On February 12, 2009 Captain Rachelle
Jones, first officer Stephanie Grant, and flight attendants Diana
Galloway and Robin Rogers became the first all-African American female
flight crew in U.S. history when they worked an Atlantic Southeast
Airlines flight to Nashville. For Jones, the chance to be a part of
history was one she will cherish forever. She shares her thoughts on
that historic day, and what it took for her to get to there.
Describe a pilot’s professional journey.
It takes a lot of training [and] a lot of hard work — and if I can do
it, anyone can do it. The first step is to get an education, go to a
flight school, [and] get trained. Start out at a regional airline and
work your way up to a major airline. There are different routes, [but]
that’s the route that I took. I went to Georgia State University [and]
I attended flight school at Flight Safety Academy in Florida.
What type of person is typically successful in aviation?
You have to be motivated, determined and want to do better for
yourself. I’m not a quitter. Be encouraged — it can be done. I’ve had a
lot of family support … I keep myself surrounded by positive people
who encourage me to keep going when I want to give up.
What was February 12, 2009 like for you?
It started out as just an ordinary day for us. It was [me], my two
flight attendants, and another officer. At the last minute, she got
sick and had to be replaced. Stephanie [Grant] stepped on the aircraft
and realized “Oh wow, [there are] all black women on here and this is
probably a first for ASA. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that we
realized that we were in fact, the first ever in history.
What is a typical day for a pilot?
A typical day at the job involves me checking in about an hour before
departure, I’m checking the weather and my flight release, and then I
head out to the aircraft and get everything done in the cockpit with my
first officer. I look forward to going to work everyday, because every
day is different. I love being up in the air at 30,000 feet. It’s calm
and quiet [and I’m] looking out on the world. Not many people can say
that they do that. It’s a blessing to have my job
