DONOR IMPACTTaking
DONOR IMPACTTaking Flightand Soaring HighSupporting the NextGeneration of AviatorsTexas Woman’s alumnaCindy Green Weber, M.S.,Ph.D. ’86, ’91 has had hershare of adventures asa private pilot flying herCirrus SR22 plane.She’s flown over the Atlantic Ocean,soared over the Grand Canyon andperformed circles around the Statue ofLiberty. But being invited to land on thespace shuttle runway at the KennedySpace Center tops the list. “Nothing isbetter than NASA clearing you to land,”says Weber.A LIFELONG FASCINATION WITH FLIGHTGrowing up with a father in the 82 ndAirborne Division, Weber becamefascinated by airplanes. But it wasn’tuntil her mid 40’s that she decided tofulfill her lifelong dream of learning howto fly.“I’ve always been an adrenalinejunkie,” says Weber, who earned hermaster’s and doctorate in nutrition fromTWU. “I like the challenge that flyingpresents. Every single flight is different.Some of them have been exciting, someof them have been more difficult. But,they always require your full attention.”After flying for nearly 20 years andlanding in 50 states and six countrieswith her plane that she nicknamed “AirCindy,” Weber wants to make an impactand help more women become pilots.Joined by her husband, Tony, and herdaughter, Alexandra McGowen, theWebers created the Dr. Cindy GreenWeber Excellence Fund. Her gift willhelp the Doswell School of AeronauticalSciences purchase, operate andmaintain a full-motion flight simulator.“Unfortunately, learning to fly isvery expensive and it can be daunting,”says Weber. “That is the reason I reallywanted to do something to help offsetsome of that cost, and, at the same time,give these students an opportunity togo in the simulator and practice.”The FAA permits a portion of requiredflight hours to be completed in anapproved flight training device, thoughthe percentage varies by certificateand pilot rating. According to TWU’sDoswell School of AeronauticalSciences Program Director ClintGrant, once the simulator is installed,it must receive FAA approval beforedetermining the number of hours thatcan be logged.MASTERING FLIGHT THROUGH SIMULATIONThe simulator is particularly helpfulfor students struggling with flightmaneuvers. Students can spend timein the simulator getting it right beforegoing back up in a plane, saving themmoney on flight hours. Simulators couldpotentially save students thousands ofdollars, depending on their certificatesand pilot ratings.Weber knows firsthand how helpfula simulator can be. “I think simulatorsare challenging,” says Weber. “In someways, I think they’re harder than flyinga real airplane.”FROM NUTRITION TO NAVIGATIONFlying is not Weber’s only passion. Shehad always been interested in medicineand found her niche in the field ofnutrition. She was among the firstresearchers to publish about fish oilswhen she was on faculty as an assistantprofessor at Texas Christian University.She shelved her nutrition bookswhen she decided to take to the skies.“Well, flying isn’t something you cantake lightly,” says Weber. “It’s trainingconsistently like any other skill. It’s awhole different world.”“There’s nothing like real world experience.The simulator is a great way to learn and practiceskills, but then you still have to get in the airplane.However, if we can offset some of that cost forTWU pilot students, I’m super excited to do that.”Learn MoreVisit twu.edu/aviation8 TEXAS WOMAN’SCindy Green Weber, M.S., Ph.D. ’86, ’91TEXAS WOMAN’S 9
