By Ariana Wilson

Sitting in the cockpit of the flight simulator, staring down the tarmac of Arcata Airport, the engine roars to life. We lift off, soaring thousands of feet above the Humboldt skyline, all from the confines of the library’s second floor. Meg Godlewski, Humboldt class of 1987 and journalism major, carved out a career and found the elusive balance between passion and profession as a writer and editor for Flying magazine.

Writing and aviation may not intersect on paper, but when “Death by Timebuilder” was published in Oct. 2023, her words circulated across the country and inspired change that is evident in today’s flying safety standards. “Death by Timebuilder” was a controversial article published in Flying magazine by Godlewski following the unprofessional conduct of an instructor, shaming a student and knowingly flying into severe weather cataloged on Snapchat resulting in two preventable fatalities.

“That story is now up in frames around the country, in different flight schools. It’s required reading because I said things that other people were afraid to say,” Godlewski said. “I threw it out there and said, ‘We have a broken system. We have these time builders who don’t want to be there, they pass the test, but they don’t have teaching skills that just come with time.”

Beneath the canopy of the Redwood Bowl, Godlewski recalls her days with the Marching Lumberjacks and the sense of found family that shaped her years at Humboldt. 

“Close your eyes for a minute,” she said. “Think of your best birthday, the thrill of your team’s big win, the pride of your graduation — that’s what solo flight feels like. It’s incredible. You feel 15-feet-tall, walking on a cloud.”

Godlewski remembers a time before information was just a click away. 

“[Artificial Intelligence]  slows me down. It just gets in the way,” Godlewski said. “It’s a tool, but like anything else, it can be misused. I compare it to a Swiss army knife. My father, before giving me one, made me learn what each tool was for — because you shouldn’t use a fish scaler to cut wood. AI is the same way: you have to know how to use it properly.”

Godlewski has always believed that humans are creators.

Surrendering the process and mental frameworks of creation to machines threatens humanity’s imagination and wonder.

Continuous learning has always defined her approach, even before her aviation career took off. 

“I study pretty much every night,” Godlewski said. “Once a year, I read the manuals for each airplane I fly to refresh my knowledge.”

Mentors from her early career shaped the leadership style she now brings to teaching. She walks her students through every inch of a flight pattern as they prepare for their first solo flights. 

“I give all my students call signs, even though not everyone finishes. I want them to remember the experience,” Godlewski said. “I am helping someone do something they’ve wanted to do their whole life, because someone will come to me, and [say] I’ve always wanted to be a pilot and I ask, ‘Why not?’ [And they say] ‘well, I’m 40.’ It’s doable. If you can find your butt in the dark, with both hands, a map and a flashlight, I can probably teach you how to fly. And if I’m not the right instructor for you, I’ll find you one.”

Reciprocity has defined her career, serving as a catalyst for a life of meaning. “Honestly, I don’t see myself at the end of my career, because I turned two hobbies into careers,” Godlewski said. “If I can help someone, I want to. Sometimes I’m not the right instructor or mentor, and that’s okay — there are others who are a joy to work with, and I hear from them later.”

Godlewski believes there’s a beautiful emptiness as we walk through life as wayfinders, charting our own course of self-discovery. “Recognize that you are leaving a bubble,” Godlewski said. “[Humboldt] is insular, but when you move on, nobody’s going to care where you came from. It’s about what you can do.” 

Ari is a senior journalism major and the science editor this semester with an adoration for the environment and conservation. She is currently pursing her scientific diving certification and plans to meld her journalistic passions with scientific research in the future. For any inquiries please contact ajw167@humboldt.edu.