🎧 Episode Summary

What drives a teenager to climb up on a rooftop in Mexico just to watch airplanes trace paths across the night sky? For Adriana Barragan, it was more than a dream—it was a calling. In this inspiring episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker explores Adriana’s remarkable journey—from struggling to learn English one page at a time to becoming a private pilot, Gulfstream engineer, and now the CEO and co-founder of Fly ORKA, an app reshaping how pilots learn and train.

Shawn also takes listeners on a tour of vibrant Hispanic aviation festivals—where mariachi music meets fighter-jet aerobatics—and pays tribute to the courage and innovation of Latino trailblazers of the skies, from Jorge Chávez, who crossed the Alps in a flimsy monoplane, to Olga Custodio, the first Latina to complete USAF pilot training, and Diana Trujillo, whose work at NASA reaches all the way to Mars.

This is a celebration of resilience, culture, and the pioneers who looked at the sky and said, that’s where I belong.

Brought to you by AviNation USA and our newest supporters, Flyte Sunglasses—“Light on weight, not on quality.”

✨ Key Points

Adriana Barragan’s Journey

• Fell in love with aviation as a teen lying on a rooftop in Mexico, inspired by Richard Bach’s books.


• Overcame language barriers by translating flight-training materials word by word and watching aviation films with subtitles.


• Earned her private pilot’s license at 17 and studied aerospace engineering.


• Worked at Gulfstream helping design and test advanced business jets.


• Founded Fly ORKA, an app that helps pilots log flights, review 3D replays, and communicate with instructors—reducing costly in-air training hours.


• Believes in empowerment without limits: “What defines you is what you do with every moment that is given to you.”

Hispanic Aviation Festivals

• Feria Aeronáutica Internacional (Mexico): A mash-up of airshow aerobatics, heritage celebrations, and mariachi music.


• FIA – Feria Internacional del Aire (Chile): High-altitude aerobatics against the Andes and hands-on STEM experiences.


• Jorge Chávez International Aviation Festival (Peru): Honors the pioneer who first flew across the Alps—complete with air races, vintage planes, hot-air balloons, and ceviche.


• Latino Pilots Association Events (USA): Mentorship and scholarships presented alongside cultural celebrations during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Trailblazers of the Sky

• Jorge Chávez (Peru): First to cross the Alps by air (1910), proving mountain flying was possible.


• Felix Rigau Carrera (Puerto Rico): First Hispanic U.S. Marine fighter pilot; later pioneered airmail routes in Puerto Rico.


• Olga Custodio (Puerto Rico): First Latina to complete USAF pilot training and later a trailblazing American Airlines captain.


• Marisol Chalas (Dominican Republic): First Latina U.S. Army National Guard Black Hawk pilot.


• Arnaldo Tamayo-Méndez (Cuba): First Latin American in space.


• Diana Trujillo (Colombia): NASA JPL engineer leading the robotic arm operations on Mars rovers.

Core Themes

• Culture and community are as integral to aviation as technology.


• Turning weaknesses into strengths unlocks new possibilities.


• The sky has no borders—the next generation of aviators is more diverse than ever.

🕒 Chapter Timestamps

0:00 – 0:36 | Introduction: A rooftop in Mexico and the spark that started it all

0:37 – 6:20 | Adriana’s journey: from rooftop dreamer to pilot, engineer, and aviation-tech founder

6:21 – 8:25 | Empowerment without limits—Fly ORKA’s vision

8:26 – 12:38 | Hispanic aviation festivals: mariachi meets jet fuel

12:39 – 17:30 | Trailblazers of the Skies: historic Latino pioneers who changed aviation

17:31 – end | Closing reflections: inspiration for the next generation of aviators

🔗 Links

• Fly ORKA: https://flyorka.com/


• AviNation USA: https://www.avinationusa.com/


• Flyte Sunglasses: https://www.flyte.aero/


• Creative Relay Media: https://creativerelaymedia.com/