January 12, 2021 Come from Away

The Liberty Gazette

January 12, 2021

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: Lest anyone think the 21st century has vanquished ridiculous machismo thoughts that some people have about women flying, let me just say, I see the comments daily. Multiple times a day. I’ve heard many personally. But the professionalism of Colonel Nicole Malachowski (also the first female to fly for the U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds demonstration team); U.S. Navy Lt. Commander and Southwest Airlines Captain Tammie Jo Shults (who landed a crippled 737 safely on one engine, after a fan blade failed, causing severe damage to the plane); 19-year old Ashli Blain, flying Blackhawks and Chinooks to fight fires in Montana and other hotspots last summer; American Airlines Captain, Beverley Bass, and others show just how ignorant those comments are. 

I could focus on any one of these ladies, each one a hero, but today, it’s Captain Bass. 

Captain Bass was born a Floridian, but she learned to fly in Texas skies. When looking for her first flying job, she was told women must not fly, because, “what would the wives of the executive passengers think?” But American Airlines knew her value and hired her in 1976, at age 24. 

Mike: We all know what we were doing the morning of September 11, 2001. The first plane, the news, the second plane, the shock, the horror, the anger, the resolve. But all pilots flying in or into the United States at that time couldn’t stand around a television and watch the news. They were being directed to cities not in their flight plan, some in foreign countries. Grounded. And no one knew for how long. 

En route from Paris to Dallas, Captain Bass was one of many pilots grounded in an instant that morning. But a few things set her apart. She was the first female captain American Airlines had ever had. She was responsible for the flight; in charge of the safety of her passengers, crew, and a Boeing 777 on that historic day. She had also been the captain of the first all-female flight crew in history.

Our northern neighbors took in many flights. Captain Bass’s aircraft was one of several ordered to land at Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. With a plane load of passengers, and no plans, she and her crew did what they had to do. They got them on the ground safely and waited for news as the local communities stepped up, reached out, and helped with open hearts, open arms. 

Linda: Thanks to the Canadians, the 2016 musical “Come from Away” that features Captain Bass’s flight that day, is still running on Broadway, Toronto, Melbourne, London, Sydney, and on tour. While the character is largely influenced by Captain Bass’s own story, the part is a composite of many pilots who were suddenly grounded after the attacks. But the number, “Me and the Sky” is all her. This woman, one of many who have endured the battles in the war on ignorance, would let nothing come between her and her sky. 

For information on the musical, check out https://comefromaway.com/.

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