Airline Captain · Author · Speaker · Aviation Leader

Janet Patton's start in aviation happened very young. At the age of 11, Air Florida 90 crashed into the Potomac River and on that day she realized being an airline pilot was a career she wanted to pursue. Not having family in aviation, nor ever having been in an airplane, at 14 she went for her first airplane ride in a four-seat Cessna 172.

She has since flown freight, newspapers, flowers, transformers and the robotic arm of a space shuttle. In 1996 Spirit Airlines hired her as their first woman pilot. In 1998 she became their first woman Captain.

Today she is a Captain on the Boeing 777, based at DFW.

Her career has been about more than flying airplanes — it's about opening doors, building leaders, and helping others believe their own journey is possible.