🎧 Episode Summary
In this episode, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage in Aviation with some incredible stories!
First up, what drives a teenager to climb up on a rooftop in Mexico just to watch airplanes trace paths across the night sky? For Adriana Barragan, it was more than a dream—it was a calling. In this inspiring episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker explores Adriana’s remarkable journey—from struggling to learn English one page at a time to becoming a private pilot, Gulfstream engineer, and now the CEO and co-founder of Fly ORKA, an app reshaping how pilots learn and train.
Shawn also takes listeners on a tour of vibrant Hispanic aviation festivals—where mariachi music meets fighter-jet aerobatics—and pays tribute to the courage and innovation of Latino trailblazers of the skies, from Jorge Chávez, who crossed the Alps in a flimsy monoplane, to Olga Custodio, the first Latina to complete USAF pilot training, and Diana Trujillo, whose work at NASA reaches all the way to Mars.
This is a celebration of resilience, culture, and the pioneers who looked at the sky and said, that’s where I belong.
Brought to you by AviNation USA and our newest supporters, Flyte Sunglasses—“Light on weight, not on quality.”
✨ Key Points
Adriana Barragan’s Journey
- Fell in love with aviation as a teen lying on a rooftop in Mexico, inspired by Richard Bach’s books.
- Overcame language barriers by translating flight-training materials word by word and watching aviation films with subtitles.
- Earned her private pilot’s license at 17 and studied aerospace engineering.
- Worked at Gulfstream helping design and test advanced business jets.
- Founded Fly ORKA, an app that helps pilots log flights, review 3D replays, and communicate with instructors—reducing costly in-air training hours.
- Believes in empowerment without limits: “What defines you is what you do with every moment that is given to you.”
Hispanic Heritage in Aviation Festivals
- Feria Aeronáutica Internacional (Mexico): A mash-up of airshow aerobatics, heritage celebrations, and mariachi music.
- FIA – Feria Internacional del Aire (Chile): High-altitude aerobatics against the Andes and hands-on STEM experiences.
- Jorge Chávez International Aviation Festival (Peru): Honors the pioneer who first flew across the Alps—complete with air races, vintage planes, hot-air balloons, and ceviche.
- Latino Pilots Association Events (USA): Mentorship and scholarships presented alongside cultural celebrations during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Trailblazers of the Sky
- Jorge Chávez (Peru): First to cross the Alps by air (1910), proving mountain flying was possible.
- Felix Rigau Carrera (Puerto Rico): First Hispanic U.S. Marine fighter pilot; later pioneered airmail routes in Puerto Rico.
- Olga Custodio (Puerto Rico): First Latina to complete USAF pilot training and later a trailblazing American Airlines captain.
- Marisol Chalas (Dominican Republic): First Latina U.S. Army National Guard Black Hawk pilot.
- Arnaldo Tamayo-Méndez (Cuba): First Latin American in space.
- Diana Trujillo (Colombia): NASA JPL engineer leading the robotic arm operations on Mars rovers.
Core Themes
- Culture and community are as integral to aviation as technology.
- Turning weaknesses into strengths unlocks new possibilities.
- The sky has no borders—the next generation of aviators is more diverse than ever.
🕒 Chapter Timestamps
0:00 – 0:36 | Introduction: A rooftop in Mexico and the spark that started it all
0:37 – 6:20 | Adriana’s journey: from rooftop dreamer to pilot, engineer, and aviation-tech founder
6:21 – 8:25 | Empowerment without limits—Fly ORKA’s vision
8:26 – 12:38 | Hispanic aviation festivals: mariachi meets jet fuel
12:39 – 17:30 | Trailblazers of the Skies: historic Latino pioneers who changed aviation
17:31 – end | Closing reflections: inspiration for the next generation of aviators
🔗 Links
- Fly ORKA: https://flyorka.com/
- AviNation USA: https://www.avinationusa.com/
- Flyte Sunglasses: https://www.flyte.aero/
- Creative Relay Media: https://creativerelaymedia.com/
Want to hear more about Adriana’s revolutionary pilot training app? Check out the product spotlight we did back in Episode 17: https://futureinflight.com/engineering-aviation-dreams/
