Olga E. Custodio

The family returned to Puerto Rico when she was 15 years old. She graduated high school at age 16, and was immediately accepted into the University of Puerto Rico. Custodio's father, and all the traveling she did at a young age, were key factors in her choice of career - she decided to join the military. While in college she attempted to join the university’s ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps), but at the time only men were admitted into the program.

Her first military assignment was that of instructor pilot at Laughlin AFB. She was the first female to become a Northrop T-38 Talon (T-38) UPT flight instructor at that base. The T-38 Talon is the Air Force’s two-seat, supersonic jet trainer. On one occasion a bird struck the engine of her plane in bad weather while she was in flight. She was able to overcome the emergency and safely land her plane. Because of this she was recognized by the Air Force, and awarded the HQ AETC Aviation Safety Award for superior airmanship.

Custodio retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel in October 2003, after serving in the military for 23 years and 10 months. Her last assignment as an Air Force Reserve officer was that of accountability and readiness the Directorate of Personnel, HQ USAF.

Custodio was recognized twice by the Senate of Puerto Rico. In 2001, she was recognized by Elizabeth Arden/Revista Imagen of Puerto Rico as one of the recipient of La Belleza Inteligente 2001 award. In 2017, Custodio was inducted into the San Antonio Aviation and Aerospace Hall of Fame for being the first Hispanic female military pilot in the United States Air Force.

Custodio retired from the military after 24 years of service and lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband. There she founded "Dragonfly Productions LLC," a production company that creates personal film documentaries. In 1992, she founded the Ballet Folklorico Borikèn, the Puerto Rican folk ballet.

In June 1988, while she was serving in the US Air Force Reserve, she was hired by American Airlines as a commercial pilot. Custodio became one of the first Latina commercial airline captains. During her years with American, she flew various types of aircraft. She piloted the Boeing 727, Fokker 100, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 to various countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. She also flew to Mexico, Canada and to various cities in the United States. Custodio retired from American Airlines in February 2008, with over 11,000 flight hours.

She entered the Flight Screening Pilot Officer Training School in January 1980. After successful completion of Flight Screening she entered Officer Training School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. She qualified for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas and graduated the following year, thus becoming the first Latina to complete the U.S. Air Force military pilot training.

Lieutenant Colonel Olga E. Custodio (born 1953) is a former United States Air Force officer who became the first female Hispanic U.S. military pilot. She was the first Hispanic woman to complete U.S. Air Force military pilot training. Upon retiring from the military, she became one of the first female Hispanic commercial airline captains.