Breaking barriers: Celebrating pioneer all-black, all-female flight crews in history
Women pilots are few and far between, black female pilots are even scarcer. Flight history was made on February 12, 2009, when two African-American female pilots flew from Atlanta to Nashville return on Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a Delta Connection carrier.
Flight Captain Rachelle Jones Kerr, who once worked at the ticket gate, First Officer Stephanie Grant, originally in the military, and cabin attendants Diana Galloway and Robin Rogers together became the first all-female African-American flight crew.
Flight crews are chosen at random. Unplanned, this flight made history during Black History Month. The first all-black, all-female flight crew in U.S. history flew on February 12, 2009, from Atlanta to Nashville return.
Rachelle Kerr started her career at Delta in 1994 as a ramp agent. She had this inner knowledge that being in the air was where she should be. She took an introductory flight lesson in a Cessna 172 and the rest is history as she returned to Delta as a First Officer!
Airline Pilot Stephanie R. Grant is a graduate of Hampton University. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She joined the Army as a Quartermaster Officer and in the following years accepted assignments to be sent to Korea where she was a Platoon Leader and Battalion Motor Officer. Back in America at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, she served as the Executive Officer in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault.) Knowing she wanted to be a pilot from the age of 11, she went on to flight school at Ari Ben Aviator in Fort Pierce, Florida. Making her first landing in June 2004, she graduated in April 2007 after acquiring her Flight Instructor ratings. She was hired by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (now ExpressJet Airlines) in January 2008.
On February 26, 2017, another flight flew into history in an airbus as Capt. Stephanie Johnson and First Officer Dawn Cook flew the Detroit-Las Vegas route. The women became the first African-American women to make up the cockpit crew on one of Delta’s “mainline” flights.
There were no pilots in Capt. Johnson’s life when she was growing up, but a life-long fascination with airplanes, a strong yearning to fly and a teacher, who obligingly took her and other students flying in his plane, set her on the way to making aviation history. She learnt to fly while attending Kent State University and went on to become a flight instructor after graduation. After working on a commuter carrier, where she was able to gain enough good flight experience to apply for a job at Northwest Airlines, she was hired as their first African-American female pilot in 1997. She has been a participant in the Detroit Aviation Career Education Academy many years and also became the director of the Cleveland ACE Academy.
During February’s Black History Month 2017, Delta launched their “Delta’s Very Own Heroes” series, which spotlights Delta’s African-American employees’ achievements within the company.
On February 2, 2018, in honour of Black History Month, the International Women’s Air & Space Museum (IWASM) hosted a dinner that featured a special presentation by Pilot Stephanie Johnson, the first African-American female captain for Delta Air Lines. Having earned a bachelor's in Aerospace Technology, she earned her Private, Commercial, Flight Instructor, and Flight Engineer certificates with Instrument and Multiengine ratings. She went on to be a First Officer on the Boeing 757 and 767 with Delta Air Lines. In September 2016, she became the first African-American female captain for Delta Air Lines and now flies the Airbus A320.
Delta Airlines has remained strong for the island of St. Maarten after hurricane Irma. Many speak about how they have made an effort to help travellers in the days after the big storm.
