Meet Chresten Wilson, the airline captain set to become United’s most senior female pilot ever—the job pays $400K and doesn’t require a college degree

United Airlines is about to make aviation history. As the carrier celebrates its 100th anniversary, veteran Boeing 787 captain Chresten Wilson is set to become the most senior pilot among United’s 18,000 aviators—and the first woman ever to hold that title.

Her rise is the culmination of a 42‑year career spent defying odds in a cockpit still dominated by men (women make up just 6% of pilots), and her story lands just as airlines face a massive pilot shortage and surging demand for new recruits.