Where were you?

Michelle Miller doesn’t just remember where she was on 9/11/2001, the morning when airliners were used as weapons of mass destruction in the U.S.; she still talks to the person she was flying with that day, every year. You see, that moment in time changed Michelle’s career trajectory.

Her job as a pilot with a regional airline was canceled before it began. “So, it was a much longer road to get to where I am now,” Michelle sighs. She discovered the nonprofit Women in Aviation International not too long after, and there she found  both an active scholarship program and a vibrant mentorship program. Being around other like-minded women who were involved in aviation gave Michelle the career boost she needed to stick out the lean years and succeed in aviation.

Today she flies a sleek corporate jet as captain, a relative rarity in private business aviation. “Growing up with a twin brother I feel like I have always been one of the guys, but I also feel as a female in this industry that you can't just be as good. You have to be a little bit better,” she says, sighing. “You have to set an example and show that you belong,” she continues. 

“My parents told me that girls aren't pilots!” she exclaims, explaining why her route was particularly challenging. As for discrimination? It’s been mostly anonymous.  “I have experienced a male voice, hearing a woman pilot on the radio, say: ‘another empty kitchen.’ I like to respond to that with intelligent comments instead of banter because I feel like you change that mentality by example, by proving that you're meant to be here and you're quite capable of doing the job.” 

Where she is now, however, is what she deems an aviation one-percenter position. “It's hard for females to get to power positions in this industry,” she explains. “Right now I'm 22 years in this industry. I've been a management pilot for eight years, was an assistant chief pilot for MGM, and now I am a CAM (Client Aviation Manager) for Solairus. It was a little bit harder when the kids were of school age, but I have a very supportive husband. He's a police officer actually, taking flying lessons to fly as a second career right now. I think just having that family support is key to the successful aviation marriage.”

In her current position she flies luxurious Gulfstream 650s or equivalent Embraer jets. These machines can cross the Atlantic nonstop and typically a professional flight attendant keeps the passengers happy while the flight crew of two (or on long trips, three) focus on the technical and logistical aspects of the flight. Michelle’s flight department is as professional as they come, which makes working there airline-like, from a safety and efficiency standpoint. And as a part of management Michelle can mentor pilots. “My favorite part of being a female in aviation is inspiring and mentoring others,” she explains.