(LEX 18) — A lady from Kentucky made historical past this month after turning into the primary girl to pilot an F-35 fighter jet for the Air National Guard.

1st Lt. Kelsey Flannery is a 30-year-old former boxing teacher from Kentucky. According to the Air National Guard, Flannery has been coaching for 3 years to pilot the F-35A Lightning II.

And on Wednesday, September 7, Flannery marked her first flight as a Vermont Air National Guard member.

“I really wanted to be on the leading edge,” stated Flannery. “It’s exciting to get up there, go fast, and be able to employ weapons, so that was one of the more appealing parts of it.”

Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell/158th Fighter Wing

As the daughter of an Air Force pilot, Flannery stated she all the time knew she needed to fly for the navy. She later stated she realized about alternatives with the Air National Guard and stated being chosen by Vermont to fly the F-35 was the “icing on the cake.”

She stated the subject of turning into the primary girl to pilot an F-35 fighter jet by no means got here up all through her three years of coaching.

“There’s definitely been a trail blazed already and I’m really grateful to the women who have done that, but nobody has brought it up and I feel very much like an equal here,” she stated. “People just treat me like a wingman and it’s great as it allows me to focus more on flying.”

Flannery will spend the subsequent two years tackling full-time, on-the-job coaching to maintain growing her expertise as a fighter pilot.