Women comprise less than ten percent of the total pilot population in the United States (according to statistics from Women in Aviation). In the military, the representation of female aviators is even lower, and women were prohibited from flying in combat until the early 1990s. As a result, it is a big deal when a woman takes the controls of one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. Last week, U.S. Marine Captain Anneliese Satz flew the single-seat Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, becoming the first woman to fly the advanced fighter jet.
First Female Pilot Flies the F-35B
Key Takeaways:
- U.S. Marine Captain Anneliese Satz became the first woman to fly the F-35B Lightning II, an advanced supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft, a significant milestone given the low representation of women in military aviation.
- The article clarifies that while Satz is the first woman to fly the F-35B variant, Air Force Lt. Col. Christine Mau was the first woman to pilot any F-35 fighter jet in 2015.
- Captain Satz's diverse training path to the F-35B began with a commercial helicopter pilot certificate, followed by progression through various Marine Corps jet training aircraft.
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