On the morning of Oct. 22, Tiffani Calabrese rented out the 602 Tango-Lima. The Wichita State international business student performed pre-flight inspection on the aircraft under her instructor’s supervision, and consequently planned her first major cross-country journey.

Hours later, Calabrese departed from Beech Factory Airport (KBEC) and headed to Ponca City, Okla. Upon arrival, she spared a few minutes to have lunch. A subsequent stop in Anthony, Kan., preceded the trip back home.

At age 19, Calabrese is working toward receiving a pilot’s license. Even though her desicion to become an aviator was a recent one, she said she finds herself motivated to achieve her goals.

“I actually just got into flying last year,” she said. “A friend of mine used to take me flying all the time, and so I thought it was really cool, and it was kind of something that really sparked my interest, and living in what is the air capital of the world, it’s hard not to look up and see airplanes. My passion really isn’t just for aviation, but my dream is to travel the world, as cliché as that is.”

At the Paris Air Show this summer, Calabrese began to shape her upcoming career path, as she met people from all over the world who shared her interest.

“That trip changed my life. It kind of molded my passion for flying. The people I met were so passionate and inspiring,” Calabrese said. “Just to see their drive and motivation for working with airplanes and how much they loved it and all they got to do. People who work for Beechcraft and Cessna, they get to sell airplanes in different countries.

“They get to meet new people and get to experience different things. They kind of ignited the passion that I have now for aviation.”

Calabrese named the high cost of her flying lessons as one of her major obstacles — yet getting her license by the end of year is her greatest incentive.

The incentive is not a cheap one, she said. Depending on the instructor, a pilot’s license can cost anywhere between $6,000 and $12,0000.

“I’m a college kid, and I’m paying for flying all by myself,” she said. “I’ve had to think about stopping occasionally, just because I don’t have the money to pay for it. My passion has really kept me going and kept me motivated. Every dime that I made this past year has gone to flying.”

Although her love of aviation plays an instrumental role in her life, Calabrese said there are other characteristics that comprise her personality.

A member of Delta Gamma sorority, she also emphasized the numerous activities she pursues that don’t relate to flying.

“To be an aviator is to be amongst an elite group of people,” she said. “But if people know me well enough, if they know my personality, they’ll know that I’m not just ‘the pilot.’ I’m Tiffani. I love sports, I love playing basketball and softball, I love dressing up and going out.

I just think that I’m more than that, and I think that if you know me as a person, you’ll know that I’m more than that, too.”