Abigail Davis was born in the Catskill Mountains in 1950, graduated from Ithaca College in 1972, and later earned a Master's degree in Creative Writing and a PhD in Early American literature and culture from the University of Minnesota. Her published work includes more than 200 travel essays, book reviews and interviews; her short stories have appeared in a variety of periodicals and anthologies.Davis was the first female pilot hired by Northwest Airlines in 1979. She retired from flying as an Airbus A320 captain with more than 18,000 flight hours, 20 trips around the world, and seven years of part-time residence in Asia. Twice elected to office in the International Society of Women Airline pilots, she served as vice president from 1982-84 and president from 1984-86.Her interests include gardening, cooking, alpine skiing, hiking, and anything involving the outdoors. She is currently at work on a new novel about women in aviation.