Nia Gilliam‘s interest in travel began when she was 10. She told her mom she wanted to become a pilot. Fulfilling that dream, Captain Gilliam now holds the highest certification available to pilots: an Airline Transport Pilot license, with type ratings in the Boeing 738s, 757s/767s, 777s and 787s and Airbus A320s. The day after her first book, Cleared for Takeoff, was released, I talked to Gilliam about her journey.

Growing up near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport seemed perfect for future pilot Gilliam, but as a young African American girl, the odds were not on Gilliam’s side. Through support of her parents and her determination, Gilliam beat the odds. Now she is a role model for all young girls, especially African American girls, who want to be pilots.

In our interview Gilliam discussed her first flight, the joy and the challenges of flying, and being a role model. She also talked about travel in general, naming her favorite destinations and bucket list locations. Of course, Gilliam gave a glimpse into her book, too.

Although she now resides in Houston, Texas, I brought her back to her roots with some Chicago questions. Gilliam weighed in on Chicago pizza, hot dog condiments and things to see in her native city.

As Gilliam embarks on her book tour, she already has thoughts of a second book. With her son becoming a pilot, Gilliam will have plenty of content for that book. I look forward to reading both of these books.

With one book published and another in future plans, I had to ask her about a movie of her life. Gilliam indulged me with the perfect pick to portray her.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, podcaster