Page 25 - InterPilot 2020 Issue 1
P. 25
PAGE 25
Voice of the
FemalePilots
Members of IFALPA’s Female Pilots’ Working Group (FPWG)
share experience & insight
Interview with Senior First Officer Claire Ross, Captain Meredith Bell,
& First Officer Andrea Brezonakova
Tell us a little bit of your aviation backstory; when Once qualified I flew the Dash-8 Q400 on a variety
did you know you wanted to fly? How did you go of routes around the UK and Europe, spending
about realising your goal? What were some of the time based in both Manchester and Belfast. This
challenges you faced? proved to be great flying experience, often with
multi-sector days and in challenging conditions.
Senior First Officer Claire Ross I am very appreciative of the excellent training
When I was 14 years old I joined the Royal Air provided by flybe and this role provided me with a
Force Air Training Cadets in the UK and I had the great foundation.
opportunity to experience aerobatics for the first
time in a Grob Tutor. I quickly had the flying bug It was at this point in my life when I met my pilot
and told my parents that I wanted to be a Pilot! I husband, Tom, and after a few fun years flying
had no family history in aviation and so it was up turboprops, occasionally together, we both
to myself and the guiding advice of my parents to moved companies to fly the Boeing 757 for jet2.
lead me in the right direction. com in Leeds. At both airlines I took on a ground
training role, teaching in fixed based sims on initial
I completed a Master’s Degree in Aerospace type ratings and recurrent technical training. I am
Engineering with Pilot studies and at the same currently flying for holiday airline TUI Airways
time continued to fly both civil aircraft at my on the Boeing 757 and the Boeing 767 based
local airfield in Liverpool, as well as military in Manchester, operating to a variety of leisure
aircraft with the Liverpool University Air Squadron destinations. The work is varied and exciting, and
predominantly at RAF Woodvale. It was at this point it is a friendly and professional airline with good
in my career that I decided to apply to the Royal career prospects. For example, I expect to be flying
Air Force to become a Military Pilot. Unfortunately, the Boeing 787 next year to some more exotic
due to a very minor previous medical problem as holiday destinations further afield!
a child, my dream was shattered, and I was told I
was unable to join as a Pilot. I was disheartened It has been a rollercoaster of a ride so far in my
at first as financially I couldn’t afford to train as short 10 year career but I am excited for what the
a Commercial Pilot, but after a lot of research I future brings. The hardest challenge for me was
gained a place on a part-sponsored flying course trying to find the right guidance to enable me to
with regional British airline flybe. I went on to fulfil my dream of becoming a Pilot and it would
complete the first ever UK Multi Crew Pilots License be great to see more young females being inspired
(MPL) in conjunction with flybe and Flight Training to do this exciting and rewarding career.
Europe in Jerez, in sunny Spain.
