Mary Grady is AVweb's senior news editor and an accomplished feature and news writer. Mary has worked as a news editor for The Providence Journal, a daily metropolitan newspaper; a science writer for the University of Rhode Island's oceanography school; and a book editor for the National Geographic Society. She is also a contributing writer on aviation topics to Showcase magazine/The Robb Report. Her aviation credentials include certification as a Private pilot in airplanes, a Commercial pilot of hot-air balloons, and an Advanced Ground Instructor. Mary taught ground school for many years and also worked as a flight-school operations manager in Florida. During college, she loaded freight for FedEx at PVD and spent many happy hours in the jumpseat of B727s and DC-10s. Mary won AOPA's 1999 Max Karant Award in the print category for a Providence Journal feature about woman pilots entitled, "Their Dreams Took Wing."