Emily Howell Warner

Emily Joyce Howell Warner (; October 30, 1939 – July 3, 2020) was an American airline pilot and the first woman captain of a scheduled U.S. airline. In 1976 Warner was the first woman to become a U.S. airline captain. Her career has been recognized by multiple halls of fame, including the National Aviation Hall of Fame and National Women’s Hall of Fame. Her pilot’s uniform is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

In addition to piloting, Warner was a flight school manager in Denver, Colorado. She was a flight instructor and FAA designated flight examiner holding multiple ratings. Warner died in 2020 from complications of a fall and Alzheimer's disease.

Early life

Stapleton Airport as seen from the air in 1966. This is where Howell Warner took flying lessons and was her base of employment for decades. Emily Howell Warner was born on October 30, 1939, to Emily Violet Boyd and John W. Hanrahan. She attended Holy Family High School in Colorado. Warner was interested in airplanes as a child. After graduating high school she looked into becoming a flight attendant. She was allowed to sit in the cockpit of a plane flying her home after a trip away from Denver. Warner said, “The pilot could see how excited I was and he encouraged me to take flying lessons. I replied: ‘Can girls do that?’” She started flying in 1958, after getting the approval of her parents for lessons. Warner initially flew for Clinton Aviation as a first officer on Convair 580s and de Havilland Twin Otters. She was later promoted to flight school manager and chief pilot. She became the first woman to be appointed a designated FAA Pilot Examiner.

Works