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OF COMMERCIAL PILOTS IN THE U.S. ARE WOMEN, AND THAT NUMBER DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR BLACK WOMEN. BUT SO MANY OF THESE PILOTS ARE WORKING TO CHANGE THE FACE OF AVIATION. WESH 2’S SHELDON DUTES IS HERE TO INTRODUCE US TO A LOCAL PILOT WHO IS HELPING TO CLEAR THE PATH FOR OTHER WOMEN. YEAH, I’M SO EXCITED FOR EVERYONE TO MEET JAYLA JACKSON. SHE GRADUATED FROM EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY AND BECAME A COMMERCIAL PILOT. SHE ACTUALLY STARTED FLIGHT LESSONS WHEN SHE WAS JUST 16 YEARS OLD, AND SHE IS SO GRATEFUL HER MOM AND DAD SUPPORTED HER GOALS TO FLY. AND THE MINUTE YOU LEAVE THE GROUND, YOU’LL KNOW. IT’S ALMOST LIKE A FEELING LIKE I’M HOME. FLYING IS JAYLA JACKSON’S PASSION. YOU’LL SEE HOW IT’S KIND OF LIKE THIS ROUNDED SHAPE. AND WHEN YOU LOOK INSIDE OF THE WING, IT’S GOING TO BE THE SAME SHAPE. SHE STARTED LEARNING ABOUT PLANES AROUND THE TIME MOST TEENAGERS ARE FOCUSED ON CARS AND GETTING THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSES. SO YOU’RE 16 YEARS OLD WHEN YOU STARTED TAKING LESSONS, CORRECT? YES, I WAS 16. I WAS SUPER YOUNG. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. EVEN TODAY, I’M LIKE, WHY DID YOU GUYS LET ME DO THAT? BUT I’M SO BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE DONE IT. NO ONE IN HER FAMILY FLEW. SO JAYLA SAYS HER DAD WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD AT FIRST WHEN SHE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN LEARNING HOW TO FLY. AND IT WAS KIND OF OUT OF THE BLUE FOR HIM. BUT THEY WERE 100% SUPPORTIVE. AND THE AWESOME THING, THEY WERE LIKE, OKAY, LET’S DO THIS. YOU KNOW, GO GET YOUR LICENSE FIRST SO YOU CAN DRIVE YOURSELF TO THE AIRPORT. AND AFTER THAT, LET’S DO IT. JAYLA GREW UP IN MICHIGAN AND MOVED TO CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR COLLEGE, WHERE SHE COMBINED HER PASSION FOR SOFTBALL AND AVIATION AT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY. I MET ALL MY BEST FRIENDS PLAYING SOFTBALL AND I GOT GREAT EXPERIENCES FLYING, SO I’M SO HAPPY I DID IT. SHE GRADUATED FROM EMBRY-RIDDLE AND ACHIEVED HER DREAM OF BECOMING A COMMERCIAL PILOT. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT IT? EVEN NOW, TODAY, I STILL LIKE LANDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. IT FEELS LIKE, WOW, I JUST DID THAT. I’M PROUD OF MYSELF. I ACHIEVED SOMETHING AND I CAN DO HARD THINGS. SHE IS PART OF A SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBER OF WOMEN PILOTS. RECENT DATA FROM THE FAA SHOWS THAT WOMEN HOLD ONLY 7% OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATIONS. THAT NUMBER IS EVEN SMALLER FOR BLACK WOMEN. EVEN WHEN I MEET A WOMAN, I’M LIKE, HI, HOW ARE YOU? I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU. AND I’M HOPING WITH VOLUNTEERING AND WITH THE OUTREACH WORK THAT THE NEXT GENERATION WON’T EXPERIENCE, THAT. JAYLA VOLUNTEERS WITH THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF BLACK AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS AND SISTERS OF THE SKY TO HELP BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS LEARN ABOUT CAREERS IN AVIATION. I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND A LOT OF WOMEN, WHEN I TELL THEM I’M A PILOT, THEY’RE LIKE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT. NOT THAT THEY WOULDN’T WANT TO, OR THEY’RE NOT CAPABLE OR THEY’RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST NOT EVEN A CAREER THAT THEY THINK ABOUT. SO TO TO HAVE VISIBILITY IS TO SHOW THEM YOU CAN. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO. OR EVEN IF IT’S NOT JUST A PILOT, YOU COULD BE AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER OR A DISPATCHER. I MEAN, JUST OPENING UP A NEW WORLD FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NEVER EVEN CONSIDER IT. I’M SO GRATEFUL, AND IT’S TRULY A BLESSING FOR ME. WOW. AND I JUST I LOVE THE WAY THAT SHE’S PAYING IT FORWARD. AND LIKE SHE SAID, EVEN IF YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T NECESSARILY BECOME PILOTS, IT AT LEAST KIND OF EXPOSES THEM TO OTHER CAREERS IN AVIATION BECAUSE THEY’RE SO NECESSARY AND SO NEEDED. I LOVE THAT SHE GOT INTO THIS AT 16 YEARS OLD. IT WAS LIKE, YOU’RE QUALIFIED NOW TO GET A LICENSE FOR YOUR CAR, BUT THAT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER. SHE NEEDED TO TAKE TO THE SKIES. YEAH. I MEAN, IT’S JUST A TESTAMENT TO HER PASSION FOR THIS AND SO MANY OTHER PILOTS. LIKE, IT’S GOT TO BE SOMETHING INNATE IN YOU TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT’S NOT FOR ME. IT’S A NO FOR, YOU KNOW. NO, BUT LIKE, I MEAN, I’M JUST SO IMPRESSED AND LIKE, SHE WAS SHOWING ME JUST LIKE THE MECHANICS OF THE PLANE. AND SHE KNOWS THEM INSIDE OUT. AND TO HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, IT’S SO IMPRESSIVE. YEAH. WELL, I KNOW A LOT OF US ARE HOPING THAT WE GET TO FLY ON ONE OF HER. ONE OF HER ASSIGNMENTS