When the military rejected her request to be a military pilot when she was 17 because she was a woman, Capt. Pati Marsh pursued a piloting career in the private sector instead, writes Mari A. Schaefer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Now, after 39 years of flying to 18 countries and 44 states, Cap. Pati Marsh is retiring.

Her last flight, American Airlines Airbus 330, recently pulled into the gate at Philadelphia International Airport, marking the end of her career.

“She was a very caring and meticulous captain,” said Bill Sherrod,  the airline’s director of flight/chief pilot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Her father flew small planes as a hobby and Marsh was the only daughter out of five girls to take him up on his offer of a plane ride.

“It was love at first flight,” Marsh said of flying. “I just took to it and never turned back.”

Marsh did everything to gain flying time, including washing small planes to earn money to pay for flight costs.

“The message is to persist, just keep trying, and do not take ‘no’ for an answer. Go over those mountains — do whatever it takes,” Marsh said.

Read more about Capt. Pati Marsh here.