Lauren Sánchez learned to fly at 40 and then launched Black Ops Aviation and wrote a book: ‘When you're so used to failing at things...’

Lauren Sánchez married Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos on June 27, 2025. But long before that, she had established herself as a journalist and entrepreneur. Another notable aspect of her career is that she is also a helicopter pilot. What makes her journey inspiring is that she learned to fly at the age of 40. Sánchez did not just learn to fly at an age when many people face a midlife crisis; she also went on to launch Black Ops Aviation.

Lauren Sánchez's motivation to learn to fly came from her parents, who owned a flight school. "I was always around aviation," she told People. According to Sánchez, she once jokingly told her father that she wanted to learn to fly. "It may have been the best day of his life," she said.

However, Sánchez admitted that she faced challenges in the early days of her flying journey. She said she knew very little about aircraft. "The only thing I know is to stay away from the propeller," she recalled.


Sánchez hopes her journey will encourage other women to take up aviation. "I just think that growing up, women don't see a lot of female aviators," she told People. "And so I hope women might see me as a pilot and say, 'Hey, I want to do that!' It's really an incredible experience, and I love it."

Black Ops Aviation and a book

After obtaining her pilot's licence, Sánchez founded Black Ops Aviation, a company focused on aerial filming. Her flying experiences have also inspired her to write her first children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space. The book follows Flynn the fly, who embarks on an exciting journey through space after finding himself in the cockpit of a rocket ship.

But what helped her push through the challenges?

Sánchez told People that her experience with dyslexia had helped her become resilient. "When you're so used to failing at things, you become resilient," she said. "Once you get through that, nothing can stop you."

She added that societal expectations often confine individuals. "I think a lot of times people want to put you in a box, and we don't thrive in boxes. So that's really what life is about: Trying new things."

The Emmy-winning journalist has previously worked as a correspondent and anchor for outlets including FOX Sports Net, Extra, The View, UPN News 13 and Good Day LA. She was also the original host of the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance. In April 2025, Sánchez flew as part of an all-female crew on Blue Origin's NS-31 suborbital spaceflight mission.

Sánchez now serves as vice-chairperson of the Bezos Earth Fund, helping direct large-scale climate and environmental investments.