“Oh, and I’m going to be a Pilot”

Nailed it!

“I’ve passed my driving test! Oh, and I got a place to study aviation – I’m going to be a Pilot!”

Written by Cec Richards

Those are the words that Amelia greeted me with when we met for the first time this summer (2021), bumping into each other by chance parking to go to a concert. To be precise, she’d just had an offer to study Aviation Operations with Commercial Pilot Training.  Excited? No, Supercharged. 

 I listened as she explained what happens in years 1 and 2 and then got goose bumps as she then outlined the 3rd year.  “I’ll be on placement at an international airport abroad” and reeled off locations as far afield as Florida.  I felt so proud of her, almost as if I got the place.  Another young black woman who’s passion and dream was probably way beyond the ‘get a job, keep a job’ limits that so many others are guided towards by teachers and careers advisors.

“Seeing those two, having that meeting with those two pilots and hearing what they said to encourage me really boosted my confidence that I can do this. I that I can become successful as a Commercial Pilot.”

Now, this isn’t to say that Slenky was responsible for Amelia’s ‘shot’. No, Amelia was already passionate about flying but she had a few doubts. She wasn’t sure whether or not there was a place for her in the industry, but take a look at the video interview with Captain Adrian Broome and First Officer Aaron Black and hear some of the gems they delivered.

“Seeing those two, having that meeting with those two pilots and hearing what they said to encourage me really boosted my confidence that I can do this. I that I can become successful as a Commercial Pilot.”

 My dream.  To board a flight one day and hear the announcement… “Welcome aboard.  I’m Captain Amelia …. and I’ll be your Pilot today..”

 Great stuff, Amelia – Take Your Shot.