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Women's History Month

How One Woman Excelled in Athletics, Journalism, Venture Capital—and Aviation

Aviation executive Bonny Simi describes her fascinating journey as an airline pilot, Olympic athlete, TV reporter, venture capitalist, and executive at Joby Aviation.

Thom Patterson
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Key Takeaways:

  • Bonny Simi is an extraordinary executive at Joby Aviation, whose diverse career spans Olympic athletics, TV journalism, venture capital, and a long tenure as an airline pilot, consistently breaking barriers in male-dominated fields.
  • Driven by her early passion for aviation, Simi advocates for greater accessibility and diversity in pilot careers, actively working to remove financial hurdles and create clear pathways for women and underserved communities into the industry.
  • At Joby Aviation, she is pioneering the future of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, leading efforts to establish a flight academy that will provide a defined and equitable pipeline for a new generation of pilots.
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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a month-long series to mark Women’s History Month: March 1: Pioneers of Women’s Aviation | March 2: Carole Hopson | March 4: Martha King | March 8: Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance | March 11: The Air Race Classic | March 15: Sisters of the Skies | March 18: Women in Aviation Conference | March 22: Bonny Simi of Joby Aviation | March 29: The first Graduating Class of Air Force Female Pilots | March 31: Top Female Difference Makers in Aviation

At first, the career path of Joby Aviation executive Bonny Simi may be hard to wrap your head around.

Thom Patterson

Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.

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