Tammie Jo Shults

Tammie Jo Shults possessed an early interest in flying, but she faced various obstacles on her path to becoming a military pilot. Applying her lifelong trait of perseverance, she eventually became one of the first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots in the United States Navy. Her duties, before women were allowed into combat roles, encompassed teaching Out Of Control Flight as well as serving as a bogey/bandit against Top Gun students as well as other squadrons, ships or entire carrier groups.

After concluding her Navy career, she flew over Forrest fires one summer then became a pilot for Southwest Airlines. Tammie Jo’s incredible history and talent received wide acclaim on April 17, 2018, when she successfully landed a Southwest Boeing 737 after an engine exploded at high altitude, causing multiple system failures and a rapid depressurization. The successful landing of Flight 1380 in Philadelphia saved 148 total lives including passengers and crew, as detailed in her National Best Seller book, Nerves of Steel.

Tammie Jo and her husband Dean live in Texas, and Dean also enjoys flying for Southwest Airlines. The couple has two adult children and are committed to living out their faith and serving in their community. They are active in their church and volunteer at a school focusing on at-risk youth. While Captain Shults retired from commercial flying in September 2020, she continues to dedicate herself to volunteer piloting and serves on various boards. In addition, she has received a number of aviation awards, the latest being inducted into the International Aviation Hall of Fame as well as the Wings Club of New York’s Outstanding Aviator Award for 2022.