Page 44 - Education Issue

Women of Distinction

Cindy Karen

DESIGNS FOR THE JETSETTER

IN ALL OF US

By Judith A. Habert

Photos Courtesy of Cindy Karen

INDY KAREN HAD QUITE A lesson for Cindy in the years to
Cunique childhood. No one come.
else that I know could say that As a young boy of 16, Cindy’s
they grew up in an airport. Cindy’s father Don, had a rather untradi-
grandfather was Flavio Madaria- tional newspaper route. He used
ga, and he and his partner Bob one of his father’s planes to deliver
Bogan purchased a strip of land newspapers between Flabob and
in Riverside California in 1943 the Van Nuys airport.
that had been an airport but was Cindy’s older brother Robert
destroyed by a flood five years started flying at such a young age
earlier. Flavio and his partner set that he required phone books on Cindy Karen
out to renovate it, and that is the seat of the plane so he could
exactly what they did. see properly “Howard Hughes,” and was fasci-
This airport known as Flabob Both Cindy and her broth- nated by the hairdos, the shoes—
became legendary. “Flabob was ers, one older than her and one all of the costuming. That may well
a hub for pilots, aerobatic cham- younger, had tremendous free- have been what sparked my early
pions, inventors, and designers— dom. The airport was their play- interest in fashion.”
anyone who, like my grandpa, was ground and every day was a new Even though Cindy moved
passionate about flying. Many adventure for the three of them. away to San Diego to attend San
aviation celebrities got their start “Flying with my grandpa and Diego State University and then
there.” brothers was always an exciting settled here, she still managed
Cindy’s grandmother ran the and sometimes scary event. My frequent trips home to visit her
control center of the airport, and brothers loved to mess with me, family, and the airport remained
as soon as Cindy was old enough, and they would fly straight up into an important part of her life, even
she worked by her side. “I learned the air and then cut the engine, or as an adult.
so much from my Nonie, including do barrel rolls just to freak me out. “Sadly, when I was twen-
how to be a businesswoman.” This It definitely worked! ty-three, my grandparents were
would serve to be an important As Cindy shares in her soon both killed in an airplane crash.
to be released book, “Come Fly The last time that I saw them was
With Me!“ The airport wasn’t only shortly after I got back from a
a center for flying. During the post-graduation trip to Europe,
off hours, we raced motorcycles for which I had worked to save
down the runway. There were also the money. My parents invited
stables on the grounds, and we the family over for a barbecue
would ride the horses around the to welcome me home. My mom,
airport. Grandpa loved nature, so always the gracious hostess,
I learned about nature, animals, had prepared my grandparents’
and aviation all at the same time. favorite dishes. We all shared
The busy airport was also the site stories and enjoyed every moment
for magazine photo shoots and of the evening. As my Nonie and
movies. I spent part of my child- Grandpa were leaving the party,
hood on Hollywood sets, which Nonie hugged me tightly and said,
was an absolute dream for a little “Next time you go to Europe, I’ll be
Britt Karen girl. I was an extra in the movie going with you.” I was thrilled.

44