Breaking Barriers in Aviation and Aerospace

Nicola Winter joined the German Air Force in 2004, becoming the country’s second female fighter pilot, flying the Tornado and later instructing. In 2015, she was retrained on the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of only three women to do so.

After leaving military service in 2018 as a Major, she transitioned into management consulting, emergency medical service, and space research, while earning advanced degrees. In 2022, she was selected for the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve. 

Today, Nicola works as a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) pilot and is a bestselling author and keynote speaker.

What first sparked your interest in aviation?

When I was three years old, my parents took us on a vacation which was my first time on an airplane. It was so exciting to be in that big, busy airport and see those planes slowly and taxi around – when a minute later they takeoff and become this fast, elegant machine gliding through the sky. 

Years later, on another flight, I was allowed to be in the cockpit for over an hour (it was the 90’s). I saw snow-covered mountains from above, lakes and teeny-tiny villages. I fell in love. In the end, it’s always about exposure and access to the things that could be great for us.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a woman entering such a male-dominated field, and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, I never did mind the guys and got along really well. For decades I believed the lie that a group of women by themselves would only hate on each other. This is completely wrong. 

People disliked me or tried to bring me down by saying “oh, she is such a girl…” I chalked it up to them not liking me personally. If people don’t like me personally, I find it very self-empowering because it is something I can control. And I did give them ample reason not to like me – I was good at my job; I was outspoken and strong-minded. I didn’t take any shit from anyone (I still don’t). No matter if you are a man or a woman and people don’t like that. That’s fine with me – what was much more important for me is, that the people that work with me directly and especially the ones working for me, thought I did an excellent job. That I was reliable, trustworthy and fair.

Growing up means learning that not everyone has to like you- it's an impossible, unworthy goal and you owe no one a justification. I am happy to explain what for and why, but I never justify myself.

What advice would you give to young women who dream of flying, becoming astronauts, or entering other STEM or military fields? 

Just do it. Don’t overthink it, don’t ask outsiders about their opinions – especially your parents. It is your parent's job to worry about you, let them do that.

My steadfast rule in life is that I only ever ask input from people that are, where I want to be. Everyone is driven by their own desires, fears and limitations and they do not hesitate to impose those on you. And in the end, if you want to do pioneering work, you have to figure it out yourself. The way to do that is to take one step in the right direction. Just one random one. And then figure out the next step from there.

I became an astronaut by looking at the requirements from the ESA 2009 selection, missing 3 out of 4. I just started ticking them off one by one (it took years, but life is long).

Have you noticed a cultural shift in aviation or aerospace over the years when it comes to gender equality? What changes do you think still need to happen?

Unfortunately, I must admit, I have seen very little change. Female pilots, especially in non-airline jobs but even in those, are still considered special and it’s annoying. 

When I started flying more than twenty years ago, I really thought, “Oh, just a few more years and it will be totally normalized” but we are not even close. 

My prediction is that we need about 30% of pilots to be women for it not to be an issue anymore. And that’s a really important push – for the industry to have enough pilots (especially in HEMS operations and other critical areas). And for flight safety, because overall, I think women just are better pilots. Some people will squirm and squeal at that- but if someone said that about male pilots, it wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. 

With so many accomplishments under your belt, what keeps you motivated to keep pushing boundaries?

I’ve never done anything to achieve an accomplishment. I did it because I liked it and I thought it was going to be fun- and I’ve had a lot of fun! 

It has been one heck of a privileged ride. Recently, I have slowed down and am currently focusing on my family. But I do work full-time as a rescue helicopter pilot which I enjoy tremendously … and maybe, maybe I’ll finish my PhD on the side (just for fun really, because I like it).

What’s next for you, and how do you hope to continue inspiring others through your work?

Inspiring others was never my goal, but it’s a positive side effect of the things I do, it makes me happy, but I don’t chase it. 

So, for the future, I am working on becoming the best helicopter pilot I can be, and I would love to get into mountain rescue. If I get my PhD done, I will really enjoy teaching the next generation of engineers how to build better aircraft.