Kate Bernard is a professional pilot and flight instructor from northeast Wisconsin. She has been flying since 1998 and instructing since 2005.
Kate took her first airplane ride at age 16 in her hometown of Clintonville, Wisconsin. Eager to get involved in aviation, she began volunteering at the EAA museum’s Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh soon afterward. That’s where she met helpful mentors who fed her passion for flying and set her on track for an aviation career.
At Pioneer Airport, Kate helped build three RV-6 kitplanes, interacted with visitors, promoted safety on the flight line, and helped care for the aircraft and facilities. She had exciting flying experiences such as touring with the Ford Tri-Motor and getting some “stick time” in the Spirit of St. Louis replica. She volunteered from 1999 to 2001 and served as a full-time paid intern in the summer of 2002.
Kate discovered an interest in the mechanical aspect of aviation while helping build airplanes at Pioneer Airport. In high school, she took a job at an avionics shop to earn money for flight lessons. She has also worked as an aircraft maintenance assistant.
Kate graduated with honors from the University of Dubuque with a bachelor of science degree in flight operations, as well as commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates. She has since worked as a flight instructor, corporate pilot, and charter/air ambulance pilot, and airline pilot.
In 2007, Kate instructed for the organization Able Flight, which provides flight training scholarships for people with disabilities. She taught Sean O’Donnell, who is paralyzed from the chest down, how to fly in a Sky Arrow equipped with hand controls. Sean earned his sport pilot certificate in less than a month. He has since become a spokesman for the organization and helped others with disabilities experience the freedom of flight.
Kate enjoys flying for fun in Cessna 172s, a Cessna 150, and a 1946 Ercoupe at Brennand Airport (79C) in Neenah, WI and currently works as a first officer for a regional airline.
- ATP AMEL with CL-65 Type Rating
- Commercial ASEL
- Certificated Flight Instructor with Instrument Rating (CFII), single-engine
- 3,000+ flight hours
- 2,000+ hours flight instruction given
- 65+ aircraft types
- Extensive cross-country experience
- Primary instruction
- Sport
- Recreational
- Private
- Advanced instruction
- Instrument
- Commercial
- Flight instructor
- Recurrent training
- Flight reviews
- Instrument proficiency checks
- FAA WINGS program
- Transition training
- High performance aircraft endorsements
- Complex aircraft endorsements
- Glass panel avionics
- Avidyne Entegra
- Garmin G1000
- Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA)
- Cirrus SR20/SR22 (Avidyne)
- Cessna 172/182 Nav III (Garmin G1000)
- Discovery flights
- Aerial photography
