Major Loren and Mark Olme met more than 10 years ago at the United States Air Force Academy.
They married seven months after graduation and deployed together around the world 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 was one of 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 another plane and knew that flying with my husband and carrying, hopefully, the next generation of bomber pilots when they flew supersonic, was quite a memory,” Lauren Wolm said of the flight.
But until recently, making those memories would have been harder. 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 developing these professional pilots who are women, you know, can continue to contribute in whatever way they want to,” Mark Wollme said.
Pilots have highly specialized training and must fly to maintain their proficiency. Previously, pilots could stay out of airplanes for up to 12 months if they were pregnant, now they can stay in the air in their second trimester.
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Norah O’Donnell
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