After three years of training, history was made as the first woman in the Air National Guard took to the skies to pilot an F-35 fighter jet.
The Air National Guard said 1st Lt. Kelsey Flannery, 30, completed the inaugural flight as a member of Vermont’s Air National Guard’s 134th Fighter Squadron on Sept. 7.
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“I really wanted to be on the leading edge,” Flannery said in a statement. “It’s exciting to get up there, go fast, and be able to employ weapons, so that was one of the more appealing parts of it.”
As a daughter of an Air Force pilot, Flannery said she always knew she wanted to fly for the military. The idea of making history as the first female in the Air National Guard to pilot an F-35, however, never came up during her training.
“There’s definitely been a trail blazed already. I’m really grateful to the women who have done that, but nobody has brought it up, and I feel very much like an equal here,” Flannery said. “People just treat me like a wingman, and it’s great as it allows me to focus more on flying.”
Flannery’s performance has earned her high praise.
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“Never had to worry about her up in the air,” Capt. Jake Dubie, an instructor pilot in the 134th Fighter Squadron, said about her inaugural flight. “She did an awesome job, so it was definitely a lot of fun.”
Flannery said she hopes to make a career in the Vermont Air National Guard.
