Sisters of the Skies (SOS), the nonprofit international aviation organization, and Delta Airlines presented the Sisters of the Skies 2022 Scholarship Gala. The fourth annual fundraiser was held Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street NE.
The purpose of the gala is to seek to improve the current number of Black female pilots which stands roughly north of 150 in the United States for those holding Airline Transport Pilot, Commercial, Military and or Certified Flight instructor licenses. The first gala was held in February 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia honoring the first All-African American Female flight crew. This year the SOS brings fundraiser back to where it began again recognizing Black women who are first in their aviation careers.
Sisters of the Skies is an organization of Black female pilots who are committed to supporting future black aviators through mentorship, professional development, outreach and scholarships.
The keynote speaker at the gala was SOS President Emeritus and Co-Founder, United Air Lines Captain Theresa Claiborne. She is a native of Emporia, Virginia and earned a degree in Media Communications from California State University of Sacramento. She flies the Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) for United Airlines. On June 20, 1981, Claiborne was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the USAF. She became the first African American female pilot in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Laughlin Air Force Base on September 16, 1982.
Tyisha Fernandes of Channel 2 Action News was the event’s emcee. She studied broadcast journalism at Howard University.
For more information about Sisters of the Skies, contact them at [email protected] or call 855SOSFlys.
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