All-Black, all-female crew flies to honour first Black woman to gain pilot’s licence

Bessie Coleman ‘broke down barriers within the world of aviation,’ says American Airlines

An all-Black, all-female American Airlines crew operated a flight from Dallas to Phoenix this week to celebrate pioneering Black aviator Bessie Coleman.

Ms Coleman was the first Black woman to receive her pilot’s licence in June 2021, and this month marked 100 years since her first public flight in 1922.

Named “the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour”, the crew of 36 pilots, cabin crew and ground staff hosted Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s great niece, on the flight from Texas to Arizona.

“She bravely broke down barriers within the world of aviation and paved the path for many to follow,” the airline said in a statement, posting a video of the historic flight.

It also used the moment to raise awareness of the lack of diversity in aviation, saying: “Black women have been notably underrepresented in the aviation industry, especially as pilots, representing less than 1 per cent in the commercial airline industry.

“Through the American Airlines Cadet Academy, the airline is committed to expanding awareness of and increasing accessibility to the pilot career within diverse communities.”

American pilot Bessie Coleman in her biplane, circa 1920 (Getty Images)

The Aviation All-Stars flight was piloted by Captain Beth Powell and First Officer Charlene Shortte, with four Black female flight attendants as well as dozens of ground staff such as ramp crew and maintenance technicians.

“I’m grateful for American Airlines to give us this opportunity to highlight my great aunt’s accomplishments in the field of aviation,” Ms Coleman’s great niece Gigi said in a video posted by the airline.

Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas in 1892 as one of 13 siblings, before moving to Chicago, Illinois to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot.

Her mother was a maid and her father was a sharecropper of both Native American and Black heritage.

After being turned down by multiple aviation schools in the US, Ms Coleman was forced to travel to France in order to train as a pilot. She learned French and enrolled at the Caudron Brothers School of Aviation in the town of Rue.

In her flying career, Ms Coleman was famous for doing elaborate figure-of-eights and loops in her Jenny JN-4 biplane.

She planned to open a flying school for Black pilots before dying in an accident at the age of 34.

Last week, American Airlines announced that it has ordered a fleet of supersonic airliners that could carry passengers from London to New York in three hours.

The world’s largest airline placed a nonrefundable deposit for 20 Overture supersonic aircraft from manufacturer Boom Supersonic.

Boom plans to complete its final design of the Overture aircraft by 2025, and is targeting 2029 for the first flights carrying passengers.