Female pilot defies stereotypes: 'Be fit, be strong, fly like a girl'

HILLSBORO, Ore. — Aerobatic Pilot, Jacquie Warda - or Jacquie B" as most people know her - is very serious about her job.

She says it might be because of her age.

"Had I done this when I was much younger, I might not be here now," Jacqui said.

She started flying at 32 and flew in her first air show at 50.

"I started out being much more conservative than I might've been if I had been 20," she said.

But for us non-pilots, "conservative" is relative. Her performance at the Oregon International Air Show will be jaw dropping.

"I'm gonna actually tumble the airplane over and over and over, swap the nose for the tail, which is extremely aggressive. I would never do that with a passenger because it would make you sick instantly," she said.

Jacquie is one of a few female aerobatic pilots. She says there are only three others she can think of, and 1,500 men.

"That just should not be. There was a time when women couldn't fly, they couldn't drive cars, they couldn't do this, they couldn't do that. But those days are gone. A lot of woman still don't know that. A lot of parents still aren't teaching their girls this," she said.

So Jacquie says her job is to inspire women and young girls to, "be fit, be strong, fly like a girl... to fly like a girl means to go out and do whatever you do and do it well. Do it the best you can."