Bonnie Tiburzi
Bonnie Tiburzi (born August 31, 1948), is an American aviator. In 1973, at age 24, she became the first female pilot for American Airlines and the first female pilot for a major American commercial airline. At the same time she also became the first woman in the world to earn a Flight Engineer rating on a turbo-jet aircraft. Early life. Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo was born Bonnie Linda Tiburzi. She was born August 31, 1948 in Connecticut. Her father was a pilot for Scandinavian Airlines SAS and later with Trans World Airlines TWA. After leaving the airline industry  August Robert "Gus" Tiburzi owned and operated Tiburzi Airways – a flight school and charter company in Danbury, Connecticut. Career. Tiburzi began her aviation career flying as a flight instructor and charter pilot. In 1973, at age 24, she became the first female pilot for American Airlines and the first female pilot for a major American commercial airline. She flew as a Captain on the Boeing 727, Boeing 757 and the Boeing 767. In 1986 Tiburzi wrote her autobiography, "Takeoff: The Story of America's First Woman Pilot for a Major Airline". She retired from AAL in 1999 after 26 years . Additional professional activities. Trustee for the College of Aeronautics from 1990 - 2000. Created and produced three "Women of Accomplishment" Award Luncheons for the Wings Club, Inc. in New York City from 1981 to 1983. These events honored women from various fields of endeavors - representing an array of important roles filled by women. Recipients included (among others) actress Polly Bergen, race car driver Janet Guthrie, TV anchorwoman Jane Pauley, feminist and author Betty Friedan, Rabbi Sally Priesand, actress and spokesperson Maureen O'Hara, Moya Lear of Lear Aircraft Company, Television Workshop's Faith Stewart-Gordon, opera singer Anna Moffo and Muriel Siebert , Superintendent of Banks, New York State. Tiburzi received the "Chairman's Award for Outstanding Programming Service of the Year". Created the "Information Bank" - a networking system for the International Society Of Women Airline Pilots to help further the career of future female pilots. Guest speaker at many schools, colleges, and private clubs including the Federal Aviation Association, the Ninety Nines, the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum and the Wings Club. Trustee and Tennis Chairperson for the Millbrook Golf and Tennis Club from 1999 - 2001. Board Member of a New York Co-op Building in the 1990s Awards and recognition. In 2018, the  Independent Spirit Awards inaugurated the Bonnie Award, named after Tiburzi. Chloé Zhao was the first to receive this award. Tiburzi's American Airlines pilot uniform is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.