A Pioneer in Flight

Hello, and thanks for stopping by. Strong women have been popping up everywhere. I think it may be true, the more you immerse yourself in something, the more that something finds you! 

For me, it began years ago and continued through researching and publishing They Persisted and They Roared. We know about strong, intelligent and accomplished men because history has offered them to us. Not so much with those strong, intelligent and accomplished women, though!  

The goal of this blog is to keep highlighting strong women. I saw an article about the final flight of Captain Theresa Claiborne. I enjoyed learning about her and found her very inspirational. I hope you do as well! 

Photo credit Alpha Magazine

Theresa Clairborne was born on May 25,1959, in Emporia, Virginia. Her family was a military family, which allowed her to travel frequently. She graduated with honors from Elk Grove Senior High School, in Elk Grove, California. She attended California State University in Sacramento, majoring in Communication, Culture, and Media, graduating in 1981. 

Theresa wanted to be a pilot, so she joined the Air Force Reserve Officer’s Training (ROTC). “I was in a T-37 and said to myself then that I was going to be a pilot,” On September 16,1982, she completed her Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base, in Texas. Theresa was the first African American female pilot in the United States Air Force. She flew KC-135 Stratotankers for the Strategic Air command for seven years and left active duty in 1988. Theresa then served as an instructor pilot on the KC-135E and flight commander in the USAF Reserves, where she quickly rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.  

In 1990, Theresa began flying for United Airlines initially as a flight engineer, then a first officer. She was five feet, two inches, two inches shorter than the height required to fly commercial aircraft, but after flying 15,000 commercial hours, became a Captain. The press asked her about the transition to flying commercial and she responded that “a pilot is a pilot.” 

When walking through the terminal to her plane, one of her favorite thing to do was give children wing pins and encourage them to pursue a career in aviation. “If you’re growing up and you see someone who looks like you performing a task, then you believe more strongly you can do it too,” Claiborne says. “I’m here to inspire anyone who previously did not have the door open for them. That’s my legacy.”

Photo Credit United Airlines

In 2015 Theresa became a member of Sisters of the Skies, a non profit,founded that year by Lt. Christine Angee Hughes. The goal of the organization is to “pave the way for a new generation of Black female pilots” Sisters of the Skies provide mentoring, recruitment and training, scholarship opportunities, and professional development training. Estimates suggest that there are less than 150 Black women pilots in the US.

Captain Theresa Claiborne retired in May of this year, after 43 years of flying, with over 23,000 flight hours under her belt. Sadly, she confessed that occasionally, people still questioned her ability to fly…because she was a woman, and maybe because she was Black. But she made a difference and paved the way for other aspiring pilots. “Oh, I guess maybe I did make an impact and that’s important because when you put your heart and soul into something and it turns out that people appreciated it and people listened and got something out of it, it makes it all the better,”

“Taking my final commercial flight was a bittersweet experience,” she tells EBONY. “There was a profound sense of accomplishment and pride in having navigated a successful career, coupled with a touch of sadness knowing that a significant chapter of my life was closing. I felt immense gratitude for all the people who supported me throughout my journey, and for the opportunity to inspire future generations of aviators.”

“My journey has always been aimed at inspiring young Black girls and boys, and indeed all young people from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue their dreams in aviation or any field they are passionate about,” Claiborne shares. “By breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes, I want to show that the sky is not the limit; it is just the beginning. My career should serve as a testament to the power of perseverance, resilience, and the belief that we all belong in every sphere of society, including the flight deck.”