They Made Aviation History: The First Mother–Daughter Team in the Cockpit of a SkyWest Commercial Flight
In September 2019, a SkyWest Airlines flight became much more than an ordinary trip through the skies. At the controls were Captain Suzy Garrett and her daughter, Donna Garrett, making them the first mother–daughter team in the airline’s history to fly a commercial passenger aircraft together.
The remarkable moment quickly attracted worldwide attention and became an inspiring symbol for women in aviation.
A Childhood Surrounded by Wings
For Donna, growing up with an airline-pilot mother never seemed unusual. Her father, Doug Garrett, had the same profession. At home, conversations about flight plans, airports, and airplanes were simply part of everyday life.
“When I was little, I just thought it was the somewhat boring job my parents had,” she later said with a laugh.
But as she grew older, her perspective changed. She saw how passionate her parents were about their work and how their career allowed them to explore the world. Stories of their travels, sunsets viewed from above the clouds, and the freedom that came with flying eventually sparked her own dream of becoming a pilot.
Donna decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue aviation herself.
A Flight Filled With Emotion
The day Donna took her seat in the cockpit beside her mother as first officer was an emotional one for both of them.
For Suzy, the flight carried an even deeper meaning: that year marked her 30th anniversary with SkyWest, a company she had joined in 1989 when female pilots were still extremely rare.
Imagine the scene: a mother and daughter sharing control of a commercial airliner after decades of hard work, sacrifice, and determination to pursue their dreams.
A True Family of Pilots
In the Garrett family, aviation is almost a family tradition. Suzy’s husband, Doug, is a pilot, and so is their son, Mark.
“We absolutely love our jobs. You don’t often see this much passion in one family,” Suzy explains.
What makes her smile is that none of her children originally seemed destined to become pilots. But when they compared this life of movement, challenges, and discovery with a more traditional office career, they understood why their parents were so happy.
The Photo That Went Around the World
In 2020, a photograph of Suzy and Donna proudly smiling in the cockpit went viral on social media.
Thousands of people shared the image, touched by the obvious bond between mother and daughter and by what it represented: the passing down of a passion and proof that women fully belong in the skies.
For Suzy, the public’s reaction was one of the most moving parts of the experience.
“It’s incredible to see your child experience something that you yourself were fortunate enough to experience,” she said proudly. “Now she’s part of the SkyWest family.”
A Pioneer Even Before the Historic Flight
This wasn’t the first time Suzy Garrett had made history. When she was hired by SkyWest in the late 1980s, she was among the company’s first female pilots.
Her passion for aviation began in her teenage years. During a flight between Arizona and Los Angeles while she was in eighth grade, she was captivated by a spectacular sunset outside the window. At that moment, she knew she wanted to spend her life in the air.
The road was not easy. In 1984, she enrolled in the aviation program at Mount San Antonio College in California. After several years working as a flight instructor, she eventually earned a position at SkyWest and built a remarkable career spanning more than three decades.
Breaking Down Stereotypes
Suzy says she never experienced significant discrimination in the cockpit and was given the same opportunities as her male colleagues.
The most surprising comments often came from people outside the aviation industry.
“I’ve sometimes had to convince people that a woman is perfectly capable of flying an airliner,” she recalls.
She has become accustomed to seeing surprised expressions from passengers when they discover that she was the one who landed the aircraft.
Fortunately, attitudes are changing. Seeing women at the controls of commercial aircraft is becoming increasingly common, and Suzy is happy that their photograph may have encouraged young girls to consider a career in aviation.
A Career Compatible With Family Life
Contrary to popular belief, Suzy believes that piloting can be an excellent profession for women who want to have children.
Thanks to flexible scheduling, she was able to attend school events, celebrations, and remain actively involved in her children’s lives while pursuing a demanding and exciting career.
“I could be that involved mom in my children’s lives while still doing this extraordinary job,” she explains.
A Symbol Beyond Aviation
The story of Suzy and Donna Garrett is not just the story of a historic flight. It is the story of a passion passed from one generation to the next, of a mother who dared to pursue a dream that many women were once told was out of reach, and of a daughter who chose to continue that adventure in the skies.
Their image side by side in the cockpit remains a powerful reminder that dreams have no gender, and sometimes they take flight as a family.
