There was a time when Lt. Col. Kimberly Scott was the only African American female C-17 Globemaster III pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

While Scott considered the distinction an honor, it was something the Reservist in the 728th Airlift Squadron at McChord Field hoped would change.

"I don't want to be one of the few," said Scott, who also works full-time as a pilot for Alaska Airlines. "I would love to see more girls interested in aviation with their sights on becoming a pilot one day."

That's why Scott takes advantage of every opportunity she can to go out into the local community and talk to students about her career in the Air Force and how to go about achieving their aviation dreams.

Scott and Lt. Col. Ron Limes, a Reserve pilot with the 97th Airlift Squadron at McChord, participated in an aviation panel discussion panel entitled "Reaching Your Potential" Feb. 4 at the Museum of Flight.

"I enjoy sharing my story," said Scott, a Bellevue native who attended the Air Force Academy after graduating from Sammamish High School.

Limes knew he wanted to be a pilot after his fifth-grade teacher would share stories in class of his adventures flying his personal plane on weekends.

"I was 10 and I was hooked," said Limes, a New York native.

Limes eventually enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. He joined the school's Air Force ROTC program to try it out.

"I did it just to look and see," Limes said. "I had no idea where I would be 21 years later."

Limes, also a pilot with Alaska Airlines, spent nine years on active duty before transitioning to the Reserves, where he has served for the last 12 years.

While his aviation career became a reality, Limes said he didn't have the mentor/aviation role models to look up to early on.

"It's important to have that mentor to help you along," he said. "I've had many people to help me out and steer me down the right road as I got further in my career. The path is full of obstacles."

He hopes to serve as a role model to as many young people as he can now.

"There is so much stuff coming at kids nowadays, and it's not all positive," he said.

Scott, an Army brat, is grateful she's had so many positive people in her corner throughout her journey in the Air Force. While there were not a lot of female aviators in her graduating class at the Academy, the few that were there she became very close with.

"We really try and keep in touch with each other," she said.

Scott is also very involved now with the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, a nonprofit founded in 1976 to enhance, advance and promote education opportunities in aviation, and Women in Aviation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing networking, education, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for women (and men) who are striving for challenging and fulfilling careers in the aviation and aerospace industries.

Both were excited to offer students an insight into a career in aviation.

"It's great to look out into the audience and see that spark and interest in their eyes," Scott said.