"Aero" Erin Orga F-15E Strike Eagle, Nuclear Energy and Healing | #186

The Kelsi Sheren Perspective

As a pilot in the initial wave of women to fly modern combat aircraft, Erin “Aero” Orga actually grew up dreaming of being either a professional roller coaster rider, Olympic figure skater or an astronaut for NASA. Her passion for air and space finally won out and she attended the University of Notre Dame on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, where she graduated as one of only two females in her class with a degree in aerospace engineering. Aero was also a distinguished graduate out of AFROTC and was awarded a highly coveted Air Force pilot training slot. During her initial training at Columbus Air Force Base, Aero was ranked high enough in her class to earn the right to track select into fighters and she was eventually chosen to fly her favorite fighter aircraft, the F-15E Strike Eagle.

During her 10 years in the Air Force, Aero flew over 50 combat missions in Iraq, where she provided air cover for the US Army and Marine units on the ground in places like Bagdad, Fallujah, and Mosul. She also provided air cover for the first democratic Iraqi elections and the second inauguration ceremony of Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. When she wasn’t flying F-15Es, Aero spent time as a T-38 instructor, training many young Air Force pilots who would go on to fly fighter jets.

Aero eventually left the military to focus on her family and her newborn son. She moved back to her hometown of Pittsburgh and began working as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Manager for Westinghouse Electric, a nuclear engineering company. During her time at Westinghouse, Aero has run global teams of engineers delivering successful projects in the US, the UK, Canada, India, and China, with many of those projects valued at over $100 million and is currently managing the design and testing of a brand-new type of nuclear microreactor.

In addition to her professional careers, Aero has devoted over 15 years to training in Tae Kwon Do, in which she holds a third-degree black belt.