All Posts

.. .For every one major event, you’ll have on average 300 mistakes that have no ill effects – that’s 300 opportunities to strengthen the systems you have in place, and help everyone perform at their best. Mandy was the second woman to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line for the Royal Air Force. Over 17 years of service, she completed three tours of duty and flew 45 missions over Iraq in the run-up to the second Gulf War. Until a few years ago, she continued to fly as a memb

For more detailed and up-to-date information go directly to your governing aviation authority's website. Obtaining your medical is one of the major hurdles before starting your training. The process can seem intimidating, but this blog will give a short overview of the options available and the exam process. There are currently four classes of medicals recognised by the CAA. Three for pilots and a separate class for air traffic controllers. For pilots, a higher class of med

"...That moment made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my life to something bigger than myself, something meaningful and impactful." 1. Can you share your aviation experience so far? I first got a taste of flying when I joined the Civil Air Patrol at the age of 12 and took my first flight in a small airplane. For my 16th birthday, I asked for flying lessons, and soon after, I soloed in a Cessna 152. This initial experience solidified my love for aviation and eventually le

Throughout my aviation journey, all I’ve been able to talk about is how unimaginable it is to be able to do what I do. Going solo at 14, breaking club records, flying aerobatics and much more, it’s quite literally insane. I first started gliding when I was 13 years old. I took my first flight on the 27th of May 2022. And since that point onwards it’s become not only my hobby but has pushed me towards my dream aviation career. My whole life I’ve been on airfields, as my grand

...Or how I went from joining a gliding club in 1994 to winning a World Championship Silver medal in 2022 and being the top-ranking UK female glider pilot! by Claudia Buengen Most glider pilots seem to get into the sport because a relative, mum, dad, grandma, is or was a glider pilot. Nobody in my family is a pilot, I have no aviation background other than as a small passenger in big jets (from when I was 5 weeks old, as my dad’s job took us to live in various Asian and Afric

Written by Madison Dooley “We have no present plans to include women on space flights,” was the response Linda Halpern received from NASA in 1962 when seeking advice as a schoolgirl on how to become an astronaut. One year later, Valentina Tereshkova was being launched on Vostok 6, and into the history books as the 1st woman to travel to space. Since, Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to go to space in 1991 and Peggy Whitson has spent more time in space than a

Resilience noun 1. the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.2. the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. Resilience is something that airlines love, but it’s also one of the toughest things to learn, train for or acquire. And here’s why… you have to actually experience tough times, difficult situations, or hardships to be able to build resilience. You have to go through the uncomfortable situations, you h

Five seconds. Try to lift off smoothly and rotate to 15 degrees pitch up within five seconds. That’s the ideal takeoff. And we always aim for ideal. These are the thoughts running through my head as I sit in the First Officer’s seat in the cockpit of the Airbus A330, accelerating down the runway for take-off, at the controls for the first time. The captain flew the first sector from Frankfurt to Riyadh, and now it is my turn to pilot this second, short 50-minute flight to Bah

Can you outline your experience so far? My name is Jenny, I’m 34 and currently about 25 hours into my PPL journey with a flying school up in Yorkshire. I currently fly a PA28 and have weekly lessons, if the weather allows. I went solo back in November and after a break, I’ve just finished solo consolidation. What inspired you to take your first steps into aviation? Interestingly, as a child I never had any aspiration to be a pilot. I’d always liked planes and when going on ho

Meet Lucy Robins the successful Aerobility scholarship winner whose determination has made her aviation dreams a reality. Scholarship applications can be daunting, Lucy details how best to navigate the process and what she’s learnt along the way. I was 33 years old when I realised piloting a plane could be a reality for me. I’ve been fascinated by air travel since my first flight at around six years of age – from just over a four hour flight to Tenerife, Canary Islands (despi

Mélanie is an Aerobatics pilot, inspiring keynote speaker and woman entrepreneur. World famous French air racing pilot, she is the first woman to have participated in the Red Bull Air Race, a high-level air competition. Oh, where do I start? My journey in aviation has been nothing short of a crazy roller coaster ride. It all began with this huge love for the skies when I was a kid at age 6. You know, every time I saw a plane, I just felt this big passion, like it was where I

Meet Bethany Rider, a 23 years old A&P Mechanic, Avionics Technician & aspiring pilot from Phoenix, Arizona! @aviation.beth How it Started During my junior year of high school, I was encouraged by a counsellor to apply to a trade school, “West-Mec”, that allowed for dual enrolment with my high school. There, I was accepted into an “Avionics/Drone Electronics” program. During the 2 years of the program, I learnt basic aircraft fundamentals, basic electricity, how to terminate

By Amanda Shaw I’m writing this from a corner of Pret at Heathrow T5. Tucking into my second coffee of the day, whilst going through the latest flight plan for our flight to Glasgow. (My poison, if you’re asking, is an oat milk latte.) Myself and my Captain, who have been flying together for the last 3 days are sandwiched (‘scuse the pun) between flights. After a faster-than-fast turnaround to Geneva and back, we are now waiting for our second turn-around of the day… which ha

...are women really choosing not to enter the industry or are women being designed out before the choice is even there? When delving into the topic of a lack of female representation in traditionally male-dominated aviation fields, we tend to turn our attention to the women themselves. Do women really want to become pilots or engineers? Are women equipped with the correct skills and attributes for the job? Is there a reason women are not choosing these careers? On the con

Read about Charlotte's incredibly inspiring story What inspired you to fly? Aged 11, I met Burgi Tilt, an Austrian resistance fighter and pilot during WW2. She told incredible stories about landing planes in the dark on microbially small improvised airstrips in Bavaria to collect injured comrades and to drop off supplies. Growing up, she was my role model. Every weekend in the flying season, she took to the controls of a light aircraft in her twin-set and pearls. I was born

Read about Alexi's story in aviation! she is a pilot, and Civilian UH-1 Crew Chief! How did your aviation journey begin? My journey in aviation began in October 2019 when I took a young eagles flight with EAA chapter 9032 based out of Smartt Field (KSET) in St. Charles, Missouri. I was a senior in high school, and up until this flight I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was uninspired, and quite unsure of what my future would hold. This flight opened my eyes to

Please see below a few pointers from female flight training students on how you can potentially encourage more girls, and women to engage with a flight training organisation. Ensure women / girls are adequately represented in all materials The importance of this is often overlooked, women notice when they aren’t represented; this can often reflect the culture they can expect to experience at the school. Actively involving women in all forms of media and using gender inclusive

Having grown up in a military oriented family, I have always been inspired to pursue a career in aviation. More specifically, a career in the military, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to join the Air Cadets for the aviation experience. I joined in 2019, at the age of 12, eager to learn more about aviation and to have the chance of flying myself when I turned 13. Throughout my cadet years I gained multiple qualifications including Advanced First Aid, Method of Instru

Written by Kate Lenny This week marks Women in Aviation week (WIAW) 2024, this is an opportunity to highlight the global gender imbalance within the air and space industry and to encourage girls and women of all backgrounds into aviation. Globally, women make up less than 5% of pilots and 2% of aircraft maintenance technicians, this trend is seen throughout the air and space industry. Up until the mid-1960s, women were actively excluded from the industry and until recently

by Kate Lenny. Grants and student loans have been fundamental to the access of higher education in the UK since the 1960’s. The UK’s student loan system has created endless success stories by facilitating students from low-income backgrounds access to higher education. The student loan company provides low interest, government backed loans that allow students to pursue almost any career, but not a pilot. Commercial flight training in the UK costs within the range of £60,0