SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE, THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> JULIE: 3 MONTHS INTO 2021
AND THE YEAR HAS ALREADY SEEN
A HANDFUL OF WOMEN WHO ARE
SHATTERING GLASS CEILINGS FROM
JANET YELLEN, THE FIRST WOMAN
TO SERVE AS THE SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY, SARAH THOMAS,
THE FIRST WOMAN TO REFEREE A
SUPER BOWL. THE KAMALA HARRIS,
THE FIRST WOMAN ELECTED VICE
PRESIDENT THESE FIRST DIDN’T
HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. NO ONE KNOWS
THAT BETTER THAN PERHAPS MAJOR
KATIE HIGGINS COOK. SHE IS THE
FIRST WOMAN TO FLY WITH THE
STORY, BLUE ANGELS AND NEWS. 6
ANCHOR GINGER GADSDEN
INTRODUCES US TO HER AND TELLS
US HOW SHE WAS DETERMINED NOT
TO LET ANYONE GROUND HER
DREAMS OF BEING A PART OF THIS
ELITE SQUADRON OF PILOTS.
>> 4 MAJOR KATIE HIGGINS COOK
AND 3RD GENERATION AVIATOR
FLYING IS IN HER BLOOD. MY
FATHER WITH THE NAVAL ACADEMY
AND THE 7 TO AN F 18 HORNET.
SHE KNEW EARLY ON SHE WANTED
AN OFFICE WITH A VIEW.
>> I LANDED ON THE MILITARY
AND I I WAS GOING TO SERVE MY
COUNTRY AND THAT IS DEFINITELY
GOING TO BE IN THE SKY SETTING
HER SIGHTS HIGH IN 2000, 15
COOK BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE
PILOT WITH THE WORLD FAMOUS
BLUE ANGELS. FLYING INTO
UNCHARTED TERRITORY FOR A
WOMAN. SHE STILL REMEMBERS HER
FIRST AIR SHOW AS A BLUE ANGEL
IN EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA.
>> I FELT LIKE I HAD THE
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON MY
SHOULDERS. I KNEW THERE WERE
PEOPLE WATCHING BECAUSE I WAS
THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY A BLUE
ANGEL AIRCRAFT FOR SHOW. I
WANT TO DID NOT GET OUT OF THE
PARK. EVERY WOMAN THAT CAME
BEHIND ME WOULD HAVE JUST A
LITTLE BIT EASIER PATH.
>> THEN I HAD YOU HAD ALL OF
WALL MANATEE ON YOUR
SHOULDERS. NO PRESSURE. BUT
DON’T MESS IT UP. COOK’S PLANE
OF CHOICE. THE C ONE 30 CARGO
OR FAT ALBERT AS IT’S KNOWN,
THE BIG PLANE OPENS EACH AIR
SHOW AND PEOPLE ARE OFTEN
SURPRISED BY THE AERIAL GRACE
OF THIS WORKHORSE AIRCRAFT. WE
DON’T GO OVER ABOUT 1500 FEET.
WE STAY LOW SO THAT EVERYONE
CAN YES.
>> BUT IN THE FASTEST MANEUVER
WE DO IS CALL THE FLAT PASS TO
THE SOUTH. 300, 70 MILES PER
HOUR AND THAT.
>> PERFORMED AT 40 FEET WHEN
THEY SEE THIS WOMAN STEP OUT
OF THIS PLANE AND ITS YOU TO
BE ON CROWDS LINING NEW
SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AND YOU GET
A LITTLE GIRL OR LITTLE BOY
THAT WOULD COME UP AND FEEL
GROWTH GIRLS CAN BE PILOTS.
YOU CAN CORRECT THOSE
MISCONCEPTIONS AND SHOW THEM
LIKE, YOU KNOW, GIRLS COULD BE
PILOTS. THEY COULD BE MARINES
AND THEY COULD EVEN BE BLUE
ANGELS THAT THEY WANT TO BE SO
TO BE ABLE TO CORRECT THE
MISCONCEPTION THAT ONLY A
LITTLE GIRL. BUT IN LITTLE
BOY.
>> DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECT OF HAVING A
WOMAN ON THE TEAM WHEN I WAS
THERE. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT
TO LET PEOPLE KNOW.
>> THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST. I
THINK IT IMPORTANT BECAUSE
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON’T EVEN
REALIZE. HOW FAR BEHIND WE
ARE.
>> RIGHT. SO IF IT TOOK 69
YEARS FOR ME TO BE THE FIRST
THE E-MAILS, THE FLIES WITH
THE BLUE IN THEIR HISTORY. AND
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, 2000, WE
HAVE A LOT OF WAYS TO GO UNTIL
WE’RE ACTUALLY IN EQUAL
SOCIETY UNTIL I THINK I THINK
MONTH LIKE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
LIKE YOU KNOW, WOMEN’S HISTORY
MONTH. BRING ATTENTION TO NOT
ONLY THE STEPS OF PEOPLE
BEFORE BEFORE US HAS MADE. BUT
THE STEPS THAT WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO MAKE UNTIL YOU
KNOW, THESE HIGHLIGHTS ARE
NECESSARY ANYMORE. WE ACTUALLY
TRULY LIVES AND PEOPLE WERE
ALL THAT TIME HASN’T LANDED
JUST YET.
>> UNTIL IT DOES. SHE HAS THIS
ADVICE FOR YOUNG GIRLS WHO
WANT TO FOLLOW IN HER FLIGHT
PATH.
>> I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE
SKY’S THE LIMIT QUITE
LITERALLY THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE OF YOUR
GENDER OR YOUR RACE OR YOUR
ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OR YOUR
ORIENTATION HASN’T DONE IT.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE DOORS
CLOSE. JUST MEANS THAT YOU GOT
TO BE READY TO TAKE IT DOWN.
>> JULIE: THAT READ TO POINT
OUT HOW FAR BEHIND WE ARE TO
WEAR. WE’RE HAVING SO MANY FOR
STILL IN THE YEAR 2 AT 2169