Beverly Burns
Beverly Lynn Burns | |
---|---|
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
Occupation | Retired Continental Airlines captain |
Known for | First woman in the world to captain the Boeing 747 jumbo jet |
Spouse(s) | Captain Robert Allen Burns, Flight Instructor of Year, 1972 |
Captain Beverly Lynn Burns is the first woman to captain the
By the time she retired, in February 2008, Burns had been a captain with the airlines for twenty-seven years and amassed over twenty-five thousand hours of flight time. While with People Express she captained the Boeing 727, Boeing 737 and Boeing 747. Between 1987, when the company merged with Continental Airlines, and 2000, she added the DC-9, DC-10, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 to the list of jetliners she had captained.[10][11] Then, in May 2001, Burns became captain on one of the most technologically sophisticated airliners of its time, the Boeing 777.[12][13]
In addition to her qualifications on the flight deck, Burns had acquired an understanding of the airlines as a business. From 1971 to 1978, she worked as a
While with People Express, Burns had a number of non-traditional duties. She worked in reservations; in scheduling; and as a gate agent, baggage handler, and avionics trainer. Varying the duties of pilots—an operating approach novel to the industry in the early 1980s—required the company's CEO to obtain special FAA authorization, an action that facilitated a number of firsts in the industry. For Burns it meant becoming the first woman to ever work as a certified aircraft dispatcher while performing duties as a line captain.[15]
Captain Burns received numerous awards and commendations. On January 31, 1985, she received the
More recent commendations included a 2001 citation from U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and a letter of congratulation, dated August 7, 2001, from President George W. Bush. On February 6, 2002, a proclamation by Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley designated the date as Beverly Burns Day in Baltimore. In 2003, she received a Certificate of Appreciation from USAF General John W. Handy for outstanding support for Operation Iraqi Freedom while serving as a member of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.
Captain Burns's autobiography can be found on Kindle Books at Amazon.com.[21]
References
- YouTube
- YouTube
- ^ Explore Baltimore County: Retired pilot shattered glass ceiling
- ^ Women in Aviation: Captain Archived January 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "EWR Turns 80: A History of Newark Liberty Airport" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ AOPA Pilot
- ^ Reitman, Valerie, "Elegant Opening for Elegant Airport Hotel," Daily Journal, Feb 1, 1985.
- ^ The Airline Executive, March 1985.
- ^ FAA Temp Airman Certificate, Form 8060-4(8-79), Issued 7-1-84 by Examiner Harty.
- YouTube
- YouTube
- ^ "Woman Shatters Airline Barrier," Placard on wall of Baltimore-Washington Int’l Airport.
- ^ Bullard, Chuck, "Pioneer of Our Times," ALPA: Continental MEC Report, Fall 2002.
- ^ "Love is in the Air," Baltimoremagazine.net February 2002.
- ^ FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate, Cert No. 3046531 Issued 5-5-1982.
- ^ "Marriott Corp Honors Amelia & 747 Boss," General Aviation News, Vol 36, No 9, Mar 4, 1985.
- ^ "Woman 747 Captain Receives Earhart Award," The Jewish Times, January 25, 1985.
- ^ Senator C. Louis Bassano, New Jersey Senate Resolution, Adopted July 30, 1984.
- ^ Maryland State Governor, Harry Hughes, Letter of Congratulation, Oct 17, 1984.
- ^ President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, Letter of Congratulation, Nov 16, 1984.
- ^ The Shadow of Thy Wings.