African-American female pilots fly Alaska Airlines plane for the first time in 86 years
Tara Wright and Mallory Cave (Tara Wright)
London, May 21, 2018 (AltAfrika)-It was with style and honour that Tara Wright, the captain of Flight 361 from San Francisco to Portland introduced herself and first officer Mallory Cave to passengers as the first black women to fly a plane in Alaska Airlines’ history.
The Boeing 737 took off on Mother’s Day after applause from passengers following Captain Wright’s announcement which was captured on video and went viral for its historic connotation.
Black female pilots of the United States of America — Source: Tara Wright
The video was initially posted on Facebook by Tara Wright and later shared by the airline with the caption: “History in the flying. Alaska Airlines Flight #361 from San Francisco to Portland, OR. Our first ever flight piloted by 2 African-American women. What Bessie Coleman started in 1921, we continue here
”This is a special feat for the airline which was founded in 1932, especially when there is a massive gender and race disparity in the United States airline business.
A 2015 federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed that 91 percent of airline pilots and 73 percent of flight attendants were white; just 9 percent of pilots were female, versus nearly 75 percent of flight attendants.
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