PASSING THE TORCH
Shortly after becoming a captain on the B-727 I piloted a trip with Allen as my co-pilot and Jackie as my second officer. We struck up a good friendship and much to my delight they eventually got married. Allen is now a B-787 Captain and Jackie a B-777 Captain. Over the years we kept in touch and they have become like family to me. On December 6, 2025 Jackie retired and this is the article that appeared on the front page of the UAL website for employees.
Passing the torch
Summarize
December 04, 2025
This week EWR Boeing 777 Captain Jackie Sowell flew her final flight – a fitting bookend to a trailblazing 36-year career. But Jackie’s story is just one chapter in her family’s United journey. With a lineage that includes her late father, her husband and her son, the Sowell family has collectively dedicated over 131 years of service to United. Jackie's late father, John “Jack” Addison, worked as a second officer and flight engineer at United between 1942 and 1988. Jackie is the youngest of four girls, and caught the aviation bug at a young age.
Growing up, Jackie was very close with her father and loved trying on his captain’s hat. As a child, she visited his “office,” the cockpit of a Boeing 747 before one of his flights to Hawaii, which opened a whole new world for her.
Jackie’s older sister Janet was a flight attendant for United in the 70s, and she recognized it as an option for herself. But ultimately, she had sights on front of the plane just like her dad.
When she was 16, Jackie started training for her pilot’s license. Her father cautioned her about how challenging it would be as there were few female pilots at the time. Yet Jackie persisted with her goal, and her father’s initial hesitance morphed into full pride and support.
When Jackie was hired as a pilot in 1989, it was a learning curve, as the field was highly male-dominated. She learned from her father, who was very “by the book” and a rule follower, to always put the customer and their safety first.
“That was drilled into her very early on,” Jackie’s daughter Rebecca said. “There’s also a passion she gleaned from him, which rubbed off on her to follow her dreams.”
Less than a year into her career, Jackie was assigned a trip with her future husband, EWR Boeing 787 Captain Alan Sowell, with whom she had an instant connection. Although she admits she played 'hard to get’ at first, the two eventually began dating.
Five months later, after landing a 727 they had piloted together, Alan proposed right in the flight deck! They have now been married for 35 years and have two children: daughter Rebecca and son Michael, who was hired by United when he turned 23 and is now a DEN A320 Captain.
Jackie chose her favorite destination, FCO (Rome), for her final flight as a pilot. Although she initially intended to keep the milestone private to avoid drawing attention to herself, after learning she would be honored with a surprise water cannon salute, she decided to share with the passengers it was her last time flying.
“So many people in the cabin were cheering and clapping during the water salute, and air traffic controllers along the route wished her a happy retirement,” Rebecca said. “Young women were coming up to her and shaking her hands after the flight.”
Once in Rome, the family wandered the city before dinner and ran into an ORD-based United crew, including a female captain hired around the same time as Jackie. The chance meeting inspired an impromptu toast to Jackie’s retirement — a full-circle end to her final trip.
While Jackie is too humble to recognize her tenure as trailblazing, she loves the chance to talk to younger pilots and make an impact. She even invited children up to see the flight deck to give them the same awe-inspiring experience she got with her father.
“Her career at United will be defined by her focus on showing up and doing the best work she possibly can and trying to make a positive impact on people’s lives, even if it’s just getting people to their destinations safely,” Rebecca said.
The family’s legacy of piloting may even continue into a fourth generation. Jackie’s grandniece, 15-year-old Amrita, has expressed interest in getting her pilot’s license and pursuing aviation as a career, inspired by the foundation Jackie laid as a woman in the industry.
As we approach our 100th anniversary next year, we’re continuously reminded of the tireless work of our pilots in shaping United’s history.
Retired United Pilots Association