Tammie Jo Shults facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tammie Jo Shults
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Shults with a VAQ-34 F/A-18 Hornet in 1992
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| Born |
Tammie Jo Bonnell
November 2, 1961 Tularosa, New Mexico, U.S.
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| Alma mater | MidAmerica Nazarene University (BSc) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1985–2001 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant commander |
| Awards | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal |
| Other work | Commercial airline Boeing 737 pilot |
Tammie Jo Shults (born November 2, 1961) is an American pilot and author. She used to be a captain for a commercial airline. Before that, she was a pilot in the United States Navy. She was one of the first women to fly fighter jets for the Navy.
After leaving the Navy, she became a pilot for Southwest Airlines. She stopped flying for Southwest Airlines in 2020. On April 17, 2018, Captain Shults safely landed Southwest Airlines Flight 1380. This happened after the plane's engine broke apart. Pieces of the engine damaged the plane. This caused the plane to lose air pressure very quickly.
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Early Life and Dream of Flying
Tammie Jo Bonnell was born on November 2, 1961. She grew up on a ranch in Tularosa, New Mexico. As a child, she often saw jet planes flying above her home. These planes were from a nearby air base. Watching them made her want to become a pilot. She also read about a pilot named Nate Saint, which inspired her even more.
When she was in her last year of high school, she looked into becoming a pilot. But she was told that there were no professional women pilots. After high school, she went to MidAmerica Nazarene University. She earned degrees in biology and agribusiness in 1983. While there, she met a woman who had become a pilot for the United States Air Force. This made Tammie Jo decide to try to join the Air Force.
The Air Force did not accept her application. So, she decided to try the Navy instead. She applied while doing more studies at Western New Mexico University.
The Navy accepted Tammie Jo for Aviation Officer Candidate School. This training took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola. After finishing the 12-week course, she became an ensign on June 21, 1985. Then, Shults went to flight training, also at NAS Pensacola. She trained in the T-34 plane. She earned her pilot's wings there.
Teaching and Flying Fighter Jets
After Pensacola, Shults worked at Naval Air Station Chase Field. She became a flight instructor for the T-2 Buckeye plane. Later, she trained to fly the A-7 Corsair II. Her next job was with VAQ-34, a special squadron. This squadron dealt with electronic warfare. It was located at the Pacific Missile Test Center.
In 1991, her squadron moved to NAS Lemoore. Shults became an instructor there. She worked under Rosemary Bryant Mariner, who was the first woman to lead an air squadron. Shults became one of the first female naval aviators to fly the F/A-18 Hornet. This happened when her squadron switched from the EA-6B Prowler plane.
Flying During Operation Desert Storm
During Operation Desert Storm, women were not allowed to fly in combat. This was due to a rule called the Combat Exclusion Policy. So, Shults flew training missions. She acted as an "aggressor pilot" to help other naval pilots practice. She finished her time in the Navy in March 1993.
In December 1995, she was promoted to lieutenant commander. She then joined the Navy Reserve. In the Reserve, she continued to fly the F/A-18 Hornet and the EA-6B Prowler. She flew these planes until August 2001. She received several awards for her service. These include two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and a National Defense Service Medal. She also earned a Marksmanship Medal.
Civilian Career as an Airline Pilot
After leaving the Navy, Shults joined Southwest Airlines as a pilot. She chose to fly part-time, about 8–10 days a month. This allowed her to also raise her family. She had married Dean Shults, who was also a naval pilot.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 Incident
On April 17, 2018, Tammie Jo Shults was the captain of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380. The flight was going from New York to Dallas. During the flight, a fan blade in one of the Boeing 737's engines broke off. Pieces of the engine flew out. They hit the left side of the plane and broke a window. When the window broke, the plane quickly lost air pressure.
One passenger was partly pulled out of the damaged window. Sadly, this passenger later passed away at the hospital. Captain Shults quickly made an emergency descent. She landed the plane safely in Philadelphia. Her actions during this emergency were praised. People noted her calm attitude and skill. Southwest Airlines officials, passengers, and even famous pilot Chesley Sullenberger admired her. Sullenberger had handled a similar situation in 2009.
Shults later shared that she was not supposed to be on that flight. She had traded shifts with her husband. U.S. Representative Martha McSally honored Shults in Congress. McSally, a former Air Force pilot, praised Shults for her heroism and skill. In December 2020, Shults was added to the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
In 1994, Tammie Jo married Dean Shults. He was also a naval pilot at the time. He also joined Southwest Airlines as a pilot that same year. They have two children together. The family lives in Boerne, Texas. Shults is a Christian. She teaches Sunday school and helps people in need. For example, she helped people who lost their homes due to Hurricane Rita.
Shults wrote a book about the Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 incident. The book is called Nerves of Steel. It was released in the United States on October 8, 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Tammie Jo Shults para niños
- Sully Sullenberger, captain of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, when he landed the plane on the Hudson River after both engines stopped working due to a bird strike.
