Alaska Airlines' First Flight Piloted by Two African-American Women

First of all, congrats to Alaska Airlines and this crew, secondly, I am a volunteer at the Tuskegee Airmen National Air Museum at Detroit City Airport (KDET) where we are involved in providing free aviation and rocketry training to local kids. The program is open to all but due to our location most students are African American. We teach aviation to 5th thru 8th graders at two local middle schools. Every Thursday night we teach Rocketry and Private Pilot Ground school at KDET, as part of the ground school our volunteer CFI's actually give the students free flight lessons in the Museum owned tralining airplanes. I think we'll have a few more young ladies from our class join the ranks of Tara and Mallory in the next few years.

To the many wondering why this is news, or the insanity of it actually being news: it's news because here and now, in the early stages of the 21st century, we still recognize the different races. Personally, I celebrate the differences. I love the cultures and differences. I can't get past the thought of how bland humanity would be without our differences.

They deserve special attention because this is out of the ordinary for an airline flight crew in the United States. Probly over 90 percent Caucasian male. This will inspire minority females to enter aviation. I was inspired to become a pilot because I saw a black coast guard pilot at an air show when i was a kid.

"why does it matter what race/gender they are" *takes one look at comments section*

Personally I am tired of the stratification of society by skin color, gender, ethnicity, gender, religion etc. I am only concerned about merit whether in the operating room or a cockpit. We rely on the airline to place the best qualified individuals available to sit up front irrespective of any of their other characteristics.

It is a sad commentary on our society that this should be worthy of note.

It’s a question of qualification and merit.
Happy to know this new!

Looking at the negative comments here are a clear sign that there are some still out here in Aviation that are SO bigoted, it turns my stomach.
These pilots are a FIRST, and send a STRONG MESSAGE to the young girls & women of EVERY COLOR that Yes, WE CAN DO THIS!!!
Be proud of them.
Be proud of their accomplishments.
Be PROUD that, FINALLY, our girls are able to follow their dreams....

The haters will always hate, but REAL AVIATORS don’t throw stones at Aviators that are more than likely more qualified and/or talented than themselves.

They ENCOURAGE THEM.....

Ha, Gender still plays a big part in airline crews makeup.
I know a lady that had taught flying for years and had CFI11 in single engine and twin land.
She went through he-l to get to be first officer for a major airline.
Left teaching to fly turboprops for a popular company and passed all their simulators.
Got stuck with company Captains that treated her like sh--. Like going on hands and knees down center isle carpet with lint roller after every customer trip. Left in hot plane to wait for customers while Captain was in FBO enjoying AC and drinks...with customers.
After watching these expert Captains break FARS one after another she quit.
Went to school for another four months with another northern state airline and was put on reserve that never ended.
After trying to quite the fake airline school business fellow airmen told her she has the skills don't quit.
She applied ONE MORE TIME with another major airline and went to school at Huston for four months and is now living her dream. A little late in life but....

So, if you see a qualified female starting up front she has earn those three strips.

I have over thirty years in the airline industry. One of the greatest joys in the business was how diversified the industry is from ground to cockpit. One of the few industries were being a crew member was based on training, talent and a commitment to parallel goals. I have a daughter who is a captain on a large business jet. A few months back the cockpit was also all female. She found it insulting when news got out and a big deal was made about an all female cockpit. One can't be a successful pilot based solely on color, gender, size, religion etc. You have to be the best at what you do ... period!

This headline should have been news 70 years ago, and looong overdue.
You Go Girls!!!

Nice accomplishment for Alaska Airlines and these two ladies.👍

The colour and religion doesn't matter the priority is merit if the person on merit we must appreciate his services.

Relax.. it is like what captain says, "..little Airline's history in making". Congratulate, celebrate and compliment them. Little things mean a lot to others.
Congratulations for reaching milestone crew!!

The whole thing is trying to say.... that everybody is equal... that only men can fly planes.
This is proof that men and women should be treated equal and that they are capable of it.

this ought to be trumpeted about so that similar young ladies in search of their calling might rule this work as a possiblilty. Encouragement is a good thing, and if any passenger has discomfort after noticing the complexions of these or any other ladies up front, they should stop, turn around, and take the train. I remember a picture of the first all-women flight crew of a C-141, and remembered how wonderful that was. NOw it is commonplace, so that is progress of a sort.

can we all just say congrats no matter race or gender.? remember we awake each day and have a whole lot to b thnkful for. congrats to these two ladies and congrats to all you guys success and accomplishments as well.
JM-

Finally what it can be said: the tittle of the article is really a success!!! lol

It does not matter about race or sex, what matters is are they the most qualified crew available, this should not be a showboat issue, it about time in type of aircraft and quality of flying experience. When they make this a publicity stunt it scares the hell out of me. Could this crew land the SW plane that had the engine and window failure recently, it not then they should not be together. We have a real shortage of pilots in this county and the airlines are moving new pilots up the ladder too quickly and their will be a disaster due to this, this has nothing to do with sex or race.

Wow that's news. I wonder what airline will claim to have the first all tranny crew?

I see their ranks/qualifications first not that they are African-American women. our industry should have no time or place for this.

why is this news? good for Alaska I guess not sure why it was publicized as an African-American landmark. I am sure the two pilots are proud of their heritage and worked hard to get where they are...as did every other pilot who sat in the cockpit that day.

ZZZZZZZZ

When you attach gushing fanfare to this so-called "achievement", the subtext might as well say: "the reason why this achievement is so remarkable is because women are inferior, especially black women, so therefore we expect much less of them, and if, against all odds and probability, they somehow exceed our expectations in spite of their inferiority, then such a fluke would be cause for special mention and celebration." Personally, I believe it's patronizing, if not insulting to make a big deal out of something a woman (of any color) has been able to do for a long time. You might as well congratulate them for being potty trained while you're at it!

If the crew in the cockpit was all female and the attendants in back were all males THEN I would say it is newsworthy!

Congratulations to two talented pilots. I just wonder from where it was in Africa that Alaska Air recruited them. Or wait!! Maybe they are actually Americans working for Alaska Air and just misidentified.

Are they born in Africa ? No.
Are they living in Africa ? No.

So they are simply American women, not African-American.

These pilots' names aren't African American, and, of course, the flight originated from SFO.

What part of Africa were they from? :-(