Patricia Malone began her aviation career in 1944 when she enlisted in the US Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and was assigned to train aircraft carrier based pilots on instrument flight procedures. Later, she was employed as a simulator instructor by the U.S. Air Force, Trans World Airlines, and Northeast Airlines. In 1972, with the merger of Northeast with Delta Air Lines, Patricia returned to Atlanta and was assigned to the Pilot Ground Training Department and held many positions with Delta and became known as "Mother" Malone for her 50-year career in aviation. She died in 2008.