Flygirl

The Flygirl Trilogy #1

by R.D. Kardon

*** Winner 2019 New Apple Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing***

In a crippled airplane thousands of miles from home, Tris must prove she can lead...

Propelled by grief and natural ambition, pilot Tris Miles is not content with her job as a First Officer for tiny Clear Sky Airlines. She wants to be a Captain--the only way she knows to prove her worth as a pilot and atone for a deadly mistake.


To further her career, Tris accepts a prestigious job with Tetrix, Inc. But her dream of becoming pilot-in-command twists into a nightmare. As the company's first woman pilot, she encounters resistance, marginalization, and harassment on a daily basis. Fortunately, Tris has one thing her co-workers can't deny--skill.


In the skies over Europe, Tris, her passengers, and crew are in real danger. With their lives on the line, can Tris earn the respect she's been craving? And if this is the end, can she find the strength to forgive herself?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2019

About the author

Robin D. “R.D.” Kardon is a native New Yorker, educated in the New York City public school system. She attended New York University where she earned a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology, magna cum laude, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

After college, Robin went to law school at The American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. There, she was a Moot Court champion and earned her J.D. Thus began her ten-year career as a commercial litigator.

Disillusioned with the law, Robin sought out another career and started training to become a pilot in 1991. She eventually earned her Certified Flight Instructor ratings, quit practicing and started teaching to build flight time. Eventually, she worked as both a corporate and airline pilot, and has flown all kinds of aircraft from single-engine Cessnas to the Boeing 737 all over the US and the world. Robin has an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate with three Captain qualifications (type-ratings) and is also a Commercial/Instrument rated helicopter pilot.

The tragedy of September 11, 2001 decimated the aviation industry. Unfortunately, Robin was furloughed from the airline job she held on that date, and her career never recovered from the blow. She left aviation voluntarily in 2004, and began a career as an executive search consultant specializing in helping companies hire in-house attorneys.

Robin wanted to share the experiences she had as a professional pilot with her readers. FLYGIRL, her first novel, and ANGEL FLIGHT, her second, were both Amazon #1 best sellers. FLYING HOME, the third and final book in The FLYGIRL Trilogy, talks about the effects of 9/11 on the aviation industry, and concludes the ARC of main character Tris Miles.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready to soar to the sky with one kickass pilot who knows her own worth in Flygirl.

Listen, people, listen, I feel fairly excited about this book and I wish I could call up its author, R.D. Kardon, because she's written a hell of a tale.

Set in 1998, Flygirl presents us with Tris, a determined thirtysomething that is looking to improve her flying experience and become a captain. But like many women, Tris faces the challenges of climbing the work ladder while also dealing with hostility and sexual advances from her male colleagues.

What is also refreshing is that Tris and her journey remains our chief focus. Sure there is a backstory of Tris's heartache and there are chapters highlighting several of her fellow pilots, but the novel stays true to itself(a woman pursuing her dream)and I found that utterly refreshing . I certainly will be keeping an eye out for this author in the future.


Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alicia Infante · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off let me say, this book is amazing. I love how the author touches on a subject that, not only was relevant in the time from the story took place, but is still very much relevant today. That subject is woman’s rights. Many professions back and then and still today are dominated by men. Women have to work ten times as hard as their male counterparts to receive the same recognition.
Tris, a female teacher turned pilot is training to become a pilot for a company that does corporate flights. She is faced with many obstacles throughout her training that would make anyone want to quit.
I was extremely happy with how Tris stood by her morals and did what she felt was right throughout the entire book. R.D. Kardon did a great job capturing the essence of the main character and supporting characters. Her research for this book was amazing and most definitely showed. I would 100% recommend this book.

[Lori Oliver-Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the main character in this book Tris. She had many hurdles thrown in her way but continued to live with integrity and do her best. The author is obviously very knowledgeable about aviation and I enjoyed getting to know more about the world of pilots as my husband was a co-pilot on a USFS plane. He also read her book and found it to be truthful and honest concerning the world of women in the role of being a pilot. This book really resonated with me as I worked as a ranger for the USFS when women were just coming into their own. I enjoyed this story and realized it might have a lot to do with the authors own life. Thanks to Robin Kardon for a wonderful debut novel. I am looking forward to reading more from this excellent author.

[E.P. Sery · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic story! R. D. Kardon took me to a new and fascinating world of aviation in her debut novel Flygirl. Tris's dream to succeed in a male dominated field was ambitious, and I watched in awe how she strived to reach equal terms with determination and hard work.
There was a moment when I felt present in the cockpit, watching her keep her cool while under tremendous pressure.
Her love and trust of men were constantly tested, and being a Pilot-in-Command in life as well as on the plane had to be achieved. A unique and wonderful book.

[A.R. Hellbender · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided to me by the author for review.
I liked this book even more than I expected. It’s a great story about a girl trying to succeed in a male-dominated industry where the people she works with try everything to destroy her chances.
It’s well researched and full of pilot terminology, as well as being very true to the late-90s setting.

The format of it may not be for everyone, as we get little character depth but are still privy to all of their points of view & the problems they are going through that come together to make the story.
Unfortunately, some of the conflict, particularly at the very end, felt underdeveloped, but I loved reading about a girl who stops at nothing to succeed when everyone she knows is trying to bring her down.

[Ginny Velazquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a woman’s journey to become a captain in a man’s world. She faces judgment and prejudices along her journey and handles them with grace. I feel like a lot of the emotions and reactions are a little over-simplified and the way Tris, the protagonist, blames herself or thinks about situations frequently makes no sense to me, but it doesn’t take away from a good story.

[Connie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What awesome book and an inspiring author!

What an amazing story! I could not put my Kindle down! What a tragic loss for Tris when she lost Bron to a drunk driver. He sounded like her soulmate. With the skills she learned on the Astral, she could now be hired as a Captain. Between Bron and Danny, her best friend, she received the support and guidance that she would need in a man's occupation!

[M. Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Flygirl" is a smart story about a pilot whose high personal standards for success in life, love and flying lead her on a turbulent personal journey using the skills with which she is uniquely equipped. The protagonist, Tris, is the final authority of her own life. Her clarity of purpose cannot eviscerate the one unassailable truth, however: Tris, and her friends and work-mates, are human, and subject to the same foibles as anyone else. But Tris is clear-eyed and resilient. What I'm saying is that the protagonist, and other characters in this well-paced story, are fully formed; engrossing and compelling. Also, I learned a lot about planes--and the aviation industry--from the vantage point of the people who keep them in the air every day. As I read along, I cared more about Tris, and was intrigued by her ability to navigate--planes, loves and life, by what she and her fly-mates might call pilotage and dead reckoning. To stretch the aviation metaphor, Tris uses her head and her heart to get her where she needs to go. As I guy, I wasn't sure I'd like this book. A female pilot who gives as good as she gets? But "Flygirl" is fly.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful novel is about sexual discrimination in the aviation area in the early 90s. I would like to think that we've come a long way with women's rights since the early 90s but some of the situations in this novel are still happening to women in the work place today.

Tris wanted to be a pilot. She gave up her teaching job to fly for a small airline but was relegated to a position as first officer with no idea when she would be promoted to captain. She takes a job with a company that flew corporate flights and had a bigger airplane that would enable her to learn even more and put her goal of becoming a pilot closer to reality. She is faced with discrimination from the male pilots at every turn - from them noticing her physical attributes instead of her ability to fly to being talked down to because she was a woman. Tris keeps her eye on the prize - her goal to become a pilot - and despite her personal demons, shows her skill as a pilot on every trip she takes.

This was a very enjoyable novel full of very real people. It was interesting to see Tris fight the battle of work place discrimination on a daily basis and to see her continue to fight to achieve her dream. It was very interesting to read about flying and the author went into a lot of interesting detail about piloting an airplane. Overall the best part of the novel was the character of Tris who continued to follow her dreams dispute the roadblocks that were put in her way by her male counterparts.


Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Flying is a series of small corrections."

This is a book not only about a woman in the aviation industry but also about sexual harassment in the workplace. It is set in 1997-1998 but I could have been reading a story about my own experiences and career from the 1970s on. I do believe that it's better nowadays (or it was when I worked in the late 1980s and 1990s but sexual harassment still does happen - often. Just watch the news.

Because of some of the content, I found myself reliving past experiences, which was difficult, to say the least.

But I did enjoy the story. Tris Miles wants to fly and she wants to do it well. She leaves the teaching profession to become a pilot and finally leaves a small airline company that flies turboprop planes, has terrible pay, and slow advancement to go to work at a company that had its own corporate jets. Her ambition - to become a Captain.

But from day one she has to endure endless harassment by other pilots because she is the first and only woman ever hired there.

As I mentioned, this was a difficult read for me just because it triggered bad memories but otherwise I enjoyed this story of a woman pilot with skill and integrity trying to outrun her past.

I am now off to read the next book featuring Tris Miles ANGEL FLIGHT.

[Laura Engel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first met author, K.D.Kardon at a small bookstore's Author Day after she read a scene from her book, Flygirl. I was immediately interested in reading her book because I too had worked in the 80s and 90s in male dominated fields and I knew the struggle we women had dealt with. I thought the book would be about that struggle. But, I was in a for a treat. This book is so much more. Great story telling, realistic characters, a love story, a story of working hard and accomplishing your goals, a story about the tragedy of alcoholism, a story of aviation and what it takes to be a pilot and a Captain for an airline, along with the story of an era when women were paving the path for future generations of women. This book is fast paced and delivers a satisfying and enjoyable read. I recommend it highly and will give to my granddaughters to read. A five star for many reasons.

[Gene Desrochers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia “Tris” Miles (see what she did there!?) is a woman trying to make it in the man’s world of airline piloting. She dreams of moving from the puddle-jumper commuter called Clear Sky to a corporate jet where she can accumulate the hours needed to get better jobs. She wants to fly an Astral at Tetrix. She lands the job but her flight trainer, Deter, is a chauvinist who believes someone with more experience and less hair should have gotten the position. She will have to navigate not only him but a host of land mines at Tetrix to achieve her rating and ensure her upward mobility continues. This book teaches you about the reality of being a pilot and how much farther we have to go as a society when it comes to women having equal footing in male dominated industries.

[David Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flygirl takes you into the mind of Tris Miles as she battles the sexism of 1998 (some things never really change) and personal demons in her attempt at becoming a corporate pilot. Despite her obvious skills, self-doubt creeps into her purposeful outlook, and the advances of men who still refer to a grown woman as "girl" take a toll.
Tris perseveres, dealing with being undermined by her own employers and the continual resentment of certain co-workers. Yet surprises are in store as the tale reaches its climax.
Flygirl is well-crafted and entertaining, even if aviation-themed stories aren't your thing.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flygirl follows Tris on her journey to become the pilot she aspires to be while facing the turbulence that comes with breaking into a male-dominated profession in the late 90s. Along the way Tris proves she can overcome any obstacle placed in-front of her, both as a pilot and as a female.
I through I was reading a book about flying, but I found myself on quite the roller coaster in regards to my feelings about some of the characters, especially Ross and Deter.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes #MeToo novels, fast-paced novels, or novels with strong, positive female main characters. I know I enjoyed my ride.

[Energy Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tris, who was once a teacher, makes a drastic change in her life and sets her eyes on the skies. She wants more out of her flight career so she moves from a commuter airline to a corporate, Tetrix. In hopes of being captain, she hopes she's made the right choice. In these days, flying was mostly considered a man's world, and it's even truer at Tetrix, where she is the only female flying and her only ally seems to be the receptionist.

The person who is supposed to be training her, Deter, is nothing short of a jerk. He's made it clear he doesn't want her there, he's short with her and flies off the handle too easily. Ross, on the other hand, could be an ally, except he's an alcoholic who sometimes makes advances on Tris.

Tris is a strong person, she's a hell of a flier, and she handles her cool, so much better than I would be able to. She needs to because she can't make waves at Tetrix. Every time Deter yelled at her or talked down to her, I cheered her on for the way she handled it. I do feel she made a few poor decisions when it came to Ross. If someone who had previously made unwanted advances came to my door, drunk as all get out, I wouldn't open the door. I was screaming at Tris when she made the decision, because the situation could have turned out so much worse, and thankfully, it didn't.

I learned so much about flying from this book, it was well researched and was very accurate. It did a great job portraying the situation that Tris was in, and the overall perceptions of female flyers in a mans world back in the day. It also talked about the relationship Tris had with a man named Bron before he died and touched on the feelings of loss that Tris was still going through. Kardon did a great job with this book, from the characters, to the scenes and situations. Nicely done.

[Jan Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kardon brings to light the struggles women often face in male-dominated careers. What sets this story apart from others that portray similar issues is the use of multiple POVs. Not only do we get Tris' story, we also get insight into the male point of view through well-developed male characters who struggle with their own personal and professional issues.

The interesting world of aviation paired with Kardon's multi-layered characters make this novel a truly enjoyable read from beginning to end.

[Marta Ratliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh I would never have guessed that Fly Girl is by a debut author. It made me feel like I was going through everything right along with Tris. She fought like crazy after becoming a pilot to become Captain in a man's world in the 70's. The ending had me in tears. R. D. Kardon is flying high with this book. Now I need to read her new book Angel Flight.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fast read

Tris has a lot going on but her dream to become a licensed captain is important. The road is bumpy and has its problems, both petsonally snd professionally. Its a great read and explores e otions and things that drive us to accomplish dreams

[D. James · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever been ostracized, undermined or unacceptable for whatever reason, then Flygirl is the novel for you.
Based on real-life events it’s the story of one woman’s struggle to be accepted and ultimately excel against all the odds.
Great read. Can’t wait for the sequel.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She made a mistake once and she dreams of being a captain of an airplane. She goes to join another team and they are not happy to see her. She will prove herself and they are not going to stop her. Her plane has issues a he she needs to land safely. Can we do it? Will they crash? Will anyone die? See how we gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Donnajo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read a advanced reader's copy of this book

Flygirl by R.D. Pardon by a new to me author that I will be checking out more books by. I found the storyline of this book very interesting and keep me going back to read more.

[Leigh Gaston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect quick read.

[Kamini Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Tris's story. She doesn't have the easiest life, but she goes after what she wants.

[Jaclyn Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a female 91/135 pilot: excellent read....

It was an engaging read with page turning relationships between the characters. I appreciated the perfectly accurate view of corporate aviation from the perspective of a woman, with all of its ups and downs and inequalities. It took me no time at all to get lost in this story and am sorry it has ended. I enjoyed every chapter, something I often can’t say.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Tris from the beginning. Not happy with her life. Definitely a strong character. Can’t wait to read more about her.

[Barbara Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Flygirl, one of the best books I've read in a long time. The story grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the last page. It keeps the reader guessing and wondering if Tris will ever catch a break.
As an avid reader of popular fiction, I really enjoyed it. Very entertaining. I identified with the main character, Tris Miles, and her struggles getting fair treatment in the workplace as she navigates her way into the male-dominated field of aviation.
It is very well-written. Kardon moves the story forward with every chapter. It kept me reading and wondering what Tris would face next. I loved her. She is very believable. Her doubts about herself and her decisions are so familiar. I couldn’t stop reading once I started.
This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it.

[Sam Ashkenas]

The author is a born storyteller and a master of metaphor. I highly recommend this book!

[Priscille Richman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a woman, forging her path, in a very male dominated career (more so in the time period of the book). Loved the strong female character and her fighting spirit, especially when dealing with some tough male counterparts. There were even some romantic overtures, and a touch of mystery, to keep us wanting more.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to The Book Club on Facebook reviewer group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10. I found this a well written story and it engaged my interest from the first few pages. This is the first in a series by the Author that feature Tris Miles, who yearns to be a pilot and Captain of the planes that she flies in.

As Tris faces harassment and sexual bigotry on a daily basis, due to being a female trying to make it in a male dominated profession. Can Tris overcome all that she faces from the men around her? They will try their best to make sure that women don't succeed in their world.

To find out how Tris deals with all that is thrown at her, you need to grab a copy for yourself and let the story take you on a journey with Tris as she tries to attain what she knows that she can. To become a pilot and Captain of the plane.

I look forward to reading Angel Flight the next in the series, to find out where we travel with this determined female.

[Gail Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this really hard to get into but by the end I really admired Tish.
A female pilot trying hard to progress in a male dominated world. She has a fight on her hand to prove herself in society and at work. A broken heart and a life long dream keeps Tish moving forward.
I really enjoyed this book about a strong woman and a real story line without the need for adult themes.