There are very few female pilots in Kazakhstan, and only one female captain, 28-year-old Diana Ibraeva.
According to the International Association of Women Pilots (ISA), only 3% of all civil aviation pilots are women. There are about 130,000 female pilots working worldwide. India has the highest number of female pilots, accounting for 13% of the total number of pilots. In Kazakhstan, the number of women in the aviation sector is still low, and the country's only female captain now serves SCAT Airlines.
Diana, 28, is a beautiful young girl, and almost everyone who sees her on the street has a hard time imagining that she can actually drive a huge Boeing 737. This girl has had a dream of flying since she was a child. Although her family were all doctors and not a single pilot, she was the first and only girl in her family to be admitted to the Civil Aviation Academy.
"Yes, my friends were surprised by my choice. I learned to fly an airplane earlier than I learned to drive. It's also a theoretical, practical, and empirical accumulation, but there are more buttons on the plane, and the first time you enter the cabin, you feel dazzled. But when you get to know these buttons, the levers, and what they're used for, you're relaxed and fearless," Diana said.
Diana recalls her first flying practice, flying a small plane. According to her, she was very nervous. The cockpit was hot and bumpy, but the young female pilot had to complete her task.
"Nervous, flustered, because in the air is not just showing movement, but understanding the task and completing what needs to be done in flight." If your theoretical knowledge can reach five points on the ground, then there are only two points left in the air. However, when you experience and experience the whole flight process first-hand, you will become more and more confident. In flight training, we learn basic piloting techniques and understand the physics of airplanes flying in the air. After a lot of flight training, it is now possible to sit in the cockpit of a large aircraft," Diana added.
A month ago, diana took another step forward after completing 2,800 hours of flights as co-captain — becoming a captain. To become a captain, she must pass a theory exam, train on a simulator and pass a standard test. The relevant documents are then sent to the Civil Aviation Commission for subsequent licensing.
Diana's first flight as captain was "Shymkent-Almaty". Now, she is flying international flights that often fly to Moscow and Istanbul.
"As a captain, you have a great responsibility to first consider the safety of the passengers, but also to consider their comfort, such as whether the cabin is bumpy and whether the temperature is moderate," Diana said.
Diana said there is no prejudice against female pilots in the aviation sector. Colleagues are well aware that they have the same workload as others and do not have special care for women. They were selected the same and given the same tasks.
According to Diana, the company nominated her as a captain candidate after a difficult selection. She was tested to simulate the theoretical knowledge, skills and, most importantly, the ability to make important decisions in critical situations.
At first, Diana said, she was also worried that passengers would be nervous or even refuse to fly when they found out the captain was female. However, many people are just surprised, and some passengers will convey good wishes for good luck and further career development to her through the flight attendant after the plane lands.
Diana is now married, and her husband is a pilot for another airline. She met her husband at the Civil Aviation Academy. She joked that if she hadn't met him during her studies, she might still be unmarried because the pilot had very little free time.
"After having children, I think I will take a short maternity leave, but I will definitely return to the sky afterwards." I can't imagine life without flying," Diana added.
Source: Tengger News Network
Compiler: Zoya
For more information about Kazakhstan, please pay attention to the WeChat public account of Silk Road New Observation.