Pregnant Air Force pilot takes to the skies in supersonic bomber

Majors Lauren and Mark Olme met at the United States Air Force Academy more than 10 years ago.

They got married seven months after graduation and have deployed all around the world together training to fly for the Air Force. Now based in Texas, the pair both fly supersonic B-1 bombers.

“It’s a really fun airplane to fly,” Lauren Olme said.

Now, Lauren Olme is making history. She is among the first pregnant pilots to fly an ejection seat plane, even hitting supersonic speeds during one flight.

“I looked over and I saw Mark in the other aircraft and knew that flying with my husband and carrying, hopefully, the next generation bomber pilot while flying supersonic was, it was quite the memory,” Lauren Olme said of the flight.

But until recently, creating that memory would have been much more difficult. Until last year, the Air Force had red tape that made it difficult for pregnant pilots to fly.

“Now the Air Force, who has spent a lot of time and resources to develop these professional pilots who are female, you know, they can continue to contribute in the ways they want to,” Mark Olme said.

Pilots have highly specialized training and need to fly to maintain their skills. Previously, pilots would be out of the plane for up to 12 months when pregnant, now they can stay in the air into their second trimester.