In her thirty-four year aviation career, Connie Tobias has flown more than sixty different kinds of aircraft, from a 1902 Wright Glider to heavy jets to helicopters. A US Airways pilot with more than 21,000 hours, more than 1,000 trans-Atlantic crossings, and 10 years as a captain, Tobias has also been a flight instructor, an aviation examiner, a pilot for charter, corporate, freight, fire patrol, commuter, regional, and major airlines and an adjunct professor of aviation. In 2003, she volunteered as a civilian pilot to fly troops to and from the Middle East during the Iraq war. In 2008, Connie completed the fixed-wing course at National Test Pilot School and presented a paper to the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and Test Engineers at their Safety Conference.

In addition to her busy flight schedule, Connie reenacts the role of pioneer aviator Harriet Quimby to audiences of students and aviators (Quimby was the first licensed woman pilot in the US and the first woman to fly the English Channel). Tobias's commitment to inspiring students with Quimby's story along with her involvement in flying the 1903 Wright Flyer and 1909 Bleriot has won her special recognition from The National Aeronautic Association and the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Connie has appeared in numerous documentaries, is a Distinguished Graduate of Engineering, holds the Medal of Merit from Ohio University, and has been inducted into the Amelia Earhart Forest of Friendship.

Connie Tobias is the first and currently the only woman to successfully fly an exact replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer - a notoriously challenging aircraft. Currently, this qualified high-flying pilot has her heart set on recreating Harriet's incredible 1912 accomplishment by piloting a wire and fabric Bleriot across the English Channel.

Ratings:

ATP, CFI for Instrument/ASEL/AMEL/ASES/Gliders

Type Ratings:

F-28, B-737, B-727, B-757, B-767, AB-330

Education:

Bachelors in Aviation, 1978, Ohio University
Masters, Industrial & Systems Engineering, 1982, O.U.

Organizations:

International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISA),
Ninety Nines (99's),
Women in Aviation International (WAI),
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA),
Aviation Advisory Board and Board of Visitors -
    Russ College of Engineering - Ohio University,
National Alumni Board of Directors - Ohio University,
National Aviation Hall of Fame - Board of Nominations