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Dolly Parton’s Niece Went From Flight Attendant to Boeing 787 Pilot, and Along the Way She Started Making Moonshine

If you’re ever sitting in the cabin of a Boeing 787 operated by a major U.S. airline, heading across the country or around the world, there’s a chance the person flying you there has a rather famous last name.

And if you hear the name Parton come over the PA, you might wonder if there’s any connection to one of Tennessee’s most famous families.

There is.

Danielle Parton, daughter of Dolly Parton’s younger brother Bobby Parton and niece of the late country music legend, has spent decades carving out an aviation career that is remarkable in its own right. From working as a flight attendant to flying military C-130 and C-5 aircraft around the world and in combat, Danielle has gone on to become a Boeing 787 First Officer for a major U.S. airline.

Danielle doesn't publicly identify the airline she currently flies for, instead simply describing herself as working for a major U.S. airline.

There are certainly enough clues for aviation followers to make an educated guess about which carrier she flies for, but we'll leave that piece of the puzzle to Danielle. After all, when someone chooses not to publicly name their employer, we think that's worth respecting.

What matters far more is how she got there. And Danielle's journey to the flight deck is one hell of an aviation story.

Danielle didn't ride her famous aunt's rhinestone coattails into the cockpit. Much like Dolly herself, she worked for every inch of the journey, building an aviation career on talent, determination and a whole lot of hard work.

Danielle was the first female member of the Parton family to earn a college degree, graduating from Belmont University in Nashville in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.

Her aviation career began not in the cockpit, but in the cabin.

After college, Danielle worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Eventually, she decided she wanted to move from the passenger cabin to the pilot's seat.

That decision would take her into the U.S. Air National Guard.

Danielle served with the 118th Wing in Nashville, the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, Kentucky, and the 164th Airlift Wing in Memphis. She went on to fly the C-130 and C-5, operating around the world and in combat.

In 2012, she became an Aircraft Commander and deployed multiple times, accumulating thousands of hours in the pilot's seat.

Her military career earned her the Combat Action Medal and Air Medal, along with recognition for flying excellence and a distinguished graduate designation from C-5 initial qualification.

The famous last name may get your attention, but it's Danielle's résumé that deserves it. Her list of accomplishments is nothing short of impressive.

Flight attendant.

Military pilot.

C-130 Aircraft Commander.

C-5 pilot.

Combat-deployed aviator.

Airline pilot.

Boeing 787 First Officer.

In a 2025 interview with AOPA, Danielle explained that her career as a flight attendant helped spark the realization that she wanted to fly. She had never known a pilot personally and didn't initially see military aviation as a path for herself. But after deciding she wanted to become a pilot, she was essentially told to go military.

And she did.

Eventually, her military flying career and airline career came full circle.

In 2014, Danielle became a commercial airline pilot, flying Airbus A320-family aircraft.

But she wasn't finished climbing.

In April 2025, Danielle shared that she had made the move to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, taking her career into long-haul widebody flying.

Oh, and somewhere along the way, she also became a moonshine entrepreneur.

Because apparently flying enormous airplanes wasn't enough.

Danielle launched Shine Girl, a Tennessee distillery inspired by the family's long history with moonshine. She embraced that colorful Parton family history while putting her own spin on the business. The company was created with women in mind, although Danielle has joked that plenty of men are happy to drink it too.

And yes, she even created a cocktail called the “Dollymosa” in honor of her famous aunt.

Dolly was reportedly completely supportive of Danielle's entrepreneurial streak, and it isn't difficult to see some of that famous Parton determination running through the family.

Danielle has described herself as someone who isn't built for repetitive office work, calling herself a “gypsy soul.”

That might explain a career that has taken her from airline cabins to military cockpits, combat deployments, international widebody operations and eventually a distillery in East Tennessee.

Dolly Parton became a global icon by doing things her own way.

Her niece appears to have inherited some of that same independent spirit.

The difference is that Danielle's stage happens to be 35,000 feet above the ground.

So the next time you board a Boeing 787 and hear the name Parton associated with the flight deck, don't assume you're simply flying with Dolly Parton's niece.

You may be flying with a decorated military aviator, former flight attendant, entrepreneur and one seriously accomplished pilot who has spent decades earning her own wings.

Seems the Dolly wasn't the only badass blonde in the Parton family.

Sources: AOPA | Shine Girl | Garden & Gun | Blue Ridge Country | The Appalachian Tale Podcast

We will always love the one and only Dolly Parton!!! Tracy was lucky enough to meet her!!! ❤️ Prayers for her family and friends ❤️

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Altra Salon will be CLOSED as we celebrate America’s 250th Birthday! 🎆🎉
We’ll be watching fireworks and making memories with our families. ❤️🤍💙
Enjoy the celebration, stay safe, and we’ll see you back in the salon Tuesday! ✂️✨Happy 4th of July!!!

Today we’re celebrating 18 incredible years of Altra Salons! 🎉

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every client who has trusted us, every team member who has shared their talent and passion, and everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.

Over the past 18 years, we’ve built so much more than a salon—we’ve built lasting relationships, unforgettable memories, and a community that feels like family. We are truly grateful, incredibly blessed, and so thankful for each and every one of you.

Here’s to 18 amazing years and to many more beautiful moments together. Thank you for being part of the Altra Salons family! ❤️

If you’ve walked into our salon in the last 9 years, you already know…💁‍♀️✨

Dolly 🐾 — Nashville’s best greeter, professional tail-wagger, snack supervisor, and part-time mood booster.

She takes her job very seriously:
✔️ Greeting every guest like a VIP
✔️ Accepting pets as payment
✔️ Making sure no one leaves without a smile

We do hair… Dolly does happiness 💕
Happy belated 9th Birthday Dolly! (March 15th)

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We’re so thankful to be up and running again and ready to take care of our amazing clients!

As we work through rescheduling appointments that were affected by the outage, we ask for just a little patience with us — we promise we’re doing our very best to get everyone taken care of as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding, your kindness, and for supporting us through the storm. We can’t wait to see you all! 💙✂️

We feel like this is the Groundhog Day movie! Every day we wake up with no power at the salon! We need everyone to do their power dance in hopes to get our power restored today so we are able to work tomorrow and Saturday!

Today we lost a dear client. Marcia was one of those rare people who could turn an ordinary moment into something joyful or comical!! If you knew her you would know she was full of humor! From the very beginning, she brought laughter, stories, and a lightness that will stay with me. She wasn’t just a client—she became someone I genuinely looked forward to seeing, someone who reminded me why connection matters so much and why we love what we do, she was part of our family. Losing her is deeply felt. I’ll always carry gratitude for the joy she shared so freely and the way she made every visit brighter just by being herself. She will be missed!!! Thoughts and prayers for her family ❤️