Latinas in Aviation
When it comes to aviation, I say that it has become the true
testament of my dedication to my dreams, and
therefore the elevation of other dreams in the community.
About the Author
Being a licensed sports pilot has truly allowed me to spread
my wings in uplifting and elevating Latinas. While exploring
these possibilities, I often wondered if other Latinas like me
who are recreational or professional pilots in the aviation or
even the aerospace industries.
As I was researching Latinas in the
aviation industry for my new book
“Latinas in Aviation,” I came across a
startling statistic. According to the International
Society of Women Airline Pilots' July 2020
Worldwide Female Airline Pilot Numbers by
Region report, the total percentage of female pilots
in the United States is only 5.27 percent. Within
this group, Latinas are most likely in the minority. I
wanted to find who some of these amazing women
were and how they made their mark in these fields.
Their stories needed to be told and, most
importantly, to show younger generations that they
have an interest in aviation and aerospace, they
should pursue those careers.
The search was on and my book team found
21 dynamic, fearless Latinas—veterans, new
graduates, pilots as well as aviation administrators,
military and civilians—who could share their
personal stories, achievements, struggles, and
challenges. Among them are Graciela Tiscareño,
U.S. Air Force Veteran/CEO of Gracefully Global
Group, LLC; Olga Custodio, retired USAFR
Lieutenant Colonel and American Airlines captain
and Evelyn Miralles, the former chief principal
engineer for the Virtual Reality Laboratory, an
astronaut training facility at NASA Johnson Space
Center in Houston. She contributed to the book’s
preface.
Despite COVID-19, Fig Factor Media
Publishing, my book publishing firm, was able to host
a summer soft launch with three of the authors and
taking guests on short flights at Bolingbrook’s Clow
International Airport in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Knowing me, I didn’t want to stop with these
stories since many young Latinas are waiting in the
wings to develop their paths and careers. All of the
proceeds of book sales will go to create the
#Pilotina scholarship to help these women who
have dreams of entering the aviation and aerospace
industry.
When writing this book, I reflected on my
journey into aviation. It began simply enough when
seeing a little plane at a hot air balloon show in
2014. My husband Juan Pablo and I took a
discovery flight. Other experiences with flight lead
me to develop a personal commitment to
becoming a licensed sports pilot that entailed many
private lessons, sleepless nights, and much studying.
After putting in many hours, I received my
official license on July 7, 2018. For me, aviation
became an important factor to where it kept
seeping into my life and the way I looked at life on
the ground. I try to find every opportunity to express
this amazing passion that I have for aviation and
“Latinas in Aviation” was one vehicle to do it.
By Jacqueline S. Ruiz
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us at info@latinastyle.com
LS
Jacqueline S. Ruiz is a visionary social entrepreneur that has created an enterprise of inspiration.
Her keen sense of service coupled with the vision to bring good to the world has led her to create
two successful award-winning companies, two non-profit organizations, published over a dozen
books, created many products, and held dozens of events around the world in just the past decade.
She is often referred to as a “dream catcher” as her strategies have supported thousands
of women, authors and young ladies to achieve lives of significance. At her young age, she has
achieved what most would not do in an entire lifetime. Being a cancer survivor sparked a sense of
urgency to serve and transcend.
Born in Mexico City, Jacqueline S. Ruiz moved to the United States at age 14 where she learned
English and German shortly after. She launched her award-winning marketing and public relations
agency JJR Marketing in 2006.
For information about Jacqueline, visit http://jackiecamacho.com/.
42 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 26, No. 5, 2020
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