“We don’t want to be female pilots. We just want to be pilots.”

Jennifer Kelsey’s love for air shows started when she was a teenager. Every summer, she would visit her family in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and marvel at the planes soaring in the sky. She was determined to fly one herself, so she worked hard to save money for lessons and soloed in a Cessna 150 at 16.  

Kelsey attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and then joined the Air National Guard, flying the C-130 Hercules in missions from Afghanistan and Antarctica. She joined Alaska in 2005, where she’s had a storied career, moving from captain to flight operations duty officer to check pilot. This year, she became fleet captain, a role that combines her love of flying with leading a team.  

Kelsey admits that being a female pilot in a predominantly male profession has its challenges, but she is grateful for the pioneering women who cleared the runway for her, both in the military and in her civilian career. She is eager to inspire more women to pursue careers as pilots at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. 

Video by Ingrid Barrentine | Photos by Ingrid Barrentine and Joe Nicholson
Source: https://news.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/female-pilot-defying-boundaries-leading-a-team-at-alaska/

 

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