Barbara Adams Wilson was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana. She was the middle child of Joseph and Elsa Adams. Her parents were born in Buxton, her mom was a homemaker, and her dad owned a pharmacy store in Durban Street, Lodge. One of her first goals attained was being selected to attend the prestigious Bishops High School (BHS) in the 60s. After completing her secondary school education at BHS, Barbara attended the University of Guyana, intending to be a statistician. Because of her love for mathematics and being outdoors, she envisaged herself working for a sports entity.
While a student at the University of Guyana, Barbara was informed by the then headmistress of Bishops High School that the Guyanese Government was looking for applicants interested in aviation (pilots and maintenance). Barbara was immediately drawn to the idea of meeting new people, being innovative, and conquering uncharted territory. She was selected to attend Oxford Air Training School in England. Upon arriving at Oxford Air Training school, Barbara learned that she would be the only female in her class but she determined that would not be a deterrent in the male-dominated career that she had chosen. She completed the program and graduated with a Commercial Pilot’s license in helicopters in 1977.
At 19 years old, Barbara became the first Black female helicopter pilot in the United Kingdom. She also held the distinction of being the first and only female helicopter pilot in Guyana. Before returning to Guyana, Barbara went to Battersea, England, for a showcase and flew/answered questions for the British media. After her graduation, Barbara returned to Guyana and enlisted with the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) as an Ensign officer assigned to the GDF Air Corps. She also completed her three-week military training course in Guyana’s interior and at Timehri. The semi-basic military training included learning to salute, marching, climbing vertical sandpits, running several miles every morning, weapons training, and running 6 miles with a complete kit and G3 weapon in less than an hour. In the course of her aviation career, she flew as a Captain on the Enstrom F28A and as a co-pilot on the Bell 206 and Bell 212 helicopters. During her four-year stint in the GDF Air Corp, Barbara flew on many missions with then President of Guyana, Linden FS Burnham, and several rescue missions for the GDF and throughout the country of Guyana.
Life in the male-dominated Air Corp was somewhat challenging. When Barbara returned, the Helicopter section had two working helicopters, and 14 pilots, 6 of whom were captains. The other 8 needed to be qualified/trained on the turbine helicopters. Most of the time, at least one of the helicopters was inoperative, and sometimes they were both down for maintenance. As a result, the captains were given priority whenever an aircraft became operative. She had to compete with her male counterparts for flying time, and they were often selected ahead of her. These circumstances were very demoralizing and frustrating for the career-driven Adams-Wilson because she was focused and committed to accomplishing her goals and aspirations. Barbara was disappointed in the choices she made as a young inexperienced pilot but learned some invaluable lessons, including being positive, communicating your goals, asking questions and being proactive in research, and learning all you can about your area of interest. She learned that knowledge is power and that finding a supportive, positive role model can be very helpful in achieving your objectives.
In 1981, Barbara migrated to the U.S.A and worked in the state of Georgia for over 30 years in the Human Services Department. Serving in several roles, she had a significant impact on the welfare and lives of many families. Barbara did not pursue a career in aviation because she was determined to support her three children in their education and extracurricular activities as a single mom. As a high school football player, Kevin earned a full scholarship to Duke University, a master’s degree in physical education from North Carolina Central University and an EDD from the University of Florida. Her son Kurt played Baseball and got a full scholarship from North Carolina Central University and Georgia State University, where he obtained a Master’s in Mathematics, and Kalyn (Salutatorian and avid cheerleader) received a full academic scholarship from the University of Georgia. She later received her Master’s in Social Work from the University of North Carolina. Currently, Dr. Kevin Wilson is Vice President of Lincoln University, Kurt Wilson is Manager of Data Analytics at Informa, and Kalyn Wilson is a Mental Health Clinician at Emory University. Barbara is a Nana of four adorable grandsons Kendrick, Kaleb, Kairo, and Knox, and retired from the State of Georgia in 2019. Retirement allows her to enjoy her hobbies which include traveling, walking/exercising, watching/attending sporting events, reading, her guilty pleasure of reality tv, and spending time with her grands and kids.
Barbara Adams has led a life of service driven by a desire to make a difference and show by example what is possible with determination and a willingness to step outside the box. A woman who is family-oriented, friendly, humble, ambitious, and driven to succeed Barbara’s is a story worth knowing.
Barbara received several professional awards throughout her career. They include the Pioneer Aviator Award from Guyana’s Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in October 2013, the TrailBlazer Award from the Guyana Unity Movement in June 2018, and the 2019 Excellence Award from the Guyana Association of Georgia. She also received proclamations from the 21st Senate District’s senator of New York, The City Council of New York, and the Office of the President Borough of Brooklyn, New York.
