Camp Willa Guest Presenters
Read about the great professionals that will speak about a wide range of topics
Angel Jean-Charles is a major cargo airline pilot with over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. As an African American female, she represents less than 1 percent of commercial airline pilots in the United States. Angel’s unique position in an industry where African American women are underrepresented has captured the interests of many across the nation. She was highlighted in the Proudly She Served campaign which honors military women, and provided an exclusive opportunity to have her self-portrait on display in The Pentagon.
Most recently, Angel has been featured on News Nation in 2022 for women trailblazers during Women’s History Month in March. Angel’s interest in flying began at the early age of 11. Through a non-profit organization in her hometown, she began flying at 16yrs old and received her initial Private Pilot License at 17. She went on to receive further flight training in college at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, FL and also in the military with the US Coast Guard.
Angel regularly seeks to inspire and motivate others through her non-profit organization, Sisters of the Skies (SOS). SOS is a National Aviation Organization, designed to support other minority women through mentorship, scholarship, and community outreach. SOS has been highlighted on several major media platforms to include the NY Times, Ebony Magazine, CBS, PBS, and Good Morning America to name a few. Since its inception in 2017, SOS has awarded over $1 million in flight training scholarships. Angel was born in New York to Haitian immigrants and was raised across the Hudson River in the city of East Orange, NJ. When she is not flying around the world, she enjoys spending quality time with her 3 children: Zhoe, Tre, and Amara.
Jenny Beatty
When I was working on my commercial pilot certification, my flight instructor urged me to THINK BIG!
But I just couldn’t.
Back then, only a handful of women were airline pilots. I never imagined that one day I might fly for a premier global airline, get rated to fly one of the world’s largest transport jets (B-747), fly a jet equipped with the world’s largest jet engines (B-777-300), or fly the most sophisticated transport jet ever designed (B-787).
But I did.
I also flew seaplanes, gliders, balloons, and helicopters; gave flight instruction; flew bank checks and cadavers; did aerobatics; and became a check airman and airline flight operations manager.
Along the way, I dedicated myself to promoting pilot careers and advocating for women, BIPOC, and other people underrepresented in aviation, by volunteering my time as mentor, writing numerous articles in aviation magazines, and more.
THINK BIG and FLY!
Read more at JennyBeatty.com
Laurie Probst has quite an extensive résumé when it comes to sharing aviation with today’s youths. She was introduced to aviation two decades ago when a friend offered her a flight in a small airplane, and from that moment on she was hooked. Ever since then, she’s participated in countless programs to share the possibilities of aviation with kids. Laurie now holds private and commercial pilot certificates and an instrument rating, and is even an advanced ground instructor.
After being a middle school STEM teacher for 29 years, teaching is nothing new to Laurie. She brings her passion to the classroom through her aviation summer school program that she proposed to her school district. In addition to her classroom, Laurie volunteers for various EAA educational programs such as Girls on the Fly, a day for young girls to explore aviation, filled with activities like building remote-control aircraft, charting and navigation stations, Redbird simulator sessions, and special guest speakers.
In the spirit of making aviation more accessible, and being so experienced with kids, Laurie often flies Young Eagles with learning or developmental disabilities. “I know what questions to ask the parents … so that’s something that’s been very rewarding, too, is giving special needs kids some pretty awesome airplane rides and making them feel comfortable,” she said. She also volunteers for an outreach program for at-risk high school students, spending the day with them and their families, showing them what aviation can offer. “I like being involved in those types of experiences because all my flying, if I can, is giving back.”
One of Laurie’s Young Eagles even returned the favor after earning his pilot certificate. When she was going through cancer treatment and unable to fly herself, he offered to take her flying. “He took me up once around the patch on a beautiful summer day, green grass and everything,” she shared. “I remember being in the plane thinking, ‘Okay, I may or may not get my medical back in order again, but the fact that one of my former Young Eagles is taking me up,’ … That was incredibly touching.”
“I always tell the kids, if an opportunity is given to you to try something, that might be an avenue to something in the future,” Laurie said. “When the kids have the ‘aha’ moment, as a teacher, that’s my favorite.”
This information was excerpted from a profile in EAA Sport Aviation