{"id":203121,"date":"2024-05-28T10:31:57","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=203121"},"modified":"2024-05-28T10:31:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:31:57","slug":"she-was-the-first-black-woman-to-fly-in-the-us-air-force-now-this-trailblazing-pilot-is-making-her-final-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/she-was-the-first-black-woman-to-fly-in-the-us-air-force-now-this-trailblazing-pilot-is-making-her-final-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"She was the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force. Now this trailblazing pilot is making her final flight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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She\u2019s been flying planes, both military and commercial, for about 43 years, breaking down barrier after barrier along the way.<\/p>

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But on May 23, Captain Theresa Claiborne will land her \u201cfinal flight\u201d at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after traveling from Lisbon, Portugal, with her friends and family in tow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a great career,\u201d Claiborne told CNN Travel via Zoom shortly before setting off for Lisbon. \u201cAnd it\u2019s time for me to park the brakes for the final time on a big airplane.\u201d<\/p>

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Retirement flight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Claiborne<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne has been flying planes, both military and commercial, for about 43 years. Courtesy UA<\/p>

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While she\u2019s looking forward to \u201cclosing that one chapter and starting another,\u201d Claiborne can\u2019t help but get a \u201clittle teary\u201d when she thinks of the \u201cwide-eyed\u201d children who often marvel at her as she strides through an airport in her pilot uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter this, walking through the airport, I won\u2019t have a uniform on,\u201d Claiborne says. \u201cPeople will just look at me like I\u2019m just a passenger like everyone else, that\u2019ll be a little different\u2026 I\u2019m hoping that I can still make an impact on the industry.<\/p>

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\u201cTo still impart that knowledge on young people, and particularly young black women, that they can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rippelmeyer<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming a pilot was something Claiborne, originally from Virginia, could never have imagined for herself as a young girl. She was about seven years old when she took her first flight \u2013 an international jaunt to Turkey.<\/p>

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\u201cMy father was military,\u201d she says. \u201cSo I grew up really all over the world\u2026 I\u2019d been on big airplanes before but never dreamt of flying one.\u201d<\/p>

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That all changed when Claiborne joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) during college and was given the opportunity to fly in a T-37, a twin-engine jet trainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce I got that first taste of being in the air and being in command of the airplane, I was like, \u2018Yeah, this is what I\u2019m going to do,\u201d says Claiborne, who was about 20 at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sink or swim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\""I\u2019ve<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019ve had a great career,\u201d says Claiborne. “And it\u2019s time for me to park the brakes for the final time on a big airplane.\u201d Courtesy UA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she was keen to apply for undergraduate pilot training, Claiborne explains that the US Air Force was only training 10 women a year at the time and \u201chad already selected the women for my graduating class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this number soon increased, and Claiborne jumped at the opportunity to earn her pilot wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADVERTISING<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around six months after graduating from California State University in Sacramento she began pilot training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sink or swim\u2026 Either you make it or you don\u2019t,\u201d she says, pointing out that she found it particularly difficult at first as \u201cshe didn\u2019t have a strong math background.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just beared down and made sure that I made it, because that\u2019s the kind of personality I have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1981, Claiborne was commissioned as a second lieutenant and went on to become the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did not know until a few weeks before I graduated that that was the case,\u201d she says of the \u201cmind boggling\u201d title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I often say that I\u2019m really, really happy that I didn\u2019t know. I was 22 years old\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her years in the US Air Force, Caliborne became the first Black woman to serve as a command pilot and instructor for the KC-135, a mid-air refueling jet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New heights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Claiborne<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Courtesy UA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1990, she joined United Airlines as a flight officer. At five feet, two inches, Claiborne was two inches shorter than the height required to fly commercial aircraft at other airlines at the time, but she would go on to be a United Airlines captain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the transition to flying commercial planes, Claiborne stresses that \u201ca pilot is a pilot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re in different type organizations, but you\u2019re still a pilot,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne says she has always prided herself on being the best pilot that she could possibly be, stressing that a big part of this is ensuring that her passengers enjoy the flying experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing good means that I\u2019m communicating with my passengers at all times,\u201d she says. \u201cThey know what\u2019s going on. That I keep them safe in every way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cObviously, the landing is all-important. I\u2019ve got two more to do really well on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jorrit-Jasmijn-KLM<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED ARTICLE<\/strong>As a kid she posed with her pilot dad in the flight deck. Years later they recreated the photo, with a twist<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still get chills when I think about the fact that I was the first, and had I not graduated, the statement that that may have made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne has chosen Newark, New Jersey, to Lisbon (outbound and inbound) as her swan song, with her mother, along with many of her closest friends and family, coming along for the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t lie, I wanted to go to Paris,\u201d she admits, explaining that she was keen to pay tribute to Bessie Coleman, who moved to Paris to attend aviation school and went on to become the first African-American woman to earn a pilot\u2019s license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to recreate the whole Bessie Coleman thing. But Paris out of Newark is on a different airframe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She eventually decided on the Portuguese capital, largely because there\u2019s a two-day layover on the service, which means that she\u2019ll be able to spend some time enjoying the city with her loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGenerally, we\u2019re there [at the outbound destination] for 24 hours. So you land, you nap, you find something to eat, you nap again, and you leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo this way, with the Lisbon trip, we have an opportunity to enjoy each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd my mother\u2019s made many, many, many sacrifices for me. So this is an opportunity for her to really enjoy herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing diversity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Claiborne<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne is committed to increasing pilot diversity and will continue to mentor young women. Courtesy UA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once she\u2019s landed the United Airlines 787 Dreamliner in Newark, Claiborne will receive the water cannon salute \u2013 a mark of respect that sees two fire engines use their water cannons to create a huge arc over a plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something that retiring people look forward to,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a pretty emotional person,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m hoping I don\u2019t cry. But I probably will have a few tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause after all, it\u2019ll be the last time that I\u2019m piloting a big airplane like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne has spent her entire commercial flying career at United Airlines and says she feels blessed to have been able to work for the American airline for so long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good company,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have the most women pilots of any major United States carrier, and I believe we still have the most Black women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the US, 93.7% of professional pilots are White and 92.5% of professional pilots are male, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s estimated that there are less than 150 Black women pilots in the US, and Claiborne feels a huge responsibility as one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Captain<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Captain Theresa Claiborne. Courtesy UA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do carry the weight on my shoulders of making sure that I continue to perform in a way that other people who look like me get a fair chance,\u201d she says, before recounting how crew members would sometimes assume her co-pilot was the captain earlier in her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter they\u2019d finished talking, I\u2019d turn around and look and go, \u2018What you got for me?\u2019\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne is currently the president of Sisters of the Skies<\/a>, a not-for-profit organization focused on helping increase the number of Black women pilots, which awards scholarships to \u201cwomen who are able, and who want to be pilots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne admits that watching the curtain close on her hugely successful career will be a \u201cbittersweet\u201d experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest barrier to flying an airplane is the money,\u201d she explains, referring to the cost of pilot training\ufeff. \u201cSo that\u2019s what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiborne will be stepping down as president of the organization after seven years, but she plans to continue mentoring young girls long into her retirement, as well as write \u201ca couple books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are a group of women coming up behind me who are members of our organization that are carrying on that legacy,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this may be the end of her commercial flying career, Claiborne isn\u2019t necessarily saying \u201cgoodbye\u201d to piloting forever, and would love to fly a World War II aircraft one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had friends that said, \u2018Come on. I\u2019ll take you up.\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cSo I could see myself doing that. That\u2019s on my bucket list too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would absolutely love to fly in a Red Tail, an airplane that the Tuskegee Airmen flew. That would probably be my number one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf somebody is offering a ride in the backseat of a Thunderbird, I might as well put that out there. I haven\u2019t done everything\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She\u2019s been flying planes, both military and commercial, for about 43 years, breaking down barrier after barrier along the way. But on May 23, Captain Theresa Claiborne will land her \u201cfinal flight\u201d at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after traveling from Lisbon, Portugal, with her friends and family in tow. \u201cI\u2019ve had a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":203122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-203121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nShe was the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force. 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But on May 23, Captain Theresa Claiborne will land her \u201cfinal flight\u201d at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after traveling from Lisbon, Portugal, with her friends and family in tow. \u201cI\u2019ve had a […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/she-was-the-first-black-woman-to-fly-in-the-us-air-force-now-this-trailblazing-pilot-is-making-her-final-flight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-28T14:31:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/dsc01963.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"653\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/she-was-the-first-black-woman-to-fly-in-the-us-air-force-now-this-trailblazing-pilot-is-making-her-final-flight\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/she-was-the-first-black-woman-to-fly-in-the-us-air-force-now-this-trailblazing-pilot-is-making-her-final-flight\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"She was the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force. 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