Lt. Commander Brenda Robinson: Inspiring The Next Generation of Aviators

Lieutenant Commander Brenda Robinson never imagined she'd turn left into the cockpit when boarding an aircraft. Growing up in 1960s Pennsylvania, she assumed aviation meant turning right—toward the flight attendant galley. Today, the trailblazing pilot who shattered multiple barriers in naval aviation dedicates her retirement to ensuring young people of all backgrounds know the cockpit is within their reach.

In 2025, Robinson was recognized as a Remarkable Woman finalist for her transformative work with Aviation Camps of the Carolinas, the educational program she founded to expose teenagers to careers beyond traditional expectations. Her action-packed one-day camps at airports across the nation give 9-to-17-year-olds behind-the-scenes access to every facet of aviation—from flight operations to air traffic control to aircraft maintenance.

Robinson's journey to this moment spans 45 years and countless firsts. In 1980, she became the first African American woman to earn her Wings of Gold from the U.S. Navy, selected from just ten women nationwide admitted to Aviation Officer Candidate School. She accumulated 115 carrier landings on aircraft including the USS America, transporting mail, cargo, and passengers in the demanding C-1A carrier onboard delivery role. Her call sign: Raven.

Her naval career included flying admirals, senators, and four-star generals in Washington, D.C., serving as both flight instructor and evaluator, and participating in Gulf War operations. After transitioning to reserves in 1992, Robinson became one of American Airlines' first African American female pilots, flying Boeing 727s, 757s, and 767s for seventeen years.

Now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Robinson teaches at Fly Right, an FAA-approved flight training center in Concord, where she instructs in simulators and ground school. But her true passion lies in youth mentorship, teaching life lessons wrapped in aviation excitement. "When you can figure out a way to keep a teenager engaged, you have done it—because they're a tough crowd," she says.

Her message to aspiring aviators echoes her own experience: hard work trumps genius, mentorship matters, and doors you didn't know were closed can open wide. Robinson's legacy proves that turning left into the cockpit is possible for anyone willing to chart the course.