By Gates L. Scott

As a commercial helicopter pilot, I get my fair share of hangar flying. I meet some interesting characters who eagerly take time away from whatever they are doing to tell me about the hours they have logged in their Otter or the intricacies of their engine overhaul. I mean, I thought that women liked to talk incessantly, but these men have the gift of gab on the tarmac. Not until I became a pilot myself, did I understand that men are from Mars and women are still grounded on this very Earth.

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to interview and visit with a number of female aviators who, quite honestly, I was glad to chat with for an hour. After speaking with this group of women, who range from a student pilot to an F-16 pilot and Major in the Air Force, I must say that they are nothing of a minority. They are the elite. They love what they do. They are passionate, and I absolutely respect the careers that each has developed in a challenging industry. They are, simply put, the cream of the crop in our small aviation world. Now, the more time I spend with fellow male pilots talking turbo-chargers and crosswind landings, the less interested in their stories I become.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, of the almost 700,000 active pilots in the United States, less than 6 percent are women. Slightly more than 2 percent are ATP rated. Furthermore, women account for only 2.13 percent of the more than 540,000 non-pilot aviation jobs in the country. There is no denying, by these numbers, that we work in a male-dominated industry.

However, since Harriet Quimby became the first female to earn her private license in 1911, women have had a significant impact on the history and development of aviation. Dating back to 1910, when Blanche Scott commandeered a plane that unexpectedly took flight while taxiing, women have cemented their participation in the discipline. In November 1929, at Curtis Field on Long Island, 117 American female pilots gathered to mutually support advancement in aviation. During that gathering, the 99’s were born. Today, with more than 5,500 female members from 35-plus countries, the 99’s are one of the most influential organizations of licensed pilots. Due to their efforts, and other organizations like Aviation for Women, even the U.S. Air Force now boasts that 20 percent of its pilots and staff are women.

So, we’ve figured out that women have always been an influential force in aviation. Now, I want to introduce you to a few of these “chicks of the sky.” After searching the United States for unique pilots flying interesting aircraft, I have found a group of accomplished women who will literally knock your socks off. What’s more, I may have found Amelia Earhart...

Amelia Earhart
Student Pilot / Traffic Reporter
Meet Amelia Earhart, namesake of the pioneer aviator. This 25-year-old student pilot—whose family has common ancestry to the late Earhart that can be traced back to the 1700’s—is proud to be in the family. Obviously, with a name like Amelia Earhart, she carries a great deal of responsibility. “It was oral tradition in my family that I was related to Amelia Earhart…so I did my own genealogy research and found that we were, in fact, distant cousins,” she says. “This is awesome, I am named after one of the coolest women in history.”

Amy, as she is known by her parents, carries the responsibility well, chasing the aviation dream and pursuing a career in broadcasting all at the same time. Earhart began her broadcasting career with Denver’s NewsRadio KOA 850 as a part-time traffic reporter while still earning her BA in English at the University of Colorado. In June 2007, she landed a full-time gig as the Sky9 helicopter reporter covering traffic and breaking news while cruising the Denver skyline with her trusted pilot Jimmy Negri. In pursuit of her private certificate, Earhart has taken flying lessons through the Aspen Flying Club at Centennial Airport (KAPA) and is now training in the Cirrus SR22 with Western Air Flight Academy at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (KBJC). Earhart prepares for each day by talking with transportation and police officials, listening to police scanners and monitoring video from traffic cameras strategically placed throughout the city and in the cockpit. Impressed not only by her name and the fact that she gets to ride in a helicopter twice a day, I was struck by this young woman’s passion and maturity.

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