Female pilot 9X Vietnam suddenly holds the co-pilot's seat at a major airline in the US

Leaving Vietnam at the age of 18 to pursue her dream of the sky, Xuan Linh – a girl born in 2000 – has now become a co-pilot of one of the largest regional airlines in the United States, realizing the goal set early.

From childhood flights, when she always chose a seat by the window to watch the white clouds, Xuan Linh – a girl born in 2000 from Lam Dong – never thought that one day she would actually enter the cockpit. At the age of 25, Linh became the First Officer of Republic Airways , turning the dream of the sky into a career and mission every day.

After flight number UA3402 to Canada, the female co-pilot spent a few minutes talking about her journey to overcome many challenges to sit in the right seat of the cockpit at the age of 24. "If I can send a word to those who are pursuing a career in aviation, I just want to say that perseverance and belief in one's own ability are the most important thing," Linh shared.

After finishing grade 12 in Vietnam, Linh followed her family to the US and began to learn about the route of training professional pilots. She enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College and made her first flight in 2020. Two years later, Linh earned a Commercial Pilot License and graduated with two majors: Aviation Management and Career Pilot.

Not stopping there, in early 2023, Linh will continue to study Aeronautics (Aeronautical Science) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – one of the most prestigious aviation schools in the United States. By 2024, she completed the program and at the same time, Linh also passed a series of training courses to be appointed as a co-pilot by Republic Airways in June 2024.

Before each flight, Linh always arrives about an hour early to meet the crew, review the itinerary plan, check the weather and assess the technical condition of the aircraft. After that, she went out to do a pre-flight inspection.

In the cockpit, the co-pilot and captain coordinate according to the checklist, clearly assigning who will control and who will supervise each stage. There are days when Linh only flies 1-2 routes, there is also a schedule that lasts up to 4 consecutive flights.

According to Linh, Republic Airways is an environment that pays special attention to the culture of safety and the spirit of mutual support in the flight crew. "People follow the process, keep learning and stay calm in every situation, those are the core things of the aviation industry," she said.

In fact, women in the air transport pilot industry in the U.S. make up only 4-6 percent, and pilots of Asian descent are even rarer, only about 2-3 percent. Linh's participation in this small group makes her feel even more responsible to try harder.

The most difficult period for Linh was when she entered the Type Rating Embraer 170 training course – the time to switch from a light aircraft to a commercial aircraft with a much more complex system. "Intense training sessions have helped me learn to focus, be confident and master the cockpit in any situation," she says.

She still hasn't forgotten the feeling of her first solo flight at the age of 20. When the cockpit door closed, Linh realized that she was completely alone for the first time. The plane was lighter when she pushed the throttle lever to take off. What worried Linh the most was landing, but the plane's wheels touched the runway smoothly as an affirmation that she had made it.

The day he passed the final test to become an air freight co-pilot was the most important milestone for Linh. The training journey at Republic Airways requires absolute discipline and calmness.

The 7.12 solar storm made netizens bewildered: Will Vietnam be affected? Hồng An14:58:51 07/12/2025The solar storm on December 7 suddenly became a highly sought-after topic when many people were concerned that this phenomenon could affect Vietnam. Although the sun is calming, experts still warn of the possibility of a light geomagnetic storm today.