Chance is a funny thing: just when you think you have your direction all set, it steps right in and changes everything. Often for the better. The first time chance entered Peg Billson's life was when she was six or seven and her uncle took her for her first airplane ride. "I fell in love with it," she said. That love of flight stayed with her and took a more serious turn when, as a teenager, she went to the local Cessna FBO for her half-hour introductory lesson. "At 14, I was hooked and told my dad I wanted to be a pilot," she added. "He was very supportive of me."

Chance again flew in the window when, out of the clear blue she received an invitation to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's 50th anniversary celebration. Although she didn't attend the party, when it came time to select a college, as an aspiring airline captain, ERAU was her logical choice.

So in 1980, there she was. Enrolled at Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Arizona campus and dreaming of the left seat in a 747. Or at least she was, until by chance a professor mentioned the university's engineering calculus sequence. While the rest of the class reeled at the thought of taking four more semesters of advanced math, Billson was intrigued. "I have an innate need to learn things," she said when asked about shifting her goal from flying airplanes to engineering them. "Engineering gives you the basics of how and why things work. There's more to figure out. "

Right after graduating with an aeronautical engineering degree, she went to work for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. During her 13 years there, Billson's career continued upward, culminating in her being named vice president of the MD-11, MD-80, and MD-90 programs. If that weren't enough, she managed to squeeze in a master's degree in engineering-aerospace from California State University.

After leaving MD in 1997, Billson joined Honeywell as vice president of program management for Aerospace Equipment Systems in Torrance, California. From there she moved up to vice president of engineering for the company's Engines Systems and Services Division in Phoenix, Arizona where she was responsible for 4,000 engineers worldwide.

Billson says her engineering training has served her well in every position she has held. "My engineering background and having the depth of knowledge base in aerospace and having been trained in engineering logic has aided me tremendously in preparing for my leadership position," she explained. "I solve every problem, no matter whether it's a people problem, a business issue, or a technical issue as if it were an engineering problem.

"Every problem, after you define it, has its givens, its variables, and its boundaries," Billson continued. "And once you understand those and know what you can affect and what you can't affect and what areas you need to stay bounded within, you can usually arrive at the right decision."

Billson's decision skills proved to steer her right again when she accepted the position as vice president and general manager of Honeywell's Aircraft Landing Systems division, previously known as Bendix Wheels and Brakes. As she explains it, Honeywell's Landing Systems is an integrated business. Design, development, production, overhaul, or repair, if it's wheel-, brake-, or tire-related they have something to do with it.

And that diversity of businesses has provided the perfect match for Billson's varied skills and experiences. "The job I have today as leader of Honeywell's Landing Systems division has been greatly aided by all of my previous experiences," she said. "Not only my engineering background, but my experience with an aircraft manufacturer and my experience leading a large global engineering organization."

In fact, her connection with Honeywell's wheel and brake business goes back more than 10 years. "I was previously a customer when I was with McDonnell Douglas," Billson continued. "I understood their business model and therefore, some of the constraints placed on them. I also had a personal experience with how they dealt with customers, which was very positive."

Today repair and overhaul (R&O) is a big part of the business and it's growing fast. "Even during the worst downturn in aviation history we were able to grow our R&O business by 50 percent in two years," she said. "How? By focusing on delivery, quality, and customer service. It may seem trite, but we're focused on taking care of the customers we have first."

It's a business model that follows Billson's personal motto, which is, "Execution to commitment. If you tell somebody you're going to do something, do it!" she said.

So what about her goal to become an airline pilot? While her trip to the left seat did get sidetracked, the aviation flame still burns hot. "My love of aviation is still key to me," Billson concluded. "It's my passion and I'm a very lucky person who gets to have a career that's directly in-line with my passion.