Black woman pilot shares rare 9/11 runway account in new memoir ‘Cleared for Takeoff’

NEW YORK — Captain Nia Gilliam’s new memoir Cleared for Takeoff offers a rare firsthand account of 9/11 from the runway at Newark Airport, where she was “cleared for takeoff as smoke rose from the Twin Towers” . The book arrives August 4 as part of Storehouse Voices’ inaugural Women & Words releases.

Gilliam is one of fewer than 200 Black women pilots in the United States. Her memoir traces her path from childhood dreams to a career in a white, male‑dominated industry. It also follows the moment that “profoundly alters Captain Gilliam’s life and ultimately leads her to step away from aviation in the aftermath” .

Captain Nia Gilliam’s Cleared for Takeoff : A Rare 9/11 Perspective

Gilliam describes watching the attacks unfold from the co‑pilot’s seat. She recalls the shock, the smoke and the silence on the runway. Then she explains how the day reshaped her sense of purpose. The memoir moves between that morning and the story of how she built her career.

Breaking Barriers in Aviation

From an early age, Gilliam studied aviation pioneers. She discovered Bessie Coleman and saw a path for herself. She later became one of the few Black women to hold a commercial pilot’s seat. The publisher calls her story one of “resilience, ambition, and identity” .

Motherhood, Mental Health and Reinvention

Gilliam also writes about becoming the first pregnant pilot at her airline. She details her experience with postpartum depression. She shows how these challenges forced her to rethink her identity and career. The memoir highlights how she rebuilt her purpose after trauma and professional disruption.

A Program Centering Underserved Voices

Cleared for Takeoff is published under Storehouse Voices, an imprint created through a collaboration between Penguin Random House and Storehouse in a Box. The Women & Words program brings together aspiring authors, agents and publishing staff for networking and speed‑dating sessions designed to “demystify publishing and provide a dedicated space for diverse narratives” .

For more information, visit Storehouse Voices website.