Rinehart was raised in Long Beach, California in a family with a background in aviation.[1] Her mother, Barbara London, served as a Women Airforce Service Pilot.[2]
She graduated from San Jose State University in 1974.[3] In 1976, Rinehart became the first woman hired as a pilot by Western Airlines.[4] At the time, she was one of only ten women working as airline pilots in the United States.[4] After Delta Air Lines acquired Western, she continued her career there, flying as a captain.[1] She began flying the Boeing 737 and later operated the 757 and 767. Rinehart also holds a helicopter pilot’s license and is a member of the Whirly-Girls, an international organization of women helicopter pilots. Her husband, Bob Rinehart, is also a pilot, and their three children have pursued careers in aviation.[1][5]
