Dart Board Guidance Points The Way to Melbourne

C.J. Lotspeich is pursuing her instrument rating and commercial pilot endorsements at Ozarka College.

C.J. Lotspeich took a low-tech approach to find her way to Arkansas and Ozarka College after serving five years in the Navy as an aviation machinist working on jet engines.

“It’s a weird story,” said Lotspeich, whose work on F-18 Super Hornets included carrier duty. “I lived in Colorado and knew nothing about the aviation program here. I threw a dart at a map, and it landed in north Arkansas, just north of Melbourne, and I moved here and bought a house.”

She had visited Hot Springs before, and that experience with the beauty of Arkansas and the friendliness of its people sealed her decision.

Soon after relocating to Melbourne a year ago, Lotspeich heard about Ozarka, learned about its aviation program and began pursuing her wings.

“I’ve always been a machine and engine person,” Lotspeich said. “I decided I wanted to try something new. Learning to pilot an airplane has been incredible.”

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Like so many before, passing her checkride to prove her practical flying skills to the satisfaction of the Federal Aviation Administration and earn her private pilot certificate was a mountaintop experience.

“There’s a lot that leads up to that and a lot of pressure that goes on with that,” Lotspeich said. “There’s an FAA inspector sitting beside you, grading you on your performance during the flight. Your instructors have invested so much time to help get you to this point that you want to do well and not disappoint anyone.

“After you land and get your temporary certificate, it’s surreal to know that now you can just go fly an airplane without an instructor or anyone else.”

Now Lotspeich is working to gain her instrument rating through additional pilot training and build on her Navy experience by obtaining aircraft mechanic certification to work on airframes and power plants.

“That opens up opportunity,” she said of the additional certifications. “I’d love to continue to work with the school.”