A pilot since 1991, Mary Alverson has loged more than 3,000 hours and is a CFI, CFII, MEI and Cirrus Standardized Instructor. Before forming Wings Over Water Inc., Mary was an instructor at Wings Inc. in St. Paul for six years.

Mary is also a 33-year veteran flight attandant at Northwest Airlines.

Learning to fly was a desire from the day she was hired as the first married flight attendant at North Central Airlines. She was hired at the same time the airline's first female airline pilot, Barb Wiley, was hired.

Like most pilots, Mary is fascinated by anything that flies but seaplanes are her first love. It was the combination of a love for seaplane flying and teaching that drove her to start Wings Over Water.