The pioneering Black woman who flew in the US Air Force becomes set to embark on her last aviation journey.
On May 23, Captain Theresa Claiborne plans to retire by landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after flying from Lisbon, Portugal, accompanied by friends and family.
"I've had a fantastic career," Claiborne told CNN Travel over Zoom before departing for Lisbon. "It's time for me to put on the brakes on a large plane for the final time."
Retirement Journey
Although she eagerly anticipates "closing that one chapter and beginning another," Claiborne becomes emotional when she considers the astonished children who frequently gawk at her in her pilot outfit as she moves through an airport.
"After this, strolling through the airport, I won't be wearing a uniform," Claiborne remarks. "People will simply stare at me like I'm just another traveler like everyone else, which will be a bit different.... I'm hoping I can still make an impact on the sector."
"To still pass on that information to youthful individuals, especially young Black girls, and teach them that they can take on this role."
As a youngster from Virginia, becoming a pilot was unthinkable for Claiborne. When she was about seven, she took her initial journey - a worldwide excursion to Turkey.
"My father was military," she says. "Thus, I grew up all over the globe.... I'd been on big aircraft before but never imagined flying one."
That all altered when Claiborne attended college and joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). As part of the program, she was allowed to fly a T-37, a twin-engine aircraft trainer.
"Once I experienced that sensation of being in the air and in command of the aircraft, I was like, 'Yes, this is what I want to do,'" Claiborne, who was approximately 20 at the time, says.
Sinking or Swimming
Although she was anxious to enroll in undergraduate pilot instruction, Claiborne acknowledges that in 1979, the US Air Force was only training ten women per year and "had already chosen the women for my graduating class." Yet, this number subsequently increased, and Claiborne was ecstatic to obtain her pilot wings.
"Approximately six months after graduating from California State University in Sacramento, I started pilot training," Claiborne recollects. "It's a sink-or-swim situation.... Either you survive or disappear."
Claiborne notes that she particularly struggled at first due to her insufficient mathematical background.
"I merely acknowledged that I had to make it, as that is the kind of character I am."
In 1981, Claiborne was commissioned as a second lieutenant and the following year became the first Black woman to fly in the US Air Force.
"I hadn't realized that was the case until a few weeks before I finished," she recalls. "And I frequently remark that I'm really grateful that I hadn't realized. I was 22 years old...."
During her years in the US Air Force, Caliborne was the first Black woman to serve as a command pilot and teacher for the KC-135, a midair refueling jet.
Expanding Horizons
In 1990, she signed up with United Airlines as a flying officer. At 5 feet, 2 inches, Claiborne was two inches smaller than the stature required to fly commercial planes at other airlines at the moment, but she later became a United Airlines captainess.
"It's a pilot who operates an aircraft," Claiborne reaffirms. "It doesn't matter which institution you belong to; you're still a pilot."
Claiborne stresses her need to be the greatest pilot possible, stressing that a big portion of achieving this is ensuring that her passengers have a pleasurable flying experience.
"Being excellent is simply that I communicate with my passengers at all times," she declares. "They're informed of what's going on. That I keep them secure in every way.
"Evidently, a perfect touchdown is crucial. I have two more to pull off."
"The idea that I was the first still gives me goosebumps."
Claiborne selected Newark, New Jersey, to Lisbon (inbound and outbound) as her last hurrah, with her mother, along with several of her closest friends and family members, accompanying the trip.
"I won't deny it, I was hoping to head to Paris," she admits, explaining her intention to pay tribute to Bessie Coleman, who moved to Paris to attend aviation school and became the first African-American woman to get a pilot's license.
"I wanted to recreate the entire Bessie Coleman charm. But Paris from Newark is on a distinct airframe."
She finally decided on the Portuguese capital because there's a two-day layover on the trip, enabling her to spend some quality time with her loved ones in Lisbon.
"Normally, we're there at the destination for 24 hours. So you land, you nap, you find something to eat, you nap again, and you depart."
"With the Lisbon trip, we can savor the time together.
"My mom has made countless sacrifices for me, so this is a chance for her to truly relish the moment.
Upsurge in variety
After safely landing the United Airlines 787 Dreamliner in Newark, Claiborne will receive a water cannon salute - a traditional gesture involving two fire engines spraying their water cannons to form a large arc over the aircraft.
"That's something prized by retiring individuals," says Claiborne. "It's quite remarkable."
"I'm an emotional person; I dread not crying. But I anticipate shedding tears.
"This is the last time I'll be piloting a large airplane of this caliber."
Claiborne has dedicated her entire commercial flying career to United Airlines and believes she's fortunate to have worked for the American airline for so long.
"It's a great company. We possess the highest number of female pilots among major US carriers, and I believe we are still the leaders in Black women."
However, in the US, 93.7% of professional pilots are White, and 92.5% are men, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's estimated that there are fewer than 150 Black female pilots in the US, and Claiborne feels a tremendous burden as one of them.
"I bear the weight of ensuring that I continue to perform exceptionally well, lest others like me are prohibited from receiving equal opportunities," she asserts, recalling how, earlier in her career, her co-pilots would make assumptions.
"Once they had finished speaking, I'd turn around and ask, 'Is there anything for me?'"
Currently serving as the president of Sisters of the Skies, a non-profit organization geared towards augmenting the number of Black female pilots by awarding scholarships to aspirants, Claiborne feels the bittersweet melancholy surrounding her impending commercial flying career conclusion.
"The chief impediment to piloting an airplane is the financial hurdle," she points out, referring to the high cost of pilot training. "Hence, that's what we do."
Claiborne will be surrendering her role as president following seven years of service but says she intends to keep mentoring young girls for the years to come and will also pen "a few books."
"A batch of young women from our organization are carrying on the legacy," she adds.
Although her commercial flying career is wrapping up, Claiborne hasn't completely ruled out piloting for good. There's a possibility of flying a World War II plane in the future.
"Some pals have promised, 'I'll take you up.' So I could probably fly that. That's on my bucket list too.
"If someone offers to accompany me in the backseat of a Thunderbird, I'll toss that idea out there. I haven't done everything..."
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After retiring, Captain Theresa Claiborne may still find ways to impact the aviation sector during her travels.
As she embarks on her final journey, Claiborne won't be wearing her distinctive pilot uniform while moving through airports like she once did.
Source: edition.cnn.com
