- Rochelle Roache-Lanza is first Vincentian woman to fly an American Airlines aircraft
Rochelle Roache-Lanza will become the first Vincentian female pilot to fly for American Airlines and create additional history as the first officer on flight 1427, from Miami to St. Vincent, on Saturday, December 9.
The Argyle airport will mark the event with a water salute, a bouquet presented to Rochelle by an Argyle Primary student, and a bouquet presented to her mother.
Roache-Lanza, 43, was born in Bequia and attended St. Joseph Convent Kingstown, where she completed 15 CXC subjects. She was among the first to enrol in St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.
Her first employment after graduating from high school was as an air traffic controller at E.T. Joshua Airport. She also served as a traffic controller on Union Island and Canouan and studied in Trinidad and Tobago. Roache-Lanza moved to Canada in 2001 to pursue professional training as a pilot.
Roache was given a job in Nigeria, flying for one of Africa’s leading commercial airlines, after spells with LIAT and Caribbean Star.
She moved to Texas and taught at CAE, doing training and FAA checkrides for new type ratings.
Rochelle is married to pilot Stewart Lanza, who flies with Western Global Airlines.
