With just seven percent of U.S. pilots being female, women are still in the minority in the aviation industry, but for one mother-daughter pilot team, helming an airplane together is the norm.
Dr. John R. Watret, Chancellor of the Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus, was on a flight headed home when he captured a unique photo of two female pilots in the cockpit and decided to share his photo on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/ERAUWatret/status/1107087143770513408
When Watret first boarded the plane he overheard a mom asking if her kids could visit the pilots in the cockpit. When the family returned from their visit, Watret was surprised to overhear them say that the pilots were a mother and daughter.
The tweet, which featured mother-daughter team Capt. Wendy and First Officer Kelly Rexo, instantly went viral racking up more than 40,000 likes and 16,000 retweets. “I don’t tweet a lot,” said Watret. “On Sunday morning, my phone was blowing up.”
Embry-Riddle University, where Watret is Chancellor, maintains three large collegiate chapters of Women in Aviation International, including the first-ever virtual chapter. “There has to be more diversification in the industry. It’s crucial and one of the key factors we focus on. When there are more opportunities, everyone wins,” Watret said.
He continued, “The first officer had a great role model for becoming a pilot—her mother. It’s good for aviation and inspiring for all of us.”
—Shahrzad Warkentin
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