Open to Women." Last modified June 26,
2013. Accessed February 27, 2014.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130622/CAREERS/306220006/7-AFSCs-finally-open-women-they-
.
Maze, . Air Force Times, "Experts: Financial crisis threatens security." Last modified March 16,
2009. Accessed February 27, 2014.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20090316/NEWS/903160314/Experts-Financial-crisis-threatens-
security.

Whitlock, . The Washington post, "Air Force investigates dozens accused of cheating on nuclear
proficiency exams." Last modified January 15, 2. Accessed February 27, 2014.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/air-force-investigates-dozens-accused-of-
cheating-on-nuclear-proficiency-exams/2014/01/15/ef334cba-7e22-11e3-95c6-0a7aa80874bc_story.html.