You may not know the name Melissa "M'Lis" Ward from the South Side of Chicago… but you should, as she makes history and celebrates trailblazing strides in aviation!
M’Lis is the the first Black female captain in the commercial airline industry, and this year, she is celebrating her 30th anniversary with hometown airline, United.
The veteran captain finds it an honor to represent two minority groups within the aviation industry. In addition to being one of the few people of color in her position, there are also fewer than 7% of the 14,000 pilots at United Airlines who are women.
She said can’t believe it’s already been 30 years and that she loves all parts of her job – training and evaluating new pilots and soaring the friendly skies herself – but what she loves most is getting people to their destinations safely, saying, “The best thing about flying, absolutely takeoff and landing. There’s nothing better than those two things.”
Thank you sis for flying high for us – & I think I’ve been on one of your flights!
& Remember to always celebrate your magic! xo