AQHA Select Rider, June Liston, Upgrades Her Horsepower!
By: Brittany Bevis
AQHA Select competitor, June Liston, recently upgraded her horsepower to a newer model, but we’re not talking about the fuzzy, four-legged variety. Liston is now the newest Boeing 777 Captain for United Airlines. She will be flying the 777-300ER, which has the largest commercial aircraft engine currently on the market, providing 115,000 horsepower on each side.
With cruising speeds of .85 mach, or 85% of the speed of sound, Liston will be flying the friendly skies at around 700 miles per hour.
“I started flying right after my parents sold my youth horse, and I’ve been flying ever since,” she says. “I’ve been with United going on 30 years in April. As you gain more seniority, you can bid positions, which allows you to bid bigger airplanes. When you’re awarded your bid, you then go to school for training. When you pass all the tests, you go out on the road… or the air! First, you fly with a check airman, who makes sure you’re good to go.”
Liston just completed her IOE, or Initial Operating Experience, during a flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. The flight to Hong Kong lasted over 15 hours. “We flew from San Fransisco to Hong Kong on Thursday and then flew back Sunday. Then, on Monday, we went from San Francisco to Frankfurt, Germany. I got back Wednesday evening, and now I’m done! We generally fly 70 to 80 hours a month. The length of these trips makes them so that you only end up really having a few long hauls a month.”
Because of the long duration of these international flights, Liston enlists the help of her fellow pilots to share the flying time. “We get a break, and we have a bunk room. So, two people fly while the other two go on break. Then, you switch off. I was the captain flying this flight, so I flew for seven hours, took my break, came back, and then did the approach and landing.”
“I was a little nervous taxiing it, because it’s so huge. It’s like taxiing a football field! But, it flies wonderfully. It handles really nice, and it’s a very solid and stable plane. I really enjoyed it.”
Liston didn’t start flying these big planes right off the bat. When she first began her career as a pilot, she was a flight engineer. “Then, I went to being a first officer on a 737 and then a first officer on a 767. Then, I went to being a captain on a 737, a captain on a 767, and then a captain on a 777. I just came off a 767, which is pretty big, but the 777 is a step up in size and technology. The longer range planes can carry more people. The 777 carries 366 passengers.” Just to put that into perspective, some regional jets carry anywhere from 75-140 people.
Part of the reason why Liston selected this particular plane, over others, is the range of exotic locations it flies to. “It goes to Auckland, London, Paris, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Hawaii, Saul, and Guam,” she says. “I try to make the most out of it when I travel for work!”
One place she hasn’t flown to is Italy. “I’ve always wanted to fly to Italy,” she says. “Last summer, my best friend decided not to go to the Select World, and I didn’t think it would be much fun to be in Amarillo for two weeks without her, so I went on a vacation to Italy instead!”
When Liston is flying for pleasure, instead of work, say to a horse show, she often flies stand by. “I commute to work from Phoenix, so I sit in the jump seat. Sometimes, I travel in uniform. If I’m riding in the cockpit, there is a dress code and it’s easier to comply when wearing your uniform. When I’m flying for personal travel, I fly stand by. I just can’t fathom buying a ticket!”
The next time Liston will travel for pleasure will be to the 2018 Arizona Sun Circuit, where she will compete with her new horse, Just Because I’m Lazy, and her old standby, Simply McDreamy. “I bought my new horse at the Sun Circuit from Janet Gunn. He’s a 4-year-old named ‘Ty.’ He does Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, and Trail. Then, I raised ‘Teddy.’ He’s 12 years old now and he does Trail, Horsemanship, Showmanship, Western Pleasure, and Equitation. Both horses are with Ken Thompson and Mike Augustyn in Scottsdale.”
A big congratulations to June Liston on this exciting accomplishment!
