Michelle Curran

United States Air Force Pilot & Major, Lead Solo Pilot for the Thunderbirds, & Fifth Woman to Fly with the Thunderbirds

  • Lead Solo Pilot for the Thunderbirds
  • Only Female Pilot in the Squadron Whilst She Served
  • Participated in the Blue Angels demonstration for the United States Navy

Discover Michelle Curran’s biography of published work below.

Upside Down Dreams
Upside Down Dreams

When Michelle Curran is booked for events, they are known to discuss the following speaking topics:

The Power of Vulnerability
Stepping Into Your Boldness
Facing Your Fears
Authenticity in a High Performance Environment
Embracing the Unknown and Uncomfortable
Creating a Culture of Trust

Michelle Curran is a profound former United States Air Force Pilot and Major, best known for becoming the fifth woman to fly with the Thunderbirds. Having fulfilled high-profile positions such as the Lead Solo Pilot in the Thunderbirds, her leadership and peak performance skills are admired by professionals around the world. A driven individual, Michelle has become a leading authority in the aviation industry and is now in high demand to attend speaking engagements internationally.

Starting her service for the United States Air Force in 2009, Michelle earned her commission with the AFROTC. Having gained the opportunity to complete her pilot training with the 14th Operations Group, she shortly after was selected to become an F-16 Fighting Falcon Student with the 308th Fighter Squadron. Determined to showcase that women can gain success in a male-dominated industry, Michelle educated other pilots as an F-16 Instructor and became the first woman to fly as part of the 335th FS, an achievement which is still respected throughout the aviation industry.

Aiming to empower women around the world with her illustrious career, Michelle joined the Thunderbirds in 2019, a USAF aerobics team which is admired globally. Forwarding as their Opposing Solo Pilot in her first year in the group, she showcased her profound abilities and was selected to become the Lead Solo Pilot, a role which allowed her to fly on the outer-left wing of the Delta formation of the F-16s. An empowering female figure in the industry, Michelle participated in the Blue Angels demonstration for the United States Navy, making her the only female pilot in the squadron whilst she served, and the fifth pilot in the squadron overall.

A respected aviation figure, Michelle Curran is now highly sought-after to attend speaking events to share her specialist knowledge on topics such as facing your fears, creating a culture of trust, and authenticity in a high-pressure environment. Showcasing that women belong in the top roles throughout the USAF, she inspires women around the world to reach for the top in all aspects of their lives. When looking to hire a female empowerment speaker, look no further than Michelle.

Official Testimonials

Michelle Curran is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:

Michelle had us laughing, some of us even cried. We broke down invisible walls as she moved us towards a better version of ourselves. Each of us walked away motivated and ready to take on more life. Ready to take action, now.

CEO, Pacific GeoSource

Are you looking for an amazing speaker?  One that will speak on Teamwork, Inspiration, and what it’s like to fail and get back up.  Without a doubt in the 40+ years that we’ve been doing this I’ve never seen anyone come up afterwards and say it was the best ever except this time.  Michelle connects to her audience on a personal level and if we didn’t cut off the questions afterwards, she’d still be there.

President, Greater Bergen Realtors

I want to thank you again for your presence and remarks. I’ve been hearing accolades all day… things like, “best speaker ever!” You were magnificent.

Headmaster, Davidson Day School

To enquire about Michelle Curran for your event or corporate function, simply contact us via agent@diversity-inclusion-speakers.com or call a booking agent on 0203 9816 297.