When a new airplane comes off the production line at Boeing, someone has to be the first to fly it. That’s where Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, Boeing’s first female test pilot, shines. As the retired Chief Pilot, Flight Services for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Darcy-Hennemann was involved in the 777 program since its inception and contributed to the design, testing, and certification of the initial airplane and its derivatives. Darcy-Hennemann is rated as a captain on the 747-400, 737, 757, and 767, and holds several distance and speed records on Boeing aircraft. Hear about how airplanes are certified, view Flight Test Footage, and learn why you should never wear pearls while flight testing. This world record-holder for distance flown by a commercial aircraft will also tell you about her team’s record-breaking 21,601.33 km (13,422.44 miles) non-stop flight from Hong Kong to London aboard a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner.

The GE Aviation Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of GE Aviation.