Life as an EasyJet Captain: My Aviation Journey

Can you talk about your aviation experience to date?

When I was 6 years old I knew I wanted to become a pilot. It was what you can call a little girls’ dream and I had my mind set on it. So I made it happen. Flight school wasn’t without struggle, I absolutely despised it and couldn’t find my mojo both in ground school and flying single engine aircraft in Portugal. It wasn’t my thing. Looking back now it is a miracle I finished it. I don’t think I would have if it wasn’t for my mum’s endless support of me. She has always been my biggest fan and critic. 

I really only started to love flying once I started my first commercial job as a first officer on the Dash 8-300. Flying a turboprop all over Spain for two years was absolutely magical. I was a based in Barcelona and practically lived on the beach in Sitges, by myself. Without that job I don’t think I would feel the same way about aviation as I do now. It was one of my finest adventures and it was a shame it had to come to an end. I left just before they went bust. I Packed up my house and drove to Greece, where I had been offered a job as an fo on the dash 8 -100 and dash 8 Q400. Greece was difficult at times. There was a massive cultural difference that didn’t always make my job easy.

Especially being a girl. It taught me some big life lessons though, the most important being that men and women are not the same. We are very very different. Yes, we can do the same job. Yes we can be just as good as men. At times better. But we are different. There is no competition, ever. If we stand in our own power we can do magical things. That mindset still is very much with me today. I notice that it makes everything so much easier. It made that I can be me, always. In my private life and in my job. The older I get, the less I care what a man might think about me in my job. I laugh about silly passenger jokes , often louder than they deserve. 

I stayed in Greece for 5 years. I didn’t want to fly turboprops for the rest of my life and needed to make some big changes in my personal life. Easyjet was hiring Senior First Officers for the first time in a long while and I went for it like there was no tomorrow. The day I got the phone call that I got the job, I will never forget. I packed up my home, and left for the UK on the 1st of January 2014. 

The UK was very much different. Easyjet felt like a warm bath. Five years after starting there, I became a captain. My journey was followed by many on ‘ITV Inside the cockpit’. I am now proud to say I am a confident captain. One that adores her job. SO much. 

What is your favourite part of the job?

Now I would say; Flying at night, watching the world go by. I also love the occasional night stop. Doing new things, meeting new people, eating all the local food. I have this massive drive to live life to the fullest and my job gives me the opportunity to do just that. 

How did you find the transition from First Officer to Captain

I found it hard. Using my left hand initially took up a lot of headspace and looking back at the tv show I can see the struggle very much. I also had massive imposter syndrome. I had to dig deep to get confident, that is what it was all about. I was a new mum, was in between houses. That part doesn’t get shown. I failed my final command sim and was advised to just chill. Close the books. Believe in yourself, like everyone else did. That was the best advice ever given. I chilled, as much as you can under these circumstances, and did it. I made it a success story. One that I am very proud of. 

Can you talk about your appearance on easyJet's: Inside the Cockpit? (How did you get involved, what it was like flying with camera's during flights)

I loved it. It was intense, being followed during the command process, but also a lot of fun. The cameras in the flight deck where just there and didn’t intervene with normal flying at all. You get used to those really quickly.  The rest was a tad hectic.

The tv show brought me great things. I was interviewed by Glamour magazine, newspapers. I got to be on ITV This morning. I was asked to do it and immediately said yes. I love an adventure and this was a big one. Watching the episodes back, makes me smile. I very much see me, who I really am. They captured me so well. I guess that is what I was most afraid of, that it wouldn’t be natural and it would be edited badly. But no, they did an amazing job of showing who I really am and showing my journey. 

How do you balance family life and flying?

That is forever a struggle. An internal struggle mostly. As I am writing this I haven’t seen the kids for 5 days. I come in late and they leave for school early. I could bid for earlies but I am very much not a morning person and can’t perform at my best if I wake up at 2 am. Coming back home then at 11 am, I am not in the right headspace to be the best mother I can be. I try to do everything in my life with 100% dedication and passion, and that comes with sacrifices and choices.

Having trying to balance it for years now I can see the fruits of my labour very clearly though. I can confidently say I am good at my job and I am a good mum. My kids are happy, solid little people. I am not always physically there but I am there for them. Always. I’m consistent in my love for them and my communication to them. They know they can count on me, no matter what the circumstances. I will show up for them when they need me. That doesn’t mean it is always easy, quite the opposite. But it works. 

What is your favourite aviation memory?

After 17 years of commercial flying, my memories are very much a collective of special places, special people. I am a very upbeat positive person and come into work every day with the best intentions and an open mindset. That often leads to lovely days out with some very interesting people. From Spain and Greece , my memories are mostly of long nights sitting on tables with colleagues and strangers. Eating drinking, chatting and then flying with the most amazing views. I have collected very special people in every country I lived in. Some people who I haven’t spoken to in years, some come in and out of my life. All have a special place in my heart. They are my aviation memories. In the UK I found my gang too, making the best memories as I go along

What advice would you give to someone starting their first airline job?

It’s not always easy. It is ok to fail at times. You lick your wounds, you get up and you do it again. Share your failures, make other people learn from them. If you want something really badly, go get it. Don’t care about the others. The others are not living your life. The only competition you will ever be in is with yourself. Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. Everyone’s journey is unique. Mine sure has been, but man have I enjoyed it so far. For the girlies; go get it. You do you. Who cares what Chad in row 14 thinks. Go show yourself what you are made of. 

What are your plans for the future?

I would love to stay with Easyjet and do some simulator work eventually. At the moment life is very full on and I am taking it about one day at the time. I am a bit more relaxed now about the future. Life is short. What will be will be. I am just going with the stream and see where it leads me. While collecting people and memories along the way. 

Written by @iris.thepilot - Instagram