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Heather Penney

Fighter Pilot for Flight 93 Kamikaze Mission on 9/11, United States Air Force Pilot & Defense Policy Expert

Heather Penney
Travels From Travels From:
Washington, DC, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $30,000 - $50,000
Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Adventure, Astronauts, Diversity & Inclusion, Engineering, Female Leadership, Influential Women, Inspirational, Leadership, Military, Motivational, Science, Space, Veterans, Women
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Heather Penney Biography

Heather “Lucky” Penney was part of the pioneering first wave of women who entered fighters directly from pilot training, and is most widely recognized for her service on September 11. Penney was the first and only woman in the 121st Fighter Squadron during her time flying the F-16, conducting combat air patrols over Washington DC and deploying to combat twice. She was airborne the first night of initial combat for Operation Iraqi Freedom, tasked as a night-time SCUD Hunter in the western deserts of Iraq and also supporting Special Operations Forces.

Penney flew the F-16 for ten years before having to make the difficult decision to leave the fighter aviation as a single mother. Penney ’s passion for aviation has never faded – she founded the first collegiate cross-country air race team, has flown her antique Taylorcraft BC-12 coast-to-coast, owned several vintage aircraft, co-piloted the B-17 Flying Fortress for the Collings Foundation, and raced jets at the Reno Air Races; she is type rated in the Gulfstream G-100 and Citation 560 series jets, and she holds CFII/MEI, and ATP ratings. Today Penney owns and loves to fly her WWII Army Air Forces PT-13 Stearman, 1961 aerobatic Bucker Jungmann, and 1950 Cessna 170A.

Penney is a passionate advocate for aviation, women in aviation, aviation history and museums, and the future of aviation. She has been inducted as an Air Force Eagle at Air University; serves is a Director of the Board for the Experimental Aircraft Association; and is on the Steering Committee for the Purdue University National Aviation Symposium.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/10/2024.

Heather Penney Speaking Topics

  • Building a Mission-Purposed Culture

    Heather “Lucky” Penney humbly recounts her experience on 9/11, delivering a powerful reflection of that fateful morning. Your audience will feel the urgency and emotion of the Fighter Squadron as officers desperately worked together with one mission focus: Get jets airborne to protect the Capitol. In this moment of crisis, what mattered was clear. But how can leaders find clarity outside of crisis when addressing group culture may feel like a minefield? Leaders must align their organizational culture with their mission. This means establishing shared norms, values, behaviors, and codes that are directly tied to mission execution. High-performing teams rely on culture to establish trust, build esprit de corps, and enforce performance standards. Lucky was the first and only woman in her fighter squadron, and the only female combat pilot in her Wing during the initial hostilities of Operational Iraqi Freedom. “The other squadron took a firm stance against women in combat, bluntly stating that they would not fly with any women.” Lucky shares how dysfunctional culture can degrade mission performance, and how “a mission-focused culture enabled us to reach a higher level of performance, and at the same time be more inclusive and diverse – because what matters is mission, not what color, gender, sexuality, or political party you are. Mission is the common purpose that helps us find the common in each other.” This lens of mission-purpose enables leaders to go beyond core values to directly map culture to their desired outcomes. Book Heather “Lucky”

  • 9/11 and the Ordinary Hero Inside Us All

    Heather “Lucky” Penney is a dynamic speaker who will deeply move your audience as she shares her experience on 9/11. Her delivery is resonant, respectful, and uplifting. As she honors the service and heroism of all who served and gave on that fateful day, her reflections inspire audiences and give them the tools to cultivate their own inner hero. “They were just ordinary, everyday Americans. They were just like you and me. Which means, we can be just like them. But why wait for a national crisis to bring that hero out? Don’t we need everyday heroes – every day?” Lucky offers the tools of practicing bravery, courage, and belong as a means to cultivate our own inner hero. Delivered with powerful stories, she shares that these qualities are something that we can choose to practice – and that in doing so, we will strengthen our own inner hero. “Never forget,” she urges, “but more important, always remember. That inside each and every one of us is an ordinary, everyday hero. That is the real legacy of 9/11. All we have to do is choose.”

Heather Penney Videos

  • The Unthinkable 9/11 Mission to Bring Down Flight 93 | Heather Penney
    The Unthinkable 9/11 Mission to Bring Down Flight 93 | Heather Penney
    The daughter of an Air Force Colonel, Heather "Lucky" Penney had dreams about becoming a fighter pilot just like her father. When congress opened up...
  • Fighter Pilot Heather Penney on What Being a Boilermaker Means to Her
    Fighter Pilot Heather Penney on What Being a Boilermaker Means to Her
    “What I love about the Boilermaker spirit is that we’re gritty. We’re leaders and innovators. There’s nothing that we can’t do.”
  • Women in the Air Force Heather Penney Interview Part 1(NMUSAF)
    Women in the Air Force Heather Penney Interview Part 1(NMUSAF)
    Known for flying a ramming mission to prevent United Airlines Flight 93 from reaching Washington, D.C. during the September 11, 2001 terrorist...
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  • What topics does Heather Penney speak about?

    Heather Penney is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Adventure, Astronauts, Diversity & Inclusion, Engineering, Female Leadership, Influential Women, Inspirational, Leadership, Military, Motivational, Science, Space, Veterans, Women.

  • Where does Heather Penney travel from?

    Heather Penney generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

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Heather Penney is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Building a Mission-Purposed Culture and 9/11 and the Ordinary Hero Inside Us All. The estimated speaking fee range to book Heather Penney for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Heather Penney generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour, Amelia Rose Earhart, Erica Dhawan, Carey Lohrenz and Shannon Huffman Polson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Heather Penney for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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