Beth Settlemyer
On the Rush of Wings
After high school, Beth’s father explained to her that flying was “a man’s game,” and she should formally study something else. Beth earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and completed her graduate work at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia in wildlife disease management and marine mammal microbiology. Until her dream to become a pilot could materialize, she worked at a zoo for a few years, loving every second, but itching to be in the air. When the pilot school finally started to accept women, Beth was first in line and accepted in the first class at Shields Aviation in Jacksonville, FL. Upon completion, she was hired by a major commercial carrier and flew as a pilot for almost 11 years until she was called to do bigger and better things, which ultimately changed her life.