My guest this week is Beth Ruggiero York, author of a memoir called Flying Alone (affiliate link). Beth and I talked about her passion for flying airplanes, the dangers she faced as she climbed the ranks to become a commercial airline pilot, and the challenges she moved through along the way.

We also talked about the chronic illness that Beth has dealt with for several decades now. I think you’ll be able to relate to a lot of Beth’s experience, like the difficulty of leaving bad relationships, and the strength she found within herself. Other topics we touched on include:

• What led Beth to pursue a career in aviation
• The challenges women faced at the highest levels of the aviation industry
• The competition Beth encountered as she climbed the ranks of aviation
• What the experience of piloting an aircraft is like
• The medical challenges Beth faced started in her early twenties
• The effect of negative relationships on our ability to pursue our dreams
• Beth’s longstanding need for male approval
• The dangers Beth faced as a pilot
• Looking within oneself to find strength and support for major challenges
• The psychiatric care Beth received for her depression
• Beth’s eventual diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, and its effects on depression
• The power in knowing where we want to go
• How we can forge a new relationship with ourselves

Beth Ruggiero York is a former airline pilot for Trans World Airlines. She entered the world of civil aviation in 1984, shortly after graduating from college, and for the next 5 years climbed the ladder to her ultimate goal of flying for a major airline.

Beth now has dual careers in Chinese translation and professional photography. (Click here for some examples of her stunning photos.) She teaches photography workshops for Arizona Highways PhotoScapes and for her own company, Ruggiero Images LLC.

Beth lives with her husband in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Find her online at her website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.