Member Profiles – Grass Roots Galt

Hi everyone! My name is Brooke Semler and I am going into my senior year at Western Michigan University (WMU) studying Aviation Flight Science. I am currently an instrument rated private pilot, and have completed about half of the commercial-multi engine course at WMU. I also was just elected into my third term as the Chapter President of Women in Aviation at WMU, and I am also working as an Aviation Ambassador giving tours at our airport.

I have been around aviation my entire life, due to my mom being a flight attendant, and my grandfather a pilot in the Air Force.   It wasn’t until high school that I considered aviation as a career. My first ever flight in a small aircraft was a discovery flight at Galt Airport during my sophomore year of high school. After that, I participated in many young eagle events hosted by EAA Chapter 932 and completely caught the flying bug! I took private pilot ground school with JB Aviation the end of my junior year in high school, and then started flight lessons halfway through my senior year. I absolutely loved my experience flying at Galt, and am so thankful that I completed my private pilot license prior to college.  JB Aviation owner and flight instructor Justin Cleland spent so many hours of his personal time holding mock orals for myself and a other private students leading up to our check-rides, and I am so grateful for that! It made the check-ride experience less daunting and I felt so prepared. Galt Airport gave me such a wonderful foundation that I carried with to the flight program at WMU.

I just passed the halfway mark of my commercial multi engine course at WMU, flying a Piper Seminole. After that, I will complete my required WMU flight training with my single engine add on. I have been given so many wonderful opportunities at WMU such as, attending Oshkosh with the college as a representative, working in the recruitment department as an ambassador, and being interviewed by Fox Business on live TV about a month ago. The interview can be seen in a video below! Currently I am working on my United Airlines Aviate application, and would be thrilled to end up as a pilot for United Airlines once I graduate and accumulate my required hours. I love flight training at Western Michigan, but I will always be thankful for my start at Galt Airport, and the second family I made there!