Two women in aviation reach for the sky together
By Kirsten Stokes
Kamia Bradley and Amelia Rose Earhart have piloted in the air and have made inspiring moves on the ground, accomplishing what they want and encouraging others to do the same.
But their connection to one another didn’t start on the tarmac. Rather, a scholarship brought them together.
“A pilot is more than just learning how to fly a plane. A pilot is someone who sees things from a different perspective. That’s the joy of aviation for me,” Earhart said.
Their connection took flight with the Pioneer Achievement Award given annually the Amelia Earhart festival in Atchison, Kansas, to honor a woman that carries on the Atchison-born pilot’s spirit. Amelia Rose Earhart, who is not related to but has felt a connection with the famous pilot, received the award in 2013 and created her own nonprofit, the Fly with Amelia Foundation. She helped foster the next generation of women in aviation, granting 10 flight training scholarships to women ages 16 to 18.
“Propelling women forward in that tiny little way in aviation, that one singular latitude and longitude on Earth, is a very special thing that I will always hold so dear in my heart,” Earhart said.
As Earhart successfully became the first person to pilot a single-engine Pilatus around the world in 2014, another full-circle moment was in the making — that of a new pilot. In 2015, Bradley received one of the 10 training scholarships given by the Fly with Amelia Foundation.
“She gave me that scholarship to finish up to my private pilot license, and it was amazing so I’m just really happy that I was able to get that,” Bradley said. “For me to be in the position to be able to help people in the same way that I received help, it means everything to me.”
With a story of provision, comes one met with adversity. Growing up homeless in Colorado, Bradley is the first in her family to graduate high school and college. Her challenges haven’t stopped her from becoming a first officer for SkyWest Airlines and a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical science.
Now Bradley received the Pioneer Achievement Award at this weekend’s festival. And like Earhart, she wants to use her award to help others.
“It’s a total of $20,000 and I don’t have the full logistics yet but I am going to be starting a foundation,” Bradley said. “I do want the award to mostly target Black women because Black women we go through a lot of different lenses, especially in the aviation world and I really want to make sure that I offer support and mentorship to whoever gets the scholarship, just like I received.”
Earhart said she is proud of what Bradley has achieved.
“Now with the Pioneering Achievement Award and the Amelia Earhart Festival, having the support of an entire community that is going to love her as much as I do, I just know it’s going to propel her even farther,” Earhart said.
