Female Navy pilots are breaking more than the sound barrier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — To ride in a naval helicopter, crew members have to undergo rigorous training.

But to be the one flying it, that takes more than training. It takes focus and determination.

Meet one of those pilots, Lt. Maria Sabatino.

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“I knew as a kid I wanted to do something in the military -- not your standard job, 9 to 5, I wanted a little bit of an adventure,” said Sabatino.

Sabatino is one of only four females among several dozen helicopter pilots in her squadron.

It’s a fact she never knew until Action News Jax pointed it out.

“My co-workers whether male or female treat me with respect and I haven’t had any issues with the military that I can say,” said Sabatino.

But that wasn’t always the case for women pilots in the Navy.

Many women in naval aviation today owe their careers to Capt. Rosemary Mariner. Many have never even heard her name, but her achievements have forever shaped the Navy.

Well before Sabatino was born, Capt. Mariner was breaking much more than just the sound barrier.

She was the first woman to fly a Navy tactical fighter jet and the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron.

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So it was only fitting to honor her with the first ever all-female flyover at her funeral earlier this year.

Cmdr. Stacy Uttecht was the commanding officer in the flyover.

“It’s really awesome to be part of an all-female crew, it’s something the Navy has never done,” said Uttecht.

It got international attention.

But for Sabatino, it carried a deeper meaning.

“We’ve come a long way, but they were really the trailblazers that made it easy for me,” said Sabatino.

Sabatino and other pilots Action News Jax spoke with say they’ve never been told "no" in Navy.

But the yeses came only after Capt. Mariner kicked the door wide open for female pilots to show they’re not different -- they’re an equal.

Cox Media Group