Cleared for Takeoff: Book Signing & Author Talk with Captain Nia Gilliam

Cleared for Takeoff: Book Signing & Author Conversation with Captain Nia Gilliam

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | 7:00–9:00 PM
Da Book Joint

She dreamed of flying. Life taught her how to soar.

Join Da Book Joint for an inspiring evening with award-winning commercial airline pilot and author Captain Nia Gilliam as we celebrate the release of her powerful memoir, Cleared for Takeoff.

Long before she became a commercial airline captain, Nia Gilliam dreamed of taking to the skies. Inspired by pioneering Black aviators including Bessie Coleman, Janet Harmon Bragg, and the Tuskegee Airmen, she pursued a career in an industry where few Black women had been given a seat.

Then, on September 11, 2001, Nia's life and relationship with flying changed forever.

While waiting to be cleared for takeoff, Gilliam witnessed smoke rising from the North Tower of the World Trade Center and watched United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the South Tower from her cockpit window. What followed would forever change the way she understood aviation, her career, and herself.

In Cleared for Takeoff, Gilliam shares the deeply personal journey of finding her way back to the skies while navigating tragedy, adversity, motherhood, and a life-changing health battle. Through it all, she discovers that sometimes the greatest challenge isn't learning how to fly—it's finding the courage to take flight again.

Her story is one of courage, faith, resilience, representation, and the redemptive power of reclaiming your dreams.

✈️ MEET CAPTAIN NIA GILLIAM

An award-winning commercial airline pilot and founder of Sisters of the Skies, Nia Gilliam is a trailblazer dedicated to creating community and increasing representation among Black women in aviation.

Her forthcoming memoir, Cleared for Takeoff, chronicles her journey as a Black female pilot as she navigates the unique challenges of her profession—from witnessing the events of 9/11 from her cockpit window to raising a son, surviving breast cancer, and building community among Black aviatrixes.

Through her work and storytelling, Gilliam continues to inspire others to pursue their dreams and recognize that there is a place for them in spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.

✈️ MEET COURTNEY GOUSMAN

Courtney Gousman is a five-time Emmy Award-winning communicator with an extensive background as a broadcast journalist.

Courtney manages communications for Argonne National Laboratory’s Office of Community Engagement. In this role, she manages the lab’s public lecture series, OutLoud.

A bulk of Courtney’s professional career was spent as a television news anchor and reporter. Courtney most recently served as Evening Anchor for WEWS-TV, the oldest television station in the state of Ohio. It was through her ideas and producing that Courtney was able to launch an Emmy Award-winning series focused on maternal and infant outcomes, called Delivering Better Results. The series explored the challenges and changemakers working to create solutions as many healthcare leaders sounded the alarm on these issues.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Spend an evening hearing Captain Nia Gilliam share her story, the inspiration behind Cleared for Takeoff, and what it means to pursue a dream when life takes you somewhere you never expected to go.

The evening will include:

• An author conversation with Captain Nia Gilliam
• A discussion about Black women in aviation and the pioneers who paved the way
• Personal stories from Gilliam's journey as a pilot, mother, and advocate
• An opportunity to connect with the author
• Book signing

🎟️ TICKET INFORMATION

$32 — All-Inclusive Event Ticket

Every ticket includes:

• Admission to the event
• One copy of Cleared for Takeoff
• Author conversation
• Book signing

Whether you've always dreamed of flying, are fascinated by aviation, love stories of Black women breaking barriers, or simply need a reminder that it's never too late to find your way back to yourself — this is an evening you won't want to miss.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026
7:00–9:00 PM
Da Book Joint

Come hear the story of a woman who didn't just learn how to fly — she learned how to find her wings again.