Mother-daughter Duo Becomes First To Pilot A Commercial Plane Together & Creates History
Captain Suzy Garrett and her daughter Donna Garrett made history in 2019 when they became the first mother-daughter team to fly a commercial jet for SkyWest Airlines.
Donna didn’t think her mother’s job as an airline pilot was unusual when she was a kid. Because her father worked in the same industry, piloting an airplane seemed natural to her.
Donna even characterized it as her parents’ “boring job” when they went to work. However, as she grew older, she developed an interest in their line of work. She observed how enthusiastic they were about their jobs and how they were able to travel the world because of it.
Donna chose to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue a career in aviation.
Donna was seated in the cockpit alongside her mother, operating a SkyWest Airline flight as a first officer, in September 2019.
Suzy was commemorating 30 years at SkyWest when she met Donna, which added to the significance of the occasion.
Suzy’s husband, Doug, and her son, Mark, are also pilots, so flying comes naturally to them. What a high-flying family they are!
Donna chose to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue a career in aviation.
Donna was seated in the cockpit alongside her mother, operating a SkyWest Airline flight as a first officer, in September 2019.
Suzy was commemorating 30 years at SkyWest when she met Donna, which added to the significance of the occasion.
Suzy’s husband, Doug, and her son, Mark, are also pilots, so flying comes naturally to them. What a high-flying family they are!
Suzy appreciates working with her daughter and believes that being a pilot is an excellent job choice for her since she enjoys “diversity and excitement” in her life.
“It’s nice to have your kid go through what you’ve gone through.” “She’s a SkyWest family member,” the ecstatic mother said.
The sight of Donna and Suzy sharing a flight deck represented a joyous and significant moment in aviation, especially because many female pilots struggle to navigate a male-dominated sector.
Suzy has made history before, since she was one of SkyWest’s first female employees. She had worked with the airline since 1989, and had been pursuing her lifetime desire of becoming a pilot for more than three decades.
Suzy fell in love with flying when she was in eighth grade and took her second flight from Arizona to Los Angeles. As she gazed out the window of her cottage, she was enthralled by the sunset.
She knew that achieving such a lofty goal would be difficult, yet she persisted.
In 1984, Suzy enrolled at Mount San Antonio College in California for flight school. She spent a few years as a flying instructor before earning her first position at SkyWest.
Suzy said she was not discriminated against in the cockpit and that she had the same possibilities as her male competitors.
Any negative comments were from people who didn’t know anything about aviation or commercial planes.
“I’ve had to persuade individuals outside of my field,” she remarked.
Suzy has become accustomed to watching people’s faces light up when they discover she’s the one who landed the commercial jet.
Suzy claims that the scene has shifted, and that people are becoming more accustomed to seeing female pilots. Most importantly, she is grateful that their viral photo pushed young women to pursue careers in the business.
Suzy also mentioned that flying is a great job choice for women since it provides for flexible work schedules, which is good for those intending to raise a family.
“I could volunteer on field trips, school parties, and be that parent while simultaneously having this fantastic job!” she said.
Source: edition.cnn.com