The story of child pilot Jessica Dubroff – and a dream that ended in disaster

Jessica’s passion for aviation began when she got an airplane ride for her sixth birthday (Picture: Lacy Atkins/AP) Jessica Dubroff’s parents always wanted her to fly free. Delivered in a birthing pool without a doctor or midwife present, she was the daughter of parents who preferred to live outside the mainstream. Born in Massachusetts in 1988, and moved to California when she was four, Jessica’s parents split up early, but remained close. She grew up in a house without a television alongside her artist and spiritual healer mother, Lisa Blair Hathaway. Along with her older brother Joshua and younger sister Jasmine, Jessicaand her siblings were raised differently from most children. They did not play with toys or read children’s books. Instead, they were given tools to work with and househ