For those future Women Fighter Pilot Afterburner Club Members I came across a great story this week that really demonstrates that there is really no limit to what women can achieve in the armed forced today.

A woman fighter pilot was recently named commanding officer of the famous Canadian Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds; the first woman to hold that position with the prestigious crew!

Lt. Col. Maryse Carmichael is not the first woman fighter pilot to hold a commanding officer position in the Canadian forces, but is the first to lead fighter pilots, a position in the military which is still perceived by many to be primarily a job for men. In addition to having the honor of being the first woman to hold this post, she was also the first woman to be a member of this elite squadron as well, and one of the first in the world to join an air demonstration crew.

Having been a flight instructor for a number of years now, when the position became available she was actually on maternity leave with her second child and told reporters that she jumped at the chance, and on the treadmill!

Carmichael had a love for flying and the military from a young age, having seen the Snowbirds perform in her home town of Quebec City. At 13 she was in the Air Cadets and was in flight school before she knew it.

In addition to being a member of the famed Snowbirds, she has also had the honor of flying both the Prime Minister and Governor General of Canada in her career, and has been a flight instructor for a number of years. Flying is also really a family affair, as Carmichael’s husband is a fighter pilot in the Canadian Forces as well.

Lt. Col. Carmichael is really an inspiration to women who want to be fighter pilots around the world. She recognizes the significance of her personal accomplishments, but has stated that she is most proud of the impact that her story will have on future generations of woman in the armed forces.

Having smashed through that glass ceiling with her CT-114A she is certainly an inspiration not only for female fighter pilots, but anyone who has to overcome adversity to achieve their goals!