 |
When it comes to stories of
espionage and intrigue,
Hollywood rarely casts a sister
in the starring role. But in
real life one Black woman has
accomplished what once seemed
like mission impossible: Last
October Major Merryl David, 34,
became the first Black female
pilot of a U-2--the legendary
stealth planes the U.S. Air
Force deploys for risky
reconnaissance missions, such as
identifying terrorist activities
in foreign countries.
David, a former naval officer,
is one of only five women and
three African-Americans to be
accepted into the Air Force's
elite First Squadron, where U-2
pilots get their training. Now
she'll have to withstand the
pressure--literally. Solo
flights can exceed 70,000 feet
and last nine hours, and U-2s,
with their tremendous wingspan,
are one of the toughest crafts
to land.
But David has had her sights set
high since childhood. Growing up
in The Bronx, New York, the Star
Trek fan dreamed of being an
astronaut. Since then she has
boasted an impressive flying
career, operating combat
helicopters and airplanes for
the Navy in the Middle East and
South America. In July she'll
leave her Lincoln, California,
home and be deployed as part of
the Ninety-Ninth Squadron to
Korea. "You don't see many Black
females flying in any service,"
she says. "I hope this will show
young girls that this is an
option they can have."
Courtesy of Essence Magazine
Diane Weathers, Editor in Cheif |
