From Fear of Elevators to Champion Acrobatic Pilot

From Fear of Elevators to Champion Acrobatic Pilot

Constant Wonder

The Propeller Under the Bed

Episode: The Propeller Under the Bed

  • Apr 7, 2021 6:00 pm
  • 13:36 mins

Cecilia Aragon was so afraid of heights that she couldn't ride in an elevator. She began to feel like her fear was defining her life, so when a co-worker invited her to go flying with him, she said yes. In just six years, she would be flying in acrobatic air shows. She broke barriers to become the first Latina pilot on the US Aerobatic Team and the first full professor in her department at the University of Washington. Guest: Cecilia Aragon, Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington and author of "Flying Free: My Victory Over Fear to Become the First Latina Pilot on the US Aerobatic Team"