Elizabeth McGhee already seems to have a lot on her plate, but that doesn’t stop her from adding on another scoop.
Aside from her homeschooling and the veterinary practice she runs with her husband, Chuck, McGhee is working toward her black belt in karate. She’ll even be competing for the title of Mrs. Michigan America next March.
But the 50-year-old, mother of nine, also loves to fly her Cessna 172 airplane.
She loves it so much, McGhee will take part in her second Michigan Air Tour (MAT) Sept. 28-30.
The tour is flown by members of the Ninety-Nines, which she is a member of, and just people who want to come along for the ride.
The Ninety-Nines were formed in 1929 in New York by noted aviator Amelia Earhart and other women pilots. Ninety-nine women attended their first meeting, hence the group’s name.
Their mission was to promote world fellowship through flight, provide networking and scholarship opportunities for women and aviation education and to preserve the unique history of women in aviation.
Ninety-Nine members in the nation are also listed in a directory that every pilot has access to for emergency situations.
‘No matter where you land, you can look up this lady (in the book), call her up and she’ll house me for the night,? McGhee said.
The MAT will begin at an airport in Marlette, then head to Gladwin, to Alpena, to Greenville, to Dowagiac and end in Mason.
Different events are planned at each of the airports, such as a luncheon, banquets, poker games and trips to museums.
The first MAT was in 1929 and its purpose was to focus on the state’s aviation infrastructure and the economic importance of aviation in the state and communities, according to their website.
For McGhee, learning to fly seemed only natural because her late father was a pilot.
She said she sees life’s ‘big picture? when she’s up in the air.
McGhee relates it to a Bible verse in the book of Ezekiel about flying on the wings of an eagle.
‘When you get up there, it’s not because you’re flying, it’s because you have a different perspective,? she said. ‘When you get up there, all of a sudden, you see how small everything really is.?