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First Officer Carrie Muehlbauer began her aviation career in 1981 when she joined the U.S. Air Force, and has spent the last 28 years with American. When she first joined the Air Force, it was still at a time when few women were flying planes in the military; women weren\u2019t admitted into the Air Force Academy until 1976.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were some of the first women flying for the Air Force alongside men when I joined,\u201d said Carrie. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have any mentors to talk about the issues we faced. It was a lonely place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once she began pilot training, she met some of the women who would go on to be her longtime friends. There, Carrie had some hope that she wasn\u2019t alone, and could feel a little bit more comfortable being a woman in a male-dominated arena like the military, she said.<\/p>\n
Today, Carrie, with many other women pilots flying for American, mentor young women to help and inspire them to take on larger roles within the airline.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing to the WAI Conference is a great way to meet with young aviators and provide mentorship,\u201d said Carrie. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to share ideas, inspire others and see all of my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some advice for young women aviators?<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t listen to the naysayers, you can be anything you want to be,\u201d said Carrie. \u201cFind a mentor or someone to look up to, and they can show you the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kristen Kop, WAI Chapter Member \u2013 Honolulu, HI<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n Seventeen-year-old Kristen Kop is about as ambitious as they come these days. She\u2019s a member of the Civil Air Patrol, The Ninety-Nines and the Honolulu WAI chapter.<\/p>\n She currently studies at Mid-Pacific Institute, a college preparatory school in Honolulu. She is also pursuing her private pilot\u2019s license and aims to join an ROTC program in college next year.<\/p>\n For Kristen, the WAI Conference is all about opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the perfect place to network and make connections in the industry,\u201d said Kristen. \u201cI can meet with different airlines and schools that can help financially to train pilots of the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n This being her first time at a WAI Conference, Kristen was in awe of how many women are involved throughout the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cI had no idea what to expect,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels really good and assuring for a future where more and more women are getting every opportunity available. For me, I feel good about my career opportunities in this industry as a woman aviator.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAllison Righter, President of Wings for Val Foundation<\/h3>\n