Researcher | Pilot | Writer
Hi, I'm Kimberly.
I am a Captain on a Gulfstream 650 based in Seattle, WA. I have piloted jet aircraft on six continents, lived on three, and have flown for airlines and business aviation. I am also a researcher and writer on diversity, inclusion, gender parity, psychological safety, and safety culture within aviation. To share my research, I created the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Think Tank (ediTT).
I serve on the National Business Aviation Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Working Group. And, I am the Founder and President of Aviation for Humanity.
I serve on the National Business Aviation Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Working Group. And, I am the Founder and President of Aviation for Humanity.
What makes a great pilot? 
"Perkins is a trailblazer within business aviation, where she’s a regular presence affirming the value of a more inclusive workforce. “Our current safety processes are important, but they break down without inclusion,” she says. “We’re entering a new wave of aviation safety that focuses on inclusivity because investing in human capital is our industry’s most precious resource.”
-National Business Aviation Association 
“We have a clear business case for diversity and inclusion,” said Perkins. “Diversity can lead to higher earning potential and an increase in safety through better decision making.”
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ATI Boeing Accelerator Panel: Creating a Sustainable Aerospace Industry
Sustainability is about ensuring longevity and that means investing in our human capitol. 
Sustainability means meeting the demands now without compromising the needs of the future. We often think about new fuel-efficient technology or offsetting our carbon emissions, but to me, sustainability isn’t just about the aircraft, airports, and technology, it’s about the health of the industry. That means the people in it. Sustainability is having the pipeline of educated and interested personnel to constantly be pushing the needle of creativity and innovation.
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Modernity has transformed not only the airplanes themselves, but the very meaning of what defines a “good” pilot and the skills necessary for the job. The ability to empathize and evaluate qualitatively are the “soft skills” necessary to work in a fast-paced, multi-crew environment. Having a growth mindset and education on emotional intelligence and unconscious bias are fundamental to genuine human factors training.
Industry leaders must create a safety culture rooted in psychological safety by creating a culture of inclusion and by viewing employees' authentic differences as strengths to the organization.
It's time for Human Factors 2.0 to boost workforce development and enhance safety throughout the industry.
Industry leaders must create a safety culture rooted in psychological safety by creating a culture of inclusion and by viewing employees' authentic differences as strengths to the organization.
It's time for Human Factors 2.0 to boost workforce development and enhance safety throughout the industry.
