By Abigail Oleniczak
Photo Credit: David Rabinovitch
“I am a dreamer; you just have to go all the way” said Anh- Thu Nguyen. And that’s what she hopes to do as she plans the first solo, around-the-world flight as a female Asian pilot.
From being fascinated by the soaring airplanes as a young girl in Vietnam, Anh- Thu had a dream to become a pilot. Nguyen was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when she was 12.
She lived a simple life as a girl with no electricity and no water. But she became fascinated seeing airplanes zipping through the sky.
Nguyen wanted deeply to pursue her interest in aviation and hoped to join the Air Force at 16. But her dad did not approve, and at 18, she made the choice to start taking flying lessons anyway.
When she received a scholarship to Purdue University to earn her bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and classics, she put her flying dreams at hold. She later went on to earn her master’s degree in aerospace engineering.
Nguyen did not earn her pilots license in college, but she never gave up or lost focus on her goal of being a pilot.
Immediately after college, Anh-Thu was offered a job at Boeing. Only three months later, she earned her private pilot’s license. It had taken her seven years from the day she took her first lesson to the day she passed her check ride. Eventually she completed her CFI rating and began working as an instructor.
Nguyen said her next endeavor is to fly solo around the world in May 2022 in her Lancair IV P. She said her goal is to increase and heighten an interest in aviation for girls and women. Through her organization, she hopes to connect with flight instructors around the world who are willing to give students discounted flight instruction. Nguyen plans to take off in Miami, Florida and continue her journey through Indiana, Vermont, Goose Bay, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Asia and then land back in Miami.
“Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “You have to able to see the dream to create the dream.”