Female Easyjet captain at 26

Female Easyjet captain at 26

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Discussion

hornetrider

Original Poster:

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Fair play to her, what a great achievement clap

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3806882/Th...

Also, flying with a 19 year old FO. That's the bit that surprises me with this story, didn't realise you could be a qualified Commercial pilot as young as 19.

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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In previous eras those ages would not have been exceptional. BEA and BOAC used to train their own pilots at Hamble and they usually started at 18 being ready to sit in a 1st Officers seat by 19 or 20.

If I recall, Jeremy Keighly, the 1st Officer on the ill fated Trident Pap India was only 22 at the time (1972).

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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That's actually pretty impressive. I always have a lot of respect for young people with so much determination to achieve their goals like that.

Wobbegong

15,077 posts

168 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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Excellent effort smile


Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Is it actually that impressive? If you're naturally good at whatever attributes are necessary to become a pilot, and you've got parents prepared to stump up the cost of the training school, then surely it's a breeze?

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Is it actually that impressive? If you're naturally good at whatever attributes are necessary to become a pilot, and you've got parents prepared to stump up the cost of the training school, then surely it's a breeze?
Aaaaaand it starts.

hornetrider

Original Poster:

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Is it actually that impressive? If you're naturally good at whatever attributes are necessary to become a pilot, and you've got parents prepared to stump up the cost of the training school, then surely it's a breeze?
Do regale us with your stellar career trajectory.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
"Powerfully built Director"

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Doesn't it cost upwards of £50,000+ to train as a commercial pilot ?

did she self fund ?

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
There's no way I had such a clear, focused and dedicated mindset in the ten or so years leading up to my 26th that would have enabled me to qualify as a commercial pilot.

Other PHers might be different of course and I expect they're all Top Gun, Richard Branson types now they're so much older and more experienced than this young woman.

Joey Ramone

2,150 posts

124 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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If it had been a 26 year old male pilot, this thread wouldn't even have been started

For some reason a female captain garners headlines. No idea why.

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Sheepshanks said:
Is it actually that impressive? If you're naturally good at whatever attributes are necessary to become a pilot, and you've got parents prepared to stump up the cost of the training school, then surely it's a breeze?
Do regale us with your stellar career trajectory.
I've flown planes and helicopters on corporate fun days - it didn't seem that hard. smile

OK, so I have no idea - I imagine the actual flying bit is the easy part.

It was a serious question; what's the practical difference from being a captain vs first officer vs pilot?

Eric Mc

121,779 posts

264 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
We live in an era where "arrested development" is the norm. Achieving something at the age of 26 now is the equivalent of achieving the same thing at around 20 40 years ago.

I qualified as an accountant at the age of 22 in 1980. That's because I trained under the old "Articled Clerk" system where training offices took on "trainees" straight out of A Level College (or the Irish equivalent in my case).

The vast bulk of people who qualify as accountants are approaching 30 these days. This is chiefly because of the intervening 4 to 5 years they spend at university which means that they are older when they start training for the job they want due to the delayed start.

Note I am not saying going to university is a waste of time. Far from it. I'd have loved to have gone to uni. However, it does mean that people do start professional training at an older age.

Wobbegong

15,077 posts

168 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
SystemParanoia said:
Doesn't it cost upwards of £50,000+ to train as a commercial pilot ?

did she self fund ?
I think it is £50-100k depending on the route taken and hours required.

If at the £50k end at least she has trained towards/shown capability in something worthwhile, unlike many her age who are leaving university with ridiculous debts and low chances of a decent job.

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
She joined the Air Cadets at 13 and was flying solo at 16. I was still trying to perfect rear wheel skids on my Raleigh Europa ten speed back then.

When did we start criticising young people for having determination? Shouldn't we be applauding and encouraging them?

hornetrider

Original Poster:

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Wobbegong said:
SystemParanoia said:
Doesn't it cost upwards of £50,000+ to train as a commercial pilot ?

did she self fund ?
I think it is £50-100k depending on the route taken and hours required.

If at the £50k end at least she has trained towards/shown capability in something worthwhile, unlike many her age who are leaving university with ridiculous debts and low chances of a decent job.
Although 50k sounds a lot (and it is) nowadays in the context of comparible cost of a university education - not so much. Tuition fees on a 3 year course will run to 27k.

Rubymurray

156 posts

130 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
I say good on her, as a pilot myself I know how hard she will have had to work to get where she is. Its a well known fact that the male:female ratio in the pilot community is heavily swayed our way so if this does anything to encourage more ladies to take up the profession then that can only be a good thing.

With the rate easyjet pilots rack up the hours I fully expect her 19yr old first officer will be in the papers in three years as the worlds youngest captain wink

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
I've flown planes and helicopters on corporate fun days - it didn't seem that hard. smile
AHahhahahahhahahahaahahahahahhahahhaahhahahahahahahahahahahaahahahah
  • gap to breath*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Wobbegong said:
SystemParanoia said:
Doesn't it cost upwards of £50,000+ to train as a commercial pilot ?

did she self fund ?
I think it is £50-100k depending on the route taken and hours required.

If at the £50k end at least she has trained towards/shown capability in something worthwhile, unlike many her age who are leaving university with ridiculous debts and low chances of a decent job.
Although 50k sounds a lot (and it is) nowadays in the context of comparible cost of a university education - not so much. Tuition fees on a 3 year course will run to 27k.
where does an ( assuming 3 years training ) 23yr old get their hands on £50-100k ?

i couldn't even get finance on a flippin Kia Picanto at that age

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
We live in an era where "arrested development" is the norm. Achieving something at the age of 26 now is the equivalent of achieving the same thing at around 20 40 years ago.
In many ways it seems the other way around to me. You used to have to "serve you time" or "wait your turn". Now people go to uni or complete a course and they're all set.