Kelly Flinn

Kelly Flinn
BornDecember 23, 1970 (1970-12-23) (age 54)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Allegiance United States of America
Branch United States Air Force
Years of service19931997
Rank First lieutenant
Other workProud to Be: My Life, the Air Force, the Controversy (book)

Kelly Flinn (whose surname was sometimes misspelled as Flynn; born December 23, 1970) is a former B-52 pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF). She was the first female pilot to serve in that capacity.

She was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1997 after an adulterous affair with the husband of an enlisted subordinate, for military offenses including disobeying a direct order from her commanding officer to break off the affair, and for twice lying under oath to investigators about having done so.

The scandal received widespread media attention at the time and was discussed in a U.S. Senate hearing on May 22, 1997. Kelly Flinn worked as a commercial pilot for Trans World Airlines after leaving the Air Force.