Stephanie Wallach, one of the first female airline pilots in the U.S., defied the odds in a male-dominated industry, sharing her groundbreaking career and its impact on aviation in a recent interview.
Stephanie Wallach, a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of commercial aviation, made her mark as one of the first female airline pilots in America, overcoming significant challenges and reshaping the aviation landscape for women.
Wallach’s career, which spanned from 1975 to 2006, was the subject of an interview on the Out of Office podcast in November 2024. During the discussion, Wallach recounted the “illegal” ways she flew in the 1970s before becoming a captain, shedding light on the hurdles faced by women entering the field during that era.
According to a July 2023 report from the Centre for Aviation (CAPA), the percentage of female airline pilots worldwide remains between four and six percent, though the number is steadily increasing. In the U.S., female airline pilots grew by 71 percent from 2002 to 2022, with their representation rising from 3.3 percent in 2002 to 4.9 percent by 2022.
Ryan Davis, co-host of the podcast, shared with Newsweek his long-standing admiration for Wallach’s career. He noted how her tales of traveling the world as one of the early female pilots were both fascinating and insightful, making her an ideal guest to inspire younger listeners with her pioneering journey.
Wallach’s passion for aviation began with her mother’s whimsical dinner-table musings about obtaining a pilot’s license, a dream she never pursued but which inspired Wallach. After college, Wallach took her first flying lesson in the 1970s at Westchester County Airport in New York, a moment she described as life-changing.
At the time, opportunities for female pilots were limited, but Wallach pushed forward, eventually becoming a flight engineer for Braniff Airways in December 1975, joining a small group of women in the field.
After learning from veteran pilots, Wallach moved to Alaska Airlines, where she became a co-pilot and, later, a captain, making history as the first female Alaska Airlines pilot to reach the FAA-mandated retirement age.
Her story is one of perseverance and an enduring impact on the aviation industry, as she opened the skies for future generations of women pilots.
Newsweek