The Future in Flight Podcast

Hispanic Heritage in Aviation: Breaking Barriers in the Skies

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🎧 Episode Summary

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 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-MĂ©ndez (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.

          • đź•’ 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

          đź”— Links

          • Fly ORKA: https://flyorka.com/
          • AviNation USA: https://www.avinationusa.com/
          • Flyte Sunglasses: https://www.flyte.aero/
          • Creative Relay Media: https://creativerelaymedia.com/

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            The Future in Flight PodcastBy Creative Relay Media