Susan Hines-Chaney

This itinerary isn’t travel… it’s assignment. Let’s go! !!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Da Preacher. Pastor T. Wilson

Awesome Joy Walker. Had the opportunity to work with her as board members of Keep Pike Beautiful.

Joy Walker was a 31-year-old private pilot and engineer from a small town near Hattiesburg, Mississippi when she applied to fly for Delta Air Lines. Her dad was a professional baseball player who encouraged her to push boundaries. On July 2, 1973, she was hired as Delta's first female pilot.

At the time, there were only a few hundred female commercial pilots in the entire United States. Walker started as a flight engineer on the DC-8 and quickly learned what it meant to be the only woman in the cockpit.

"Every time you stepped into the cockpit, you had to prove yourself," Walker said. "A woman in the cockpit was an adjustment for everyone, fellow pilots as well as passengers."

She wasn't just the first. She was the only one for three long years before another woman joined her. But she kept flying. On October 17, 1988, Delta promoted her to captain. She continued flying until she retired in 2002 as a Boeing 767 captain, closing out a 29-year career with the airline.

Today, Walker remains committed to encouraging young women to pursue careers in aviation through programs like Girls in Aviation Day.

"We've come a long way since Captain Walker joined Delta in the early 1970s," the airline said. "We're so grateful to Joy for paving the way for women in aviation and inspiring women everywhere to follow their dreams."