Hi,

My name is Katie. I’ve been a self-declared airplane nerd since the 2nd grade. Building flying balsa wood models and static-display plastic models took up almost every dollar of my allowance and free minute of my time as a child. Other than that, I was reading and writing. For some reason, I decided to get my Bachelor’s degree in Communications instead of Aviation. It was a mish-mash of all the things I loved to do – writing, photography, art and design. Later on, when I discovered flying was within my financial reach, my aviation career took off, albeit in ways I didn’t expect. An ADHD diagnosis last year at age 47 put an end to the potential for flying for hire, however, it opened up a new chapter that I’m exited to begin. This website is the first step.

During the course of my career as a pilot, instructor, assistant mechanic, technical writer and product support specialist, I often felt like a misfit. It wasn’t just the obvious misfit of being a female in a male-dominated world. That part I could deal with. Unlike normal people, even some who work in the industry, I see aviation as more than just a necessary evil to get from A to B, or as a status symbol, or even as a way to earn a nice living. I see aviation as something bigger. It’s about doing whatever sets your soul free, while at the same time, facing your fears of uncertainty; whether it’s embarking on a new career, building your own aircraft, or that first heart-pounding solo flight, lifting an antique taildragger off a freshly-mowed grass runway. (OK, maybe that last one was a bit too specific! That one was mine.) As I walk through the greater understanding of life that comes with middle age, it’s become apparent that my place is not on the corporate ladder or the professor’s pulpit. It’s right here, in front of this computer, expressing stories of aviation culture, neurodiversity, and system safety through a set of eyes that’s seen a lot. This website is the beginning of a portfolio collection for a career I started over 30 years ago as a high-schooler writing for the Bay Flyers Model Club’s monthly newsletter. Many things have changed since then. I now understand general aviation as a phenomenon encompassing a dizzying collection of concepts, from historical safety statistics to the craftsmanship it takes to build a personal flying work of art.

My website’s name is Bosman House. It wasn’t intended to look like a big publisher or editing outlet, even though editing, self-publishing and neurodivergent writer coaching are out there on my horizon. I named my business after the fine art gallery my parents ran out of our living room in Door County, Wisconsin when I was just a toddler. They knew there was more to a fulfilling life than earning enough money to afford the biggest house in the neighborhood. Dad carved birds out of basswood, while Mom painted oil and pastel landscapes. They taught me about the value of artistic expression, the beauty of nature, and the grit required to follow one’s own path. When I asked my dad whether he minded if I used their gallery’s old name for my writing business, he said “Go for it, kid! Make it fly!” And I intend to do just that.