Page 40 - World Airnews Magazine August 2020

WOMEN IN
AVIATION

FIRST BLACK FEMALE

FIGHTER PILOT

of aviators in the service. As of 2018, the
Navy had 765 female pilots, less than 7% of
ieutenant junior grade Madeline all pilots across the ranks, according to the
LSwegle recently completed the US Pensacola News Journal.

Navy service's tactical air (strike) train- But that is not to say there have not been
ing programme in the T-45C Goshawk – pioneers. The late Rosemary Mariner became

making her the first known Black female one of the first eight women in the Navy

fighter pilot. selected to fly military aircraft in 1973. She

was certified to fly the A-4C and the A-7E
This naval academy graduate has been Corsair II, and became the first woman to fly

certified for the TACAIR mission meaning a tactical fighter jet the following year, the

that now she can go on to fly fighters such as service said. Mariner retired as a captain.

the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler Meanwhile, Brenda Robinson became
or F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. The Chief of the first African American female gradu-
Naval Air Training (CNATRA) congratulated ate from the Navy's aviation officer can-

Swegle on her achievement via Twitter. didate school, earning her wings in 1980,

"Swegle is the @US Navy’s first known according to the non-profit organisation
Black female TACAIR pilot and will re- Women in Aviation. She was the first
ceive her Wings of Gold later this month. Black woman certified for C-1A carrier
HOOYAH!" the post stated. onboard delivery carrier landings the
According to the Navy, Swegle, of Burke, following year, the group said. Robinson
Virginia, is assigned to the Redhawks of retired in 2008.
training squadron (VT) 21 at the Texas base. Despite early strides, women have still

Her achievement comes as pilots have faced barriers. For example, the Penta- can fighter pilot for the Air Force, flying

commented the Navy's aviation community gon did not lift a decades-long policy that the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Kimbrell, now a

needs more diversity in its ranks. prohibited women from flying in combat lieutenant colonel, flew combat missions in

A 2018 investigation by Military.com until 1993. Operation Northern Watch over northern

revealed that Black pilots are rare in the Shortly thereafter, Martha McSally, now Iraq in 2001.

service, particularly in fighter units. a Republican senator from Arizona, became There was another history-making mili-

According to Navy data provided that the Air Force's first female pilot to fly in tary achievement this week. A female army
year, just 1.9% of all pilots assigned to the combat in 1995. An A-10 Warthog pilot, National Guard soldier recently graduated

F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18 Growler, E-2 Hawkeye McSally retired as a colonel in 2010. from the gruelling Special Forces qualifica-

and C-2 Greyhound were Black. In 1999, Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell tion course - making her the first woman to

Women also make up a small percentage became the first female African Ameri- join the Green Berets. Q

AIRLINES
CHINA’S AVIATION INDUSTRY
SUFFERS HUGE LOSSES
China’s aviation industry has been To boost cash flows, a few Chinese

recovering faster than most countries airlines have recently rolled out discount

hina’s aviation industry sank emerging from the COVID lockdowns, passes that would allow passengers unlim-

Cfurther into the red, losing 34.25 underpinned by a steady recovery in the ited domestic travel with few restrictions.

billion yuan or (US) $4.89 billion in the domestic travel market after the epidem- China Eastern Airlines was the first in

ic was largely brought under control.

second quarter, only slightly narrower June to sell “fly at will” flight passes for
But passenger numbers showed the

than in the first quarter, underlining sector is still way below pre-COVID-19 unlimited weekend domestic travel until

the colossal financial impact from the levels, according to the latest official the end of the year.

corona virus pandemic. data. June passenger numbers fell 42.4% The deal was met with great consumer
In the first quarter the industry, which from a year earlier to 30.74 million, the enthusiasm and more airlines followed

includes airlines, airports, and other avia- CAAC said, although that was better suit. Hainan Airlines then offered con-

tion companies, lost 38.1 billion yuan, ac- than a 52.6% decline in May. In the first sumers flight passes that enabled them

cording to recent data released by the Civil half this year, total passenger numbers to make unlimited trips to or from Hainan
Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). dropped by 45.8% from a year ago. Island, a popular tropical tourist spot. Q

World Airnews | August 2020
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