Katie Cook
Katie Cook
First Female Blue Angels Pilot
Making history...
Over the 71-year history of the United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron, there had never been a female pilot…. until Marine Corps Captain Katie Higgins joined the team in July 2014 at just twenty-seven years old!
She demonstrated how to #flylikeagirl in the C-130T Hercules aircraft affectionately known as Fat Albert.
About the Blue Angels…
The team of 10 pilots tours airshows around the country demonstrating staggering feats of aerial precision, sometimes as close as 18 inches apart.
The mission of the Blue Angels has always been, “to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demonstrations and community outreach.”
"It’s not the easy times in your life that make you who you are. It’s the difficult times that shape you as a person and a leader."
What advice would you give to girls interested in pursuing a career in aviation?
Be excellent. Even if you face obstacles or failures, keep pursuing excellence in everything you do. Eventually, someone will recognize your greatness and opportunities will present themselves.
more about me...
What did it feel like to become the first
female Blue Angel?
I didn’t join the Blue Angels with the intention of breaking a glass ceiling. I joined because I thought it would be awesome to show off the capabilities of my airplane at airshows around the country. I was honestly surprised by the media’s excitement about my selection, but once my story got out, more and more young girls spoke to me about how they didn’t know women could be pilots or even Marines. To be able to encourage them to pursue their dreams, even if a woman has never done it before, was an amazing opportunity.
What/who inspired you to become a pilot?
I am a third generation aviator. Both my grandfathers were in the US Air Force and my father was a US Navy pilot for 26 years. All three served as huge influences on my decision to become a pilot.
What does the world need more of?
Open-mindedness. Whether it’s stereotypes against a certain gender, religion, race, or sexual orientation, assumptions about a certain group of people are just barriers to the advancement of society.
What has been your greatest reward?
Being able to correct misperceptions in young children. Little girls and boys told me over and over that women couldn’t be pilots, let alone Blue Angels. It was awesome to show them living, breathing proof that that wasn’t true. I think it is incredibly important for young women to have role models, but it is just as important to show young boys what women are capable of. Women will never reach true equality without the support of their
brothers, fathers, husbands, and male friends.
