>>> EACH DAY ABOUT 100,000
PLANES FLY THROUGH THE SKIES,
BUTS THEY THIS.
IT WASN'T UNTIL 1986 A PLANE WAS
FLOWN BY A FEMALE CAPTAIN.
>> THAT'S WHEN BEVERLY BASS CAME
ALONG AND SUZY WELCH HAS MORE ON
HER INCREDIBLE STORY.
>> HEY THERE.
>> HELLO THERE.
25 YEARS INTO HER CAREER AS AN
AIRLINE PILOT CAPTAIN BASS
RECEIVED WORD THE TWIN TOWERS
HAD BEEN TAKEN DOWN.
HER PLANE WAS ONE OF 39
REDIRECTED TO A LANDING AT
GANDER NEWFOUNDLAND.
HER HEROIC STORY AND CAREER ARE
FEATURED IN THE BROADWAY SMASH
HIT "COME FROM AWAY."
I SAT DOWN WITH BEV AT THE FAMED
SHOWNFIELD THEATER TO HEAR HARRY
FIRSTHAND STORY ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE.
>> WE ARE OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE
NORTH ATLANTIC WE GE NOTIFIED ON
THE AIR FREQUENCY ONE OF THE
TOWERS HAD BEEN HIT AND, YOU
KNOW, WE WERE SITTING THERE
EATING LUNCH.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND
ASSUMED IT WAS A LIGHT AIRPLANE.
TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT JUST --
WENT BACK TO OUR BUSINESS AS
USUAL.
AND THEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER
WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE SECOND
TOWER HAD BEEN HIT AND WITH THAT
CAME THE WORD TERRORISM.
WE DON'T GET ORDERS AS TO WHERE
TO LAND BUT WE DID THAT DAY, AND
THEY SAID, LAND YOUR AIRPLANE
IMMEDIATELY IN GANDER,
NEWFOUNDLAND.
FOR ME, THE HARDEST PART WAS MY
P.A.
WHAT AM I GOING TO SAY TO THE
PASSENGERS?
>> NOTHING PREPARES FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> NO.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TRAINING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHECKLIST, WE
DIDN'T HAVE GUIDELINES TO
FOLLOW.
>> SORT OF DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT
TERRORISM WAS.
>> NO.
I'M LIKE WHAT DOES THAT EVEN
MEAN?
>> DID YOU HAVE A NEW FEELING IN
YOUR HEART WHEN YOU GOT INTO THE
COCKPIT TO FLY AGAIN AFTER THAT
DAY?
DID IT CHANGE FLYING FOR YOU?
>> NO.
NEVER.
NOT ANY PART OF IT.
I COULD NOT WAIT TO FLY AGAIN
WHEN WE GOT HOME.
BECAUSE I WAS NEVER GOING TO LET
THEM RUIN WHAT I LOVED SO MUCH.
>> Reporter: FOR BEV, FLYING WAS
A PASSION WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
>> I WAS RAISED TO BELIEVE I
COULD DO ANYTHING I WANTED AS
LONG AS I WAS WILLING TO WORK
VERY HARD TO ACHIEVE IT.
I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT GENDER DISCRIMINATION.
I JUST KNEW THAT I WANTED TO
FLY.
AND I COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT
ANYBODY WAS GOING TO SAY NO TO
ME.
>> SURELY ALONG THE WAY SOMEBODY
SAID NO?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD APPLY FOR VARIOUS JOBS.
A LOT OF THE GUYS WOULD SAY TO
ME, WELL, YOU HAVE PLENTY OF
EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE, BUT,
YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN'T HAVE A
FEMALE PILOT FLYING OUR
EXECUTIVES, BECAUSE -- YOU KNOW
WHAT WOULD THE WIVES THINK OF
THAT?
AND IT WAS SO DISHEARTENING,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD
NEVER ENTER MY MIND.
I JUST WANTED TO FLY THE
AIRPLANE.
>> Reporter: BY 1976, SHE GAME
THE THIRD FEMALE PILOT IN
HISTORY HIRED BY AMERICAN
AIRLINES.
TEN YEARS LATER, THEIR FIRST
FEMALE CAPTAIN.
>> DID YOU GET REACTIONS FROM
PEOPLE, LIKE, WOW.
WE'VE GOT A WOMAN PILOT?
>> YES, THAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT
MY CAREER.
ONE DAY PASSENGERS WERE BOARDING
THE PLANE AND THIS ELDERLY LADY
LOOKED IN AND SHE SAW ME SITTING
THERE AND SAID, I DIDN'T KNOW
THE CAPTAIN HAD A SECRETARY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> Reporter: BEV'S STORY AND HER
EXPERIENCE ON 9/11 EVENTUALLY
CAUGHT THE EYE OF BROADWAY
PRODUCERS.
* THEY SAID GIRLS SHOULDN'T BE
IN THE COCKPIT *
>> I AM GENUINELY DEEPLY TOUCHED
EACH NIGHT TO TELL HER STORY.
A BEAUTIFUL, STRONG, POWERFUL
WOMAN TO PORTRAY.
I'M THE LUCKIEST.
>> YOU'RE SITTING IN THE
AUDIENCE.
OKAY?
THE SHOW STARTS, AND SUDDENLY
THERE YOU ARE.
UP ON THE -- STAGE, BEING
PORTRAYED.
VERY FULLY WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE
MINUTES OF THE SHOW, WHEN JEN
PICKS UP THE PHONE AND SAYS, I'M
FINE, TOM.
* I'M FINE
>> MY HUSBAND LITERALLY BURIED
HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS, AND -- IT
WAS, AND WAS SOBBING, BECAUSE --
WHAT I REALIZED AT THAT TIME IS
THAT DAY WAS ACTUALLY HARDER ON
HIM THAN IT WAS ON ME.
>> Reporter: IN 2008, BEV
RETIRED FROM FLYING.
BUT EIGHT YEARS LATER, RETURNED
TO THE SKY.
* SUDDENLY THERE'S NOTHING IN
BETWEEN ME AND THE SKY *
>> NOTHING REALLY COULD GET
BETWEEN YOU AND THE SKY!
RIGHT?
>> YES.
AND I'M LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF
IT.
>> AND YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO CUT
THIS OUT, SOUND LIKE?
NO PLAN?
>> I'M GOING TO GO AS LONG AS I
CAN.
>> WOW.
AMAZING.
HAD SHE SEEN THIS BROADWAY SHOW?
>> GUESS WHAT?
SHE'S SEEN IT 75 TIMES.
>> WOW.
>> SHE'S IN A LITTLE COMP TIS
WITH HER HUSBAND, WHO'S SEEN IT
74 TIMES.
I CAN SEE WHY.
THERE'S HER WHOLE LIFE.
>> YES.
>> AND SHE'S NOT GOING TO STOP
FLYING ANYTIME SOON BUT HER
DAUGHTER RIGHT NOW IS TRAINING
TO BE A CRUISE SHIP AIRLINE
PILOT.
THIS IS A FAMILY WITH FLYING IN
THEIR HEART.
>> YES.
AWESOME STORY, SUZY.