It is often said that the sky is the limit and if you dream it, you will live it.

Such was the story of Judith Ann Rice, affectionately known throughout the aviation world as Captain Judy.

Judy was born on January 17, 1953, in Columbus, Ohio. At the age of six, she saw a hot-air balloon flying over her family’s home. She was captivated by the airborne balloon and dreamt that one day she could conquer the skies.

In her adult life, Judy became a teacher and taught in the special-education department of a local school in Columbus. She excelled at teaching students how to overcome extra behavioural, emotional and cognitive obstacles.

During her spare time, Rice would take her young son Benjamin (Ben) to the local airport to see aircraft take off and land, which reignited her passion to become a pilot.

Encouraged by Ben’s innate curiosity about aircraft, Judy enrolled Ben in the Young Eagles programme at the local airport and through Ben’s eyes, she rediscovered her dream of pursuing a life amongst the clouds.

Rice’s passion for aviation and space technology, coupled with 16 years as a teacher, eventually brought her into the field of aviation education. She discovered that children were inspired by aeroplanes and other forms of aircraft and built her curriculum around concepts that were linked with practical aviation demonstrations.

This solidified her belief that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) were the keys needed to engage students who craved aviation knowledge and a sense of purposeful excitement. It was this belief that set Rice on the path to her transformation into Captain Judy.

She was inspired by two female pilots, Bessie Coleman and Harriet Quimby.

Coleman was the first African-American woman to hold an international pilot's licence.

Quimby was the first woman in the US to receive a pilot's licence and in 1912 became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She died at 37 in a flying accident.

Coleman and Quimby were a strong influence on the future role of women in aviation.

[caption id="attachment_1104015" align="alignnone" width="878"] -[/caption]

Rice began flying lessons and subsequently became an instrument-rated commercial, multi-engine and Citation-type rated pilot, an advanced ground instructor and a certified flight instructor. Captain Judy logged thousands of hours in various types of aircraft during her career.

She believed that delivering the message of STEM education was essential for achieving feats of greatness, especially among young girls, a demographic that traditionally fell behind their male counterparts. Captain Judy set out to showcase these critical subject matters by presenting herself as a role model to these disciplines.

In early 2012, during a visit to the Florida campus of Embry Bridle University, two TTCAA board members – Trevor Benjamin and Neil Mohammed – unexpectedly came into contact with Dr Lori Bradner. Dr Bradner and some colleagues, who included Captain Judy, were promoting aviation STEM education in the U