Brigitte Jacobson was comfortable in the sky.
The wind beneath her metal wings as she soared between clouds brought her peace.
She didn’t expect to become a lover of planes, yet it became one of the biggest catalysts in her life – and even in death.
After Brigitte passed away in 2019, her friends and family founded Empowerment Through Aviation as a tribute to her memory. The program mentors Baltimore girls and young women with the skills they need to become pilots and aims to diversify the aviation industry.
Before her love for flying, she had a love for running.
A dominant force on the high school track team, Brigitte was a state champion in the 400-meter hurdles in New Jersey. She eventually left that life behind and attended Norfolk State University, where she majored in English and joined the Naval ROTC in 1990.
She led the Hampton Roads Naval ROTC Battalion at the university, which helped her earn a commission as an officer in the United States Navy. When she earned her wings, she became one of the few Black women pilots in the branch at that time.
During her naval career, she earned a master’s degree in liberal arts from Oklahoma City University. She also met her husband, Mike Jacobson.
“The number one thing I have to say about her personality was she was outwardly focused,” Mike said. “She was funny, an incredible mom, a fantastic wife, and an overall great person to be partners with.”
They met around 1999. Both were naval pilots stationed in Oklahoma City at Tinker Air Force base.
Brigitte piloted the T-34, T-1, E-6B (B707), and the T-37. At the time she met Mike, she was a mission commander and an instructor pilot on the E-6B, and was eventually named the lead instructor for her squadron.
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