The amazing story of pilot Tammie Jo Shults, adapted for
young readers! Tammie Jo worked hard, had faith, stayed true to herself,
and overcame every obstacle on her journey to becoming
a navy pilot. Years later, those lessons served her well as she was put
in the right place at the right time to safely land a crippled plane
and save 148 lives.
Tammie Jo Shults grew up wanting to
be a pilot. She worked hard but faced many obstacles and challenges
along the way that threatened to derail her dreams. Doing the next right
thing kept her spirit alive as she persevered to find her special
calling—to serve God and the world around her.
Tammie Jo’s path
eventually led her to join the navy, where she became one of the first
women to fly the F/A-18 Hornet. Her specialized flight training in
fighter aircraft honed her skills to a razor’s edge. After eight years,
she left the military, flew for the forest service in California
fighting forest fires for a season, and then went to work for Southwest
Airlines flying Boeing 737s.
Tammie Jo wasn’t scheduled for flight
1380 on the morning of April 17, 2018. In fact, she and her husband,
Dean, also a Southwest pilot, had traded trips so she could attend their
son’s track meet. Then the unthinkable happened. A catastrophic engine
failure in her Boeing 737 caused an explosion that severed hydraulic and
fuel lines, tore away sections of the plane, punctured a window, and
took a woman’s life. In the midst of the emergency, Tammie Jo stayed
calm. She wrestled the crippled plane safely to the ground, and in doing
so, saved many lives. No doubt God had prepared her and placed her
right where she needed to be that day.
Nerves of Steel (Young Readers Edition) is for all young readers who work hard to chase their dreams and are excited for the adventure ahead.
Includes
a photo insert, glossary, engaging graphics, and sidebars that explore
topics related to planes, pilots, and a military career.
