Inspiring Conversations with Karina Aguirre of Nashville Ninety Nines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Aguirre.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Karina. I am an Instrument rated pilot currently working towards my Commercial Rating. I am also the founding chairman of the Nashville Ninety-Nines. I was born and raised in Monterrey (Mexico) and currently live in Nashville (United States).

My inspiration and my passion for aviation came from my dad who is also a pilot, and who has always encouraged me to shoot for the stars. I had been flying in the right seat with him for a while but it was until a few years back that “something clicked” and I suddenly felt the urge to get behind the controls. It was then that I enrolled in a flight school in Nashville and began my training.

One of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in this space is founding the Nashville Ninety-Nines along with my friends. We are an organization committed to promoting the advancement of aviation by providing a support system, education, and scholarships. In just one year, we have grown to 76 members and have been awarded two scholarships. To me, it is extremely important to have a strong community that encourages and supports you along the way.

I love being an advocate for women pilots and finding ways to raise the percentage of women in the industry. I also enjoy creating aviation content on my social media platforms.

My long-term goal is to become an airline pilot.

My advice: You are your biggest enemy… so keep pushing and working towards your goals! Don’t forget to celebrate every small achievement and accomplishment.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Just like many other individuals chasing their dreams, my journey has had its struggles along the way. Aside from being in a male-dominated industry, time and money have played a role throughout my aviation journey. Prior to becoming a full-time student and leading the Nashville Ninety-Nines, I was in the legal/HR space for a little over 10 years. While I knew I had to quit my job in order to focus on my goal, I also knew I had to come up with a plan where I could save enough money to be able to afford flight training. It has been a couple of years of adjustment and reprioritizing but so far it has been so worth it.

Modern times have made it a little bit more accessible for women to become pilots since more scholarships have been targeted at women. Unfortunately, by being the Chairman of the Nashville Ninety-Nines I do not qualify for any of them; however, I have received a lot of support from my community and have been offered some free instruction and from time to time some flight time as well. Would I change anything? Absolutely not, it brings me so much happiness and satisfaction knowing that as an organization we have been able to help a few female pilots achieve their goals.

As you know, we’re big fans of Nashville Ninety-Nines. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Nashville Chapter was founded in 2021. Our members range from Student Pilots to Airline Captains. We meet monthly, generally on the First Tuesday of the month, to build our knowledge about aviation education or to participate in a flying adventure. Annually, we offer a Scholarship(s) to Nashville female pilots. We love to share our passion for flying with other female pilots. We invite you to join or visit our Nashville 99s Chapter.

Our Mission is to promote the advancement of aviation through education, scholarships, and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Instead of childhood, can I share with you one of my favorite Aviation memories?

One of my very favorite memories is flying to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2022 with my dad.

What’s AirVenture? EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport. The show attracts more than 650000 people and more than 10000 airplanes fly in each July. It is also the largest of its kind in the world. The show lasts a week, usually beginning on the Monday of the last full week in July. During the gathering, the airport’s control tower, frequency 118.5, is the busiest in the world.

Our trip started and ended in Monterrey, Mexico making a couple of stops along the way. In total, we flew a total of over 2,667 nautical miles. Flying all those miles plus camping with my dad gave us both lifelong memories.

Pricing:

• $65 to join the Ninety-Nines.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nashville99s.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinathepilot
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nashville99s
• Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/@karinathepilot
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/nashville99s