"I wanted to be part of our nation's space program. It's the greatest adventure on this planet--or off the planet, for that matter. I wanted to fly the Space Shuttle."

This sense of determination is shared by all aviators pursuing their dreams. But who said this?

No other than Eileen Collins, the first female pilot of a space shuttle mission!

On this very day in 1995, she piloted NASA’s Discovery STS-63 which included a rendezvous with the Russian Space Station Mir. She went on to top this by becoming the first female commander of a space shuttle mission in 1999 for STS-93! A woman of achieving many ‘firsts’, she was also the USAF’s first female flight instructor. 

In a male dominated industry, inspiring women, such as Collins, who were able to break through the mold and usher in a new path for girls to realise their potential are treasured pioneers in aviation history.

"When I was very young and first started reading about astronauts, there were no women astronauts."

However, this did not scare her away. She dreamed of space and becoming a pilot. Like many aviation enthusiasts, she would watch aeroplanes take off and land at her local airport. She pushed on with her goals by joining the Air Force, and during her first month her base was visited by the first astronaut class to include women. Watching them, she realised she too could do it, and the rest is history.

Fellow aviators, who or what was the turning point that made you realise you too could reach for your goals?

Photo Credits: NASA / USAF

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