Meet the Women Taking to the Skies Across South Mississippi
Don’t let the Southern charm fool you—there’s serious air traffic above the Gulf Coast, and it’s not just commercial jets. From Waveland to Moss Point, women aviators are rewriting the flight plan—trading stereotypes for headsets and glass ceilings for cockpit doors. Whether they’re military pilots, flight instructors, or private weekend warriors, these women are soaring beyond outdated expectations.
Wings, Wildfires, and One Fierce Resume
Lieutenant Colonel Cindy King wears more hats than most people ever have job titles. She serves in the Mississippi Army National Guard, works as an epidemiologist for the state’s Board of Animal Health, and—just for good measure—flies wildfire detection missions for the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
“It’s an important job,” she said of the Forestry Commission’s aerial fire spotting. “We help get ground crews to the right locations, and we can keep them from wasting resources chasing controlled burns. It keeps everyone safer.”
Flying started as a hobby—something she picked up out of pure curiosity. “I didn’t set out to make it a career,” she said. “I just wanted to be a better pilot, so I got my commercial license. Then the job offers started coming.”
Now she’s part of a rarefied group—fewer than eight percent of all pilots are women, and fewer than one percent of Americans ever learns to fly at all.
King never set out to defy statistics—but she’s been soaring past expectations ever since.
Into the Storm, She Flies
At first glance, Shade Tree Field in Gulfport doesn’t look like the kind of place where hurricane missions are born. It’s a quiet, grass-strip airport tucked into the Mississippi pines—more front porch than flight line. But for Captain Ashley Kosturock, it was the beginning of everything.
Followed by flight lessons with Mark Stevens, a retired Lieutenant Colonel Navigator with the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, also known as the Hurricane Hunters—her interest ignited in weather reconnaissance.
But her connection to the mission runs deeper. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Her father, a Biloxi police officer, worked through the chaos, and Kosturock photographed the wreckage along Highway 90. She still carries those photos to airshows and public events to remind her why she flies.
Now a pilot with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the Hurricane Hunters, Kosturock is one of the few who fly directly into the world’s most dangerous storms. She and her crew collect data that satellites and radar can’t reach—information that helps forecasters predict intensity, landfall, and impact more accurately.
“No two storms are the same,” she said. “As you get closer to the eye wall, winds will increase and rain, sometimes hail smacks the plane. A light to moderate turbulence flight can turn into an aggressive rollercoaster, car wash combo sensation.”
Despite the chaos, the mission is guided by rigorous training, checklist discipline, and a deep sense of purpose. Kosturock has served in the Air Force Reserve for five years, commissioning after graduating from Mississippi State University and completing pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base.
The storm flights may be intense, but they come with rare beauty, too. From sunrises and rocket launches to the eerie calm inside a hurricane’s eye, her camera roll is packed with snapshots of the sky’s most dramatic moments.
The Bayou Beacons: Lighting the Way
And full flight circles include the Bayou Beacons, the Gulf Coast chapter of Women in Aviation International. The nonprofit connects aviation professionals, students, and enthusiasts to support women in every corner of the skies. Through mentorship, scholarships, and STEM outreach, they’re fueling the future of flight.
“It’s not just about flying,” said flight instructor and chapter president Taylor Dickey. “It’s about showing women that the sky isn’t the limit—it’s just the beginning.”
Dickey founded the Bayou Beacons last year and is now leading the charge for Girls in Aviation Day on October 4 at Trent Lott International Airport. The hands-on event will give girls 18 and under the chance to tour real planes, dive into exciting STEM activities, and meet the trailblazing women shaping aviation on the Coast.
“We’ll have all kinds of activities to get these young women excited about aviation,” she said. “Our charter members will be there to share their stories—each one representing a different career path.”
The inaugural event will coincide with the airport’s third annual Flying High and Cruising Low family celebration—proving that whether it’s a child’s first glimpse inside a cockpit or a seasoned pilot mentoring the next generation, flight is more than a destination. It’s a calling.
From Solo Student to Leader in the Sky
Captain Alice Furr, a contract pilot who flies jets for corporations and individuals, heads up the NOLA 99s—a powerhouse chapter of women pilots spanning the Southeast. She began flying in 2015 and said the aviation landscape for women has transformed dramatically in the last decade.]
“When I started, it was tough. I was the only female flight student in my class,” she said. “There just weren’t many of us. But now? It’s a whole new world. In just ten years, I’ve seen a huge shift—it’s incredible.”
Her chapter has seen that shift firsthand. “We had maybe 24 members when I joined,” Furr said. “Now we’ve quadrupled. There’s this amazing influx of young women becoming pilots. I’ve learned so much and had the privilege of mentoring others—it’s beautiful to see how far we’ve come.”
Breaking Barriers
Nicolle Stanfill is rewriting the rules of who belongs in the cockpit—proving the sky isn’t just for the boys. For her, flying was a family affair long before it became a calling. “My dad’s a general aviation pilot—I’ve been flying with him all my life,” she said.
In 2023, she turned childhood wonder into wings, earning her certifications and becoming a flight instructor. “I’m lucky—I don’t sit under fluorescent lights all day,” she said. “My office is the Mississippi Sound, the beaches… It’s beautiful.”
To young women eyeing the sky, she offers both honesty and encouragement. “Don’t let the doubters stop you. I used to think I couldn’t fly because I was a girl, or because I wore glasses. But it’s not true. It’s never true. Women are the best pilots in the world.”
A Childhood Dream Becomes a Flight Path
“My view never gets old—it’s the best office in the world,” said Allison Lensink, pilot and flight instructor.
Lensink’s journey began in the cabin, working for Delta in various roles, including as a flight attendant. A chance encounter with a Southwest pilot led her to a flight school in Ocean Springs. Later, a stranger in an airport challenged her to finish her license—and that was all the motivation she needed.
Since then, she’s earned her private pilot certificate, her CFI, and every rating in between. She’s now in Delta’s pilot program, preparing to fly with the regional carrier Endeavor.
“And teaching others? Watching them succeed is just as incredible,” she said. “It’s all come full circle.”
To every girl who’s ever looked up and wondered—these women are proof that wonder can take wing. The path is steep, the skies unpredictable, but the reward. Soaring.
“I’m a pilot,” they all say—and say it with pride. The skies are wide open. The learning never ends. But neither does the view.
