Release #: Vol. 84, No. 8
October 01, 2015

Our Stories: Retired Spirit Pilot Receives Hall of Fame Honors

By John Perkinson, Staff Writer

Nearly 50 people greeted Capt. Janis Keown-Blackburn, center, on her final arrival as a Spirit pilot, including these four members of the Ninety-Nines’ Garden State Chapter.

On September 29, Capt. Janis Keown-Blackburn (Spirit, Ret.) was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey at a special ceremony in Teterboro, N.J. The former A320 captain has garnered many accolades for her years of flying, but it’s also what she’s given back to the aviation community that has made her so deserving of the honors she’s received.

Stephen Riethof, vice president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees, noted, “We have followed with awe her many accomplishments and are now just as impressed with Capt. Blackburn’s continuing efforts to promote aviation to youth groups, student pilots, and the public.” He added, “Her work with the New Jersey Aviation Education Council and similar groups added to the qualifications for this recognition.”

As the first female pilot to retire from Spirit, Keown-Blackburn was—and remains—very engaged in aviation. During her flying career, she held leadership positions in the Ninety-Nines, a women’s international aviation organization. She flew for the Civil Air Patrol for which she received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Commander’s Commendation Medal, and the Exceptional Service Award. In addition to participating in other aviation organizations, she competed in the Powder Puff Derby, a transcontinental air race for female pilots.

“When I was little, I always looked at airplanes and wanted to fly,” said Keown-Blackburn, who grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pa. “However, at that time, you could only be a flight attendant if you were female.” She interviewed with Eastern Airlines to become a flight attendant but wasn’t hired. She then decided to take flying lessons and has never looked back.

In the early 1980s, Keown-Blackburn became the first female pilot for Princeton Airways, a small outfit operating five Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders. She later hauled cargo for Summit Airlines before becoming the first female pilot at Sun Country Airlines. By 1985, Keown-Blackburn was flying for Eastern Airlines, where she soon became second officer rep for ALPA’s former New York Council. When Eastern shut down in 1991, she moved to Kiwi International Airlines, which closed its doors eight years later. Keown-Blackburn spent the final 14 of her 36 years as an airline pilot flying for Spirit. On Mar. 6, 2013, the day she retired, she was greeted with a firehose salute at the Atlantic City International Airport.

Keown-Blackburn noted that during her flying career she dealt with a few nonroutine situations. On one occasion she had to contend with a cracked windshield at 39,000 feet. On another, she had to make an emergency landing at Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers, Fla., because a passenger in the forward cabin was having difficulty breathing, while a flight attendant in the aft cabin appeared to be having a heart attack. Once on the ground, both individuals were treated and deemed OK.

These days, the retired captain spends her time as a town council member of Belmar, N.J., and as a flight instructor at the Monmouth Area Flying Club. And, as noted, she works with the New Jersey Aviation Education Council. In May, the council sponsored an aviation day for about 35 students. As part of the event, Keown-Blackburn provided rides in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk.

Her most enjoyable retirement activity has been writing. Two years ago, Keown-Blackburn wrote Teddy, the Airplane, a children’s book that introduces kids to flying. She’s since been invited to local schools to read her book and has received many thank-you notes from students. A particular note she received from a first grader left quite an impression. “In one note, a little girl said to me, ‘I didn’t know girls could fly.’” Now thanks to Keown-Blackburn, she does.

With more than 22,000 hours of flying and the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame induction added to her tributes, Keown-Blackburn occasionally takes time to think about her future. When the dust settles and she finally decides to ratchet back her public service and work with aviation groups, she has a simple plan for her future. “I’d like to travel,” she said.

This article is from the October 2015 issue of Air Line Pilot magazine, the Official Journal of the Air Line Pilots Association, International—a monthly publication for all ALPA members.

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