In 2019, Captain Suzy Garrett and her daughter Donna Garrett marked a milestone by jointly piloting an aircraft for SkyWest Airlines as the first mother-daughter duo.
For Donna, it was nothing unusual in her childhood that her mother was a pilot, as her father also had the same profession.
Therefore, flying planes seemed like a normal thing.
Donna even considered it a kind of “boring job” her parents did when they went to work.
But over time, she developed an interest in their profession as she saw her parents’ passion for their careers and how flying gave them the freedom to explore the world.
Inspired by her parents’ love of flying, Donna decided to pursue the same career path.
In September 2019, Donna finally sat as a First Officer alongside her mother in the cockpit and conducted a flight for SkyWest Airlines.
At that time, Suzy had already celebrated 30 years at SkyWest, making this milestone even more special as she reached it with her daughter.
Being a captain obviously runs in the family, as Suzy’s husband Doug and her son Mark are also pilots, showing that flying is a family tradition.
Suzy emphasized her love for her profession, noting that it is rarely found in other occupations.
She pointed out that none of her children had previously considered becoming pilots, but seeing how happy her parents were in their careers compared to other office jobs opened their children’s eyes to the attractiveness of the profession.
The photo of the proud duo in the cockpit went viral in 2020, and Suzy recalled the heartwarming reactions of people.
Suzy appreciated working with her daughter in the cockpit and believed that being a pilot was a great profession for Donna as she enjoyed variety and excitement in her life.
The proud mother emphasized how wonderful it was that her daughter could have the same experience as her and was now part of the SkyWest family.
The image of Donna and Suzy sharing the cockpit symbolized a happy and remarkable moment in aviation history, especially considering the challenges many female pilots face in a male-dominated industry.
This was not the first time Suzy made history, as she was also one of the first women hired by SkyWest.
Since 1989, she has been living her lifelong dream of being a pilot for over three decades.
Suzy fell in love with the sky in eighth grade after a flight from Arizona to Los Angeles.
The sight of the sunset from the airplane window fascinated her and fueled her dream.
She knew it wouldn’t be easy to fulfill this dream, but she didn’t give up and enrolled in the aviation school at Mount San Antonio College in California in 1984.
Suzy emphasized that she did not experience discrimination in the cockpit and felt that she had the same opportunities as her male colleagues.
Unpleasant remarks mainly came from people who knew little about aviation or commercial aircraft.
Suzy has become accustomed to seeing the surprised expression on people’s faces when they realize that she was the one safely landing the commercial aircraft.
Suzy also noted that people’s attitudes towards female pilots have changed over time and that she hopes her viral photo has inspired young women to enter the industry.
She also emphasized that flying is an excellent career choice for women as it offers flexibility in terms of working hours and an exciting professional experience.