Kelly Latimer

Latimer attended the US Air Force Academy.[1] In her freshman year she spent her summers learning how to fly gliders, after which she said "I knew I would fly for the rest of my life".[1] After graduating the US Air Force Academy she applied to NASA Armstrong but was not selected.[1] She graduated with a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the US Air Force Academy in 1987 and a master's degree in astronautics from George Washington University in 1988.[2][3]

Latimer became a pilot with the US Air Force.[4] She was a Lieutenant Colonel.[5] After September 11 2001, she knew she wanted to get involved with the fight, returning to the McChord Field for operational and deployed flying.[6] She was part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and flew more than 90 combat sorties.[4] She was commander of the 418th Flight Test Squadron.[7] She was a Senior US Air Force to the Iraqi Air Force and the reconnaissance squadron.[2] She retired from the US Air Force in 2007.[8]

Latimer was the first woman research test pilot hired by Armstrong Flight Research Center, where she ran experimental test flights for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, T-38, T-34 and C-17.[4][9][10] She is type-rated in heavy aircraft and fighters, including the Northrop T-38/Northrop F-5.[2] Collectively, Latimer has more than 6,500 flight hours and 1,000 test flight hours in her work with NASA, Boeing and the Air Force.[1]

Latimer became involved with system development and aircraft design during her time at Boeing.[2] She was Chief Pilot and Deputy Director for Airlift operations for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.[7] She was responsible for the global operations of the C-17, managing test pilots and training other aircrew.[2] She is a member of the Huntington Beach surfing club Wahine Kai.[11]

In 2015 she joined Virgin Galactic as a spaceship pilot.[1][12] She was the first woman to join Virgin Galactic pilot corps.[13] She is currently responsible for flying Virgin Galactic's White Knight Two, a dual fuselage high-wing composite aircraft that is set to carry Spaceship 2.[6] She is also set to pilot the Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl for Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne. In 2017 she met Mike Pence when he visited the Mojave desert.[14] Virgin Galactic partnered with Yohji Yamamoto to design their flight suits.[15]