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The moment has been going on for over a year, but in the past few days it has gained a new sheen on social media. The story of Suzy and Donna, mother and daughter who share the controls of the same plane, makes many Internet users dream of returning to the days when they could travel without restrictions.
Daughter of pilots, Donna Garrett grew up watching her father leave to work as a commercial aircraft pilot. He grew up watching his mother go out to do the same. Flight was in his blood from birth and it is not surprising that he chose a career in civil aviation.
In September 2019, the family’s passion for aviation made mother and daughter sit in the “cockpit” of the same plane, on an internal flight of the American company SkyWest.
It was more than a year ago, a unique moment for the Garrett family, rare in the world: mother and daughter, as pilot and co-pilot of the same commercial flight. A moment that once again crossed the ethereal Internet, on the wings of social networks, more than 12 months after take-off.
“We knew it was really special,” said Suzy Garret, who was turning 30 on SkyWest when she shared the cockpit with her daughter, Donna, much to the surprise of many.
“Passengers, flight attendants, airport staff, many wanted to take pictures with us. This helped make the day even more special,” recalls Suzy Garrett.
“I was really surprised by the reactions – just like I am now because I went viral. I had never taken so many pictures since my wedding day,” she recalled, speaking on CNN.
The moment, especially for the two women, is also a milestone in the history of civil aviation. A branch of men, mostly white, where women are rare. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 92.5% of American pilots are men, of which 93.7% are Caucasian.
Suzy guarantees that she has never felt any kind of discrimination from other drivers. The suspicion comes from outside the cockpit. “I had to win over people, beyond the profession,” she commented, recalling that “comments from passengers and people in the aviation terminal” are not uncommon when they know the pilot is a woman.
And many times, he says, this can be seen in the face of the surprise they make. Nothing to disturb Suzy, a small woman, 1.58 meters, who began to give birth to the dream of flying in the 80s of the last century, when aviation was not just a men’s club, but had almost exclusive entrance to military trained pilots.
“He wasn’t tall enough to get into the Air Force,” Suzy said. Determined, she enrolled in an aviation school to take her pilot course in 1984. She also worked as a flight instructor before joining SkyWest in 1989.
After 30 years in the service of the same company, he made history by sharing the cockpit with his daughter, Donna, who joined the company in April 2019. “I have to be honest. I only recently realized how pioneering my mother had been in this sector. “Donna Garrett said, also speaking on CNN.
“I grew up seeing her in this role and only when I was older, and I was looking to make a career in this industry, did I realize how rare my mother’s position was in this profession and I realized that what I was doing at the time was really impressive, “stressed Donna.
Mother and daughter liked to travel together more often, but the pandemic has cut their wings. In the memory of both were several flights on the west coast of the United States, in which they shared the cockpit.
“I had never had the opportunity to fly with such an experienced commander,” says Donna. “And, being my mother, we have a great common ground, which facilitates communication,” she added.
Mother, daughter, but most of all busy professionals, warns Suzy, arguing that family ties are outside the cabin on the plane.
“Anyway, it’s really nice to look at you and see you sitting next to me,” acknowledged Suzzy. “I’m very, very proud of her, she does a fantastic job,” he added.
The family’s bond with the civil road doesn’t end with Suzzy and Donna. Not even the pride of a mother, who expects to see her son, who recently took a pilot’s license, share the cockpit with his sister.
“It would be really nice to have Donna as a pilot and him as a co-pilot on the same flight. Maybe I’d sit in the back, as a passenger,” said Suzy. “It was a dream come true,” he added.
A dream postponed by the pandemic, which delayed the recruitment of the son, whose name was not revealed, and who would join SkyWest in 2020.
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