Operation Aviation: Soaring into Creative Airspace
Join Kassi Kincaid in a compelling conversation with Teri Weber, Air Force instructor pilot and children’s author. Journey through Teri’s aviation career to the Pentagon and uncover her flight path for creating lasting impact in the cockpit and beyond.
Links from Episode:
Teri Weber’s Website
Transcript:
Kassi Kincaid (00:00):
Welcome back to The Edge of Creativity podcast. I'm your host, Kassi Kincaid, and joined with me today is Air Force instructor, pilot and children's author of the series, Operation Aviation, Teri Weber. Teri, thank you so much for being here today.
Teri Weber (00:18):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
Kassi Kincaid (00:21):
Teri, I am so excited to share with our listeners your incredible career path from Aviator Pilot in the Air Force to children's author. Wow. Can you just start by sharing your story of how you became an Air Force pilot?
Teri Weber (00:39):
Yeah, absolutely. So I come from a military family. I'm a fourth generation military officer. My great grandfather, both of my grandfathers and both of my parents, were all career army officers. So I always knew I wanted to continue that legacy and serve in some capacity. And aviation itself appealed to me. It really seemed to align with my strengths and my interests. So I decided to do Air Force ROTC in college. I got my commission from Baylor University and went straight to flight school as a brand new second lieutenant. I trained with the Navy in an exchange type program and then went back to the Air Force where I got my wings and selected C-17's, which was my first choice of platform, my first choice of aircraft out of pilot training. And then after flight school, I had two consecutive operational assignments in the C-17. So the first I flew out of Charleston, South Carolina, and that's where I did all of my major upgrades. So I went from a copilot to an aircraft commander and then to an instructor pilot. And then for my second assignment, I operated primarily in the Pacific flying out of Hawaii. And now I'm currently working on staff at the Pentagon and I work for headquarters Air Force.
Kassi Kincaid (01:47):
Wow, that is an incredible journey. And for our listeners, can you describe the exact kind of what a C-17 looks like? I know there's a lot of different planes in the Air Force.
Teri Weber (01:58):
Yeah, so a C-17 is a four engine cargo jet. So we are humongous. Our max takeoff weight is close to 600,000 pounds. So we can fit a lot in the back. And we do, we can take everything from tanks to helicopters, pallets of humanitarian supplies for hurricane relief. All of the press that you probably saw regarding the Afghanistan evacuation, the majority of those jets were C- 17. So we take a lot of personnel in and out of places. We've even transported free Willy. We took an orca to Iceland, I believe, to set it free from captivity. So I mean really anything that you can think of the C-17 can move. So we're a strategic and tactical level air lifter, just a big fat cargo plane basically.
Kassi Kincaid (02:47):
That's incredible. Oh my word. I love the versatility of that jet, and I think sometimes we have stigmas. I know I did in my mind of you think Air Force and you just think the two seater fighter jets, and I feel like they're the ones really promoted maybe in the Air Force is kind of like the Air Force plane. What made you specifically like the C-17 and really want to hone in on that plane?
Teri Weber (03:15):
So I really loved, like you just said, the versatility of it. It really is the kind of platform where regardless of what is going on in the world, you have a place in that. So when I would be flying operationally, I would wake up in the morning and check the news and I'd be able to say, oh, look at that. I bet I'm going to go here later this week. And sure enough, a couple hours later I would get a phone call from the schedulers and then say, hey, you're set for alert. Basically at this time you're going in a crew rest. You'll be on the plane tomorrow operating in this capacity. So I really love that strategic level impact that I would have. It's not something that a lot of 23, 24 year olds get to do is really kind of having a place in that.
(03:57):
And I really wanted to travel, come from a military family. So grew up kind of all over the world and the traveling aspect of the C-17 appealed to me pretty significantly in that I've been all over the world. There've been places that I didn't even know existed that I've been to with the exception of Antarctica. I've been to every continent and there is actually a C-17 mission that operates in and out of Antarctica. So the opportunity is certainly there in the C-17 and just the versatility of the mission that just really spoke to me and I really appreciated that going into it as a young copilot and then even now as an instructor pilot, that has still remained kind of fresh and exciting.
Kassi Kincaid (04:39):
So talk to me a little bit about your journey from pilot to being an instructor and what that looks like for you.
Teri Weber (04:48):
So being an instructor pilot, it takes a long time. So from the start flight school to the time that you get your wings is a little over a year. And then from there on, you're technically, you're getting paid as a pilot, you're a career aviator, but you're still a young co-pilot. So from the time that you get your wings to the time that you're an instructor, it's probably another five years or so, four or five years. So in that time, it's a lot of, you do a lot of simulators, you do a lot of missions, you do a lot of, we call it locals. So you go out and you practice your pattern work or your low levels or whatever you need to do to get your currency done. So as you're doing that, you're building your experience in the aircraft and you're really starting to learn maybe the more subjective pieces to flying.
(05:35):
So in an operational capacity, you have certain clearances, you have checklists, you have a very rigid system that you need to follow. But to get to the point of being an instructor, that's more the leadership. That's more how you teach a crew, how you interact with your crew. And all that just comes from time and experience. So yeah, it's not necessarily linear in that sense, but if you look at it on paper, yeah, it's like you go from being a junior co-pilot to a senior co-pilot to an aircraft commander to them being an instructor, and there's certain wickets you have to hit and certain courses you have to go to along the way. But I would say really the biggest piece of it is just that experience and learning as you go along.
Kassi Kincaid (06:20):
Okay. Wow. And which do you prefer or do you have a preference of being in the cockpit versus leading and teaching other pilots?
Teri Weber (06:32):
So as an instructor pilot, you are still in the cockpit, so it's kind of the best in both worlds, if you will. So you're still able to fly and operate and execute missions, but you're kind of the senior, the expert if you will. So you typically get matched with more of the junior copilots or the people who are about to go into upgrades. So co-pilots who are about to become aircraft commanders, you're there to supervise and make sure they're doing everything correctly and imparting your wisdom on them, if you will. So being an instructor is so much fun in that capacity, in that you do still get to move the mission, but you're able to interact in a more creative personal kind of capacity. So yeah, I would say being an instructor is kind of the best of both worlds in that way. It's hard because you're the senior officer, you're the aircraft commander, you're responsible. So with that comes certainly a lot of stress and anxiety. Anxiety and a lot of, I don't want to say burden, but certainly a lot of expectation. So that is kind of where being a co-pilot was fun and that you can just be like, I'm just along for the ride. Somebody else is going to take care of all this stuff. But being an instructor certainly is fun in that you get a little bit more flexibility in your leadership, in your creativity, in how you operate with your crew.
Kassi Kincaid (07:51):
That's incredible. That sounds like so much fun. The best of both worlds. I love that because sometimes you drive in your one lane, but when you can have two lanes and they be equally as exciting.
Teri Weber (08:03):
Exactly.
Kassi Kincaid (08:04):
Happen a lot of time.
Teri Weber (08:06):
Yeah, exactly.
Kassi Kincaid (08:08):
So I just want to switch gears a little bit. It's been your whole background in Air Force Aviation has been so interesting, and I love that it's really been a catalyst for you in another area of life. Your children's books and one just came out, is that correct?
Teri Weber (08:26):
Yeah, so Fly with Mytai is going to be the first one that was released here for Operation Aviation, and we've got two others coming out in 2024. So yeah, big things happening. It's pretty exciting. It's been an interesting journey certainly to go from that more rigid way of doing things, kind of like the engineering part of my brain in aviation to now this more creative process. But it's been so much fun and it's been such a journey, and I've really enjoyed every second of it, to be honest.
Kassi Kincaid (08:56):
That's incredible how you've taken really Air Force main staple Air Force planes and turned them into something really relatable to kids. Because when I'm trying to rack my brain as far as all the children's books that I've seen and things like that, I mean, definitely there are ones on planes and of course what kid doesn't love planes, but especially the Air Force piece I feel like is super unique. What was your inspiration for this series?
Teri Weber (09:21):
Yeah, for sure. So I mean, I think a lot of it kind of comes back to my original love for writing, and it's always been my way to process things and document things in my life and just really flex that creative muscle. I mean, my bookcase at home is just crammed with journals that I fill starting from the time when I was like seven. So writing has always kind of been my happy place. And then when I had my kids, I've got two right now. My oldest is two years old and my youngest is only about seven months old. But I use writing as a means to share military aviation with them. And I really, like you said, I wanted an approachable way to include them in that piece of my life to kind of translate my jet in its mission to make it kid friendly.
(10:02):
And it was important to me that my son and my daughter understand what their mom does in a professional capacity, at least at a basic level. But I also really wanted to showcase the fun and unique and exciting elements of my community and make that entertaining for them. So writing for me was the default avenue to do this. I started writing the C-17 book first. It's called Moose on a Mission, Moose is a C-17's nickname. And I really just started that out as a passion project. And then as I was writing it, I found that I really loved the whole process and the creative outlet that it gave me. So I just kept going with different aircraft, having the stories kind of build on one another. And then eventually I had written enough manuscripts to label it as a proper series signed with a great publisher who then matched me with a brilliant illustrator. Brenda is an absolute genius with what she does, and that's how we got Operation Aviation.
Kassi Kincaid (10:56):
So the books, Teri, they are real life Air Force jets with a fictitious story.
Teri Weber (11:04):
Yes, exactly. So each book follows a real life aircraft throughout kind of a day in the life, if you will. So while it is a fiction story per se, it is true in that the inspiration and the other jets that they interact with and kind of what they do throughout the day is based in reality. So kids who read it kind of get a good idea as to, oh, this is what NF-22 does all day. This is what C-17 does when it goes out and runs a mission. And part of that is I wanted kids and grown ups as well to get a feeling for the military, for the Air Force, for what we do on a daily basis, and kind of bringing in that excitement and all of the cool things that we do, all the fun things that we do, while also keeping the reality kind of flavored in there as well.
Kassi Kincaid (11:55):
I love that. I think that's one of the things I love about children's books is that they bring concepts to life that could be very either hard to understand or maybe people don't understand them. I know I don't really know anything about military jets. And so that's just super cool and a fun way to engage kids. So kind of on the path, you mentioned creativity and mentioned it in your role as pilot and an author. Can we just talk a little bit more about the piece of creativity in all your roles as pilot, as instructor and as a children's author?
Teri Weber (12:38):
Yeah. So I will say aviation typically isn't considered a creative field by most as pilots. We're very disciplined with the use of checklists. We have a lot of predefined standards and parameters. We have to adhere to very specific clearances. So there is a lot of rigidity, a lot of studying, very objective things and a lot of prescribed procedures. But I found that there is room for creativity in the gaps of all of that, if you will. So you just have to be intentional and deliberate about finding those opportunities. So for a literal example, how you mission plan, what your whiteboard looks like, what your crew papers look like down to what color dryer erase markers and highlighters, and are you going to color code? Another example, how you instruct certain concepts. So one of my best friends is a helicopter pilot. She's an incredible artist.
(13:26):
So when she teaches the systems of her Hilo to her students, she actually sketches them out so her students can see the tangible details of the fuel system, the hydraulic system, etc. And then additionally, I think as an aircraft commander, there is a lot of creativity and leadership itself and how you interact with your crew, how you teach your crew, how you empower your crew, how you run the mission itself. There's certainly an art to all of that, and an opportunity to do it in a unique way and in a way that's authentic to you as an individual. And then regarding how this translates to my role as an author, I think it's made me quite scrappy with my creativity and that I'm always looking for places where I can insert elements unique to me, unique to my goals and values and my knowledge and my background. And I'm very intentional with my writing because of that. I try to be deliberate about adding detail and making sure I don't miss an opportunity to leverage my creativity despite any prescribed constraints. And we spoke a bit about the rigidity of aviation, but there's a bit of that in picture books as well. Only in this case, I'm up against a 32 page limit, poetry editors, the attention span of a toddler, which admittedly is much more challenging than flying a $300 million.
Kassi Kincaid (14:41):
Oh, wow. I mean, I knew the capacity for attention spans for children was rough, but that you say it's harder than flying a jet. Wow.
Teri Weber (14:53):
It's all relative.
Kassi Kincaid (14:54):
That's something
Teri Weber (14:56):
Kind of hard.
Kassi Kincaid (14:58):
And I love that the creativity, and I know that's true in my own life, that there are things that you can't really get around, right practices and things in certain industries. And I love that, that you find the creativity in your job and to fill in the gaps. That's a really great way to put it. And so Teri, how would you say that the creativity that you previously mentioned is making an impact?
Teri Weber (15:27):
So for me, my favorite quote of all time is by Maya Angelou who said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, they'll forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." And in every aspect of my life, whether that be the military, aviation, parenthood, writing, whatever, I just want people to feel safe and warm with me. I want them to feel as though they can show up as exactly who they are and be comforted and seen and empowered. And I really hope that I've enabled those feelings and others by being creative in some of the ways we've talked about. I want young flyers, young copilots, to come to me with their stupid questions. I don't ever want them to be ashamed of making a mistake as they're trying to learn. And that kind of safe climate is built, I think by finding those creative gaps within this pretty rigid profession, by capitalizing on opportunities to soften the relative hardness that is the job.
(16:22):
Whether that be through having everyone color pictures for their moms while we're at crews over the ocean or playing Party in the USA over the intercom when we fly back into American airspace or just sharing my embarrassing copilot stories so others can learn from my dumb mistakes. All of this is creativity in my opinion. I think that's creative leadership. And then regarding my role as an author, the same ultimate goal applies for me in that I want my books to be a source of comfort and fun for kids. I want to make them feel good and happy and cozy through my writing, and I want them to see themselves in these characters and to really feel empowered. And I'm not ignorant to the fact that these probably aren't feelings most people would naturally associate with the United States military. The Air Force doesn't innately evoke that sort of lightness that I'm going for in my book. So that's where creativity is so critical in my writing, and that's why it's so important for me to find opportunities to insert that softness wherever I can, whether that be through the use of rhyme or through the storylines themselves, or even through the friendships between my characters. I think all of that really plays an essential part in shaping the series to be something that does feel joyful and more approachable despite the inherent edge of the subject matter itself.
Kassi Kincaid (17:39):
Well, I love that. Oh, my word, hearing the different ways that you've been creative, that is just the best. I mean, it can literally be some, like you said, a song coming into America or something that we're going to give away. I mean, you just highlighted that there are so many ways to be creative and really any profession, and I love that.
Teri Weber (18:03):
And I think creativity really just comes down to you being unique and owning who you are and owning how you interact with others. And creativity. When people say being creative, I'm sure the first thing they think of is painting or drawing or writing in some capacity. But there's so much creativity and opportunity for creativity in every single area, every single profession, every single, fill in the blank that you are able to be creative in your creativity, I guess you could say.
Kassi Kincaid (18:34):
I love that you're creative in your creativity. So wrapping up today, what would be one piece of advice you would give to people about creativity and impact?
Teri Weber (18:48):
So I would say know who you are and be unapologetic about communicating that with the world in that you probably don't think of drawing pictures for your mom when you think about military aviation or what a military leader would have her crew do. But I think in being unapologetically myself and my leadership and who I am, and then kind of projecting that out to my copilots to young kids that I speak to and young girls that I mentor, it's okay. Showing up is exactly who you are, and it's empowering in certain ways for you, but it also empowers others to be who they are. So yeah, I think highlighting your own uniqueness and your own strengths and differences, and I think that in and of itself is creativity. And that's probably where I would start if I could go back and tell my 22-year-old self how to move forward. It would just be honest about who you are and be truthful to yourself.
Kassi Kincaid (19:54):
Absolutely. And everyone's creativity is so different. It's like a thumbprint that no two people have the same. And then your creativity and your impact is one that only you can make.
Teri Weber (20:06):
Exactly. And by trying to conform to what a standard idea of like, oh, a military officer, a military pilot, if I had done that, I'd never would've had the opportunities that I've had or made the impacts that I did. Or I think by being honest about who you are and being unique in that way, and like you said, kind of putting your own thumbprint on things, I think it makes everything more diverse and better and not canned and not standard. It's just so boring when you do that. You want to create if you have to live in your own uniqueness. So yes, certainly you're here.
Kassi Kincaid (20:40):
Absolutely. Teri, thank you so much for being here today for your service to our military and all your wonderful picture books, one that's out and your other ones to come. Thank you for being here today,
Teri Weber (20:53):
So much for having me. It was a real joy.
Kassi Kincaid (20:55):
Thanks so much for joining us for this episode on The Edge of Creativity Podcast. Be sure to follow so you don't miss any of our upcoming conversations. We'll see you next time.
