Ida is the narrator and protagonist of Flygirl. She is a young black woman and recent high school graduate who lives with her family on their berry farm in Slidell, Louisiana. After graduating high school, Ida works full time as a housecleaner, but her passion is to fly planes. Her father, who passed away when Ida was 16, taught her to fly on their farm’s crop duster. Ida, like her father, has light skin and smooth hair, unlike her mother, brothers, and grandfather, who have dark skin. Because of this, Ida is able to pass as white in order to become a WASP, a Woman Airforce Service Pilot, as part of a program for women pilots that was established during World War II. Ida is a brave and confident woman. While training to be a WASP, Ida volunteers to be lieutenant of her flight, an important leadership position. She is also a talented pilot and does exceptionally well as a WASP.

Ida’s friends and family are important to her. As a WASP, she befriends two women, Patsy and Lily. The three friends often help each other out and look out for each other.