From a doctorate in music to learning to fly, she became a United Airlines pilot at the age of 41

At 41, Yu-Tzu Huang made an impressive career shift from a music doctorate to becoming a pilot with United Airlines. Originally from Taiwan, Huang’s career trajectory is nothing short of remarkable. Before her transition to aviation, she held various roles including flight attendant, flyer distributor, and music teacher, all while earning her doctorate in music. After navigating through experiences of marriage, parenthood, divorce, and remarriage, Huang has now settled in Dallas, living a life of her own design.

Huang began her musical journey at the age of three, learning piano alongside her sister under their parents’ guidance. While her sister eventually dropped out, Huang’s evident talent propelled her to continue her studies with encouragement from her teachers. Coming from a modest background, Huang remembers the need to select her second instrument as part of her admission to a music program, which led her to percussion with a set of inexpensive drumsticks. This decision paved her way to Taipei National University of the Arts and eventually to the Taiwan Zhu Zongqing Percussion Ensemble, where she met a mentor who helped her secure a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in the U.S.

Despite her talent, Huang faced harsh realities in the U.S. educational landscape as she advanced from a master’s to a doctorate. She recognized early on that a career as a professional musician was unpredictable, and with the intention of teaching, she pressed on to earn her doctorate. Unfortunately, upon graduating, she was met with an economic downturn in the U.S., which led to significant cuts in teaching positions across universities, contributing to a challenging financial situation where she was earning just over $10,000 a year.

The struggles continued as Huang’s marriage began to falter. With both partners in the music industry—her husband being a freelance saxophonist—they faced considerable financial instability. Following their decision to divorce, Huang felt compelled to explore new career paths to support her twin daughters.

She began her new journey by taking a part-time job distributing flyers at the Estée Lauder counter in an airport duty-free shop. A chance conversation with a flight attendant from Delta Airlines opened her eyes to the benefits of a flight attendant career, leading her to apply for a position. Lacking prior experience in the service industry, she started with a regional airline while simultaneously continuing to teach at a university part-time, starting at the age of 32. Two years later, she transitioned to a full-time position with American Airlines.

Reflecting on this period, Huang admits she didn’t anticipate how long she would stay in this role; it was purely a decision driven by financial necessity and the desire to care for her daughters. Yet, she remained aware that her exploration had not ended. During a conversation with a captain, he remarked on her impressive background and encouraged her to consider becoming a pilot, sparking her pursuit of flight training.

Finding small pockets of time in her busy schedule, Huang dedicated herself to studying aviation after her flight attendant duties, determined to balance her education and responsibilities as a mother. The road was long and fraught with hardships, taking her five years to attain the various licenses that most full-time students achieve in just over a year. Throughout it all, she never considered giving up.

Huang expresses deep gratitude for the way her flight training helped her rediscover her self-worth. “When I divorced, my confidence was shattered. My life felt consumed by my responsibilities as a mother,” she shares. “However, with each new skill I acquired and each license I earned, my confidence grew. In learning to fly, I found myself again.” She adds that stepping away from relying on music as her sole income allowed her to enjoy playing music more freely.

Huang’s journey to becoming a pilot was not without challenges. Following her divorce, she lost joint custody of her daughters due to financial struggles and a lack of familiarity with the legal system, limiting her visitation rights. In her personal life, she faced homelessness for six months after being robbed and later deceived by a landlord. During this time, she stayed at friends’ homes or hotels, struggling to balance work and motherhood.

Despite these hardships, Huang maintains a positive outlook. “I remember the hard times, but I don’t dwell on them. I choose to learn from my experiences and keep moving forward,” she says. Her relentless drive to seize opportunities led her to a successful career as a flight attendant and eventually a pilot, thanks to the support of various mentors along the way.

Today, Huang has found love again, marrying an American Airlines captain who is 22 years her senior. True to her proactive nature, she took the lead in their relationship, even proposing to him by measuring his ring size.

Her 13-year-old twin daughters, who share her musical talent, have not been pushed into music; instead, Huang is eager to teach them how to fly. “Knowing how to operate an aircraft greatly boosts a girl’s confidence,” she explains. “I tell my daughters that whatever they choose to pursue in life, as long as it’s something they truly want and work hard for, no one can take it away from them.”