Avionics News March 2013 - 61

… Although there were organizations for women
in different segments of aviation, there was not an
all-encompassing group that would embrace pilots,
nonpilots, controllers, airline staff and aviation-oriented
military personnel and, even as important, one that
accepted men as full-fledged members.

Chabrian, reading the notes left on the blackboard,
realized one could study aviation in college. She
switched her course of study and earned a Bachelor
of Science degree in aviation management. Later, she
earned a master’s degree in aerospace education at
Middle Tennessee State University. She also earned her
private and commercial certificates along with instrument and instructor ratings. “And I was paying for it
all myself,” she added.
During this time, Chabrian realized there were no
ground-school classes at her airport, and she thought
she could fill this need and make some money.
“I started running a ground-school class,” Chabrian
said. “I ran an ad that said, ‘Come fly with me,’ and
got six students.”
The first class evolved into multiple classes and multiple airports in a three-state area. The money and continuing work at the restaurant paid for her training.
When she finished her master’s degree, she faced
a career decision. Chabrian wanted to combine her
passion for teaching and aviation, but the universities
were clamping down on the qualifications for aviation
staff. She realized a doctorate would be required if she
pursued teaching aviation at the university level, so she
went to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for
her doctorate. Her doctoral dissertation was a survey of
400 colleges and universities with aviation programs.

“I asked the typical questions about salaries and
credentials, but my last question was whether the university was hiring,” she said. “I was able to get some
interviews that way.”
Her first full-time teaching position was at Georgia
State University in Atlanta.
“I was only there one year,” she said. “I had planned
to be there longer, but I was approached by EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University to apply for a position
in Daytona Beach, Fla.”
She interviewed and got the position.
While at Embry-Riddle, Chabrian went to the
Prescott campus to conduct a CFI refresher clinic.
In fact, she had been the first civilian to be named a
designated certificate representative, which gave her
authority to approve flight instructors for their twoyear renewals. She was later offered the position of
associate vice chancellor at Prescott. “So I went to
Prescott in an administrative role, and that had been
my career goal,” she said.
While in Daytona and later at Prescott, Chabrian
noticed the scarcity of female students.
“During the time I was in Daytona, female students
comprised about 5 percent of the student body,” she
said. “Most classes were either all male or all male
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Avionics News March 2013

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