Aoife Duggan (right), pictured with her sister Cliodhna Duggan. Picture: Nick Morrish/British Airways
AOIFE Duggan, the first female pilot for British Airways, had a passion for flying from a young age and believes she truly landed a dream job.
Unfortunately, few are following in her footsteps — it’s still a rare thing to find a woman at the controls of a commercial jet. According to 2014 figures from the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, just 4000 of the world’s 130,000 airline pilots are women.
The first female commercial pilot was hired in 1934 and Helen Richey worked for the US-based Central Airlines. Closer to home, Deborah Lawrie was the first woman to become a pilot for a major Australian airline in 1979 after winning a discrimination case against Ansett who had claimed a woman’s menstrual cycle made her unsuitable to be a pilot.
To mark International Women’s Day and inspire more females to join her in the skies, mother-of-two Mrs Duggan has spoken about what it’s really like being a pilot and the most memorable moments of her career so far.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A PILOT?
“My mum started work in the airline industry at 18 and worked for over 20 years (Aer Lingus); my dad at the age of 39 was able to realise his dream of being a commercial pilot. My sister is also a pilot and flies the Boeing 777 and it was very natural for me to grow up with an interest in aviation and look at a career as a pilot.
“Today, I fly the Airbus A320 on short-haul flights for British Airways. It’s the only big aircraft that I operate.”
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PILOT?
“I have had a career in aviation for seven years, out of which I spent four years in Asia. I have completed three years now with British Airways.”
WHAT DID THE TRAINING INVOLVE?
“If you’re studying fulltime and following a fully integrated course, it takes around 18 months ... the courses usually have different modules and you first qualify for a private license before earning your commercial license.”
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK INVOLVE?
“There’s never a typical day at work as no two days are ever the same for us ... the main reason our days are never the same is that we have fly with different crew and passengers all the time.
“Sometimes it can be challenging especially if you end up flying with three different sets of crew in one day — it is something that happens when you fly short-haul routes. Additionally as we have a large Airbus fleet with British Airways you rarely ever fly with the same crew (colleagues).
“We check in at T5 (in Heathrow) one hour and 10 minutes before departure and the first thing I do when I arrive is log in to my computer. I then find the briefing rooms, print the necessary paper work, check the weather and view the runway schedules and check to see if the airports on the route assigned are opened or closed.
“Once we have reviewed all the paperwork we arrive at the aircraft at least 40 minutes before departure. There are security checks conducted with crew and the pre-flight set up. There is one done before and during passenger boarding and we cover both normal and emergency procedures.
“Sometimes we can end up repeating the briefings three times a day, at the max we work 14 hours straight and rotate between four pilots so you have time to sleep, rest and recover.”
WHAT’S ONE THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE A WOMAN?
“At one of my earlier jobs in another company — also as a pilot, we once had a male passenger on a flight from north Vietnam who didn’t want to fly as both the pilots on the day were female.
“He asked if any male pilots were joining the crew flying the aircraft as he refused to fly without a male pilot as part of the pilot crew. When he was told that no male pilots were joining and asked what he preferred, he decided to be offloaded and fly on a different flight!”
Aoife Duggan (on the left). Picture: Nick Morrish/British AirwaysSource:Supplied
WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO FEW FEMALE PILOTS?
“I believe it’s primarily due to a lack of awareness — this isn’t a field or career option that is often suggested or opened up as a choice to young women. I think both boys and girls should be made aware that a career as a pilot is available to all from a young age.
“Also if one would like to determine if they would like to pursue a career as a pilot, the best place to start is to take a trial flying lesson.”
DO YOU THINK MORE WOMEN ARE FLYING LATELY?
“Yes, even in Asia which is a more male oriented environment, more women are now pursuing a career in aviation — more specifically as pilot. British Airways does have the largest percentage of female pilots in Europe which is still only five per cent.”
HOW DOES BEING A PILOT IMPACT YOUR LIFESTYLE?
“With British Airways, we have a good system that allows us to have a balanced lifestyle, even one that has room to be a parent and have kids. We do get time at home and have a choice on long-haul or short-haul flights depending on our lifestyle requirements.”
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE VIEWS FROM THE PILOT’S SEAT?
“Well a personal favourite is Dublin — I love flying over the house I grew up in! Another favourite view is flying into London Heathrow — there are a few places in the world that you can fly over a city with all the tourist sites in view.”
Gibraltar Airport. Picture: Rob
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE ROUTES?
“I love the night stops in Vienna, Prague and Budapest. I do enjoy flying into Gibraltar as well however as it is a military controlled airfield (not a military landing) and it has a special approach that means only the captain can do the landing.”
AND YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS?
“Thailand, or cities in Europe. I do also love the beaches, the friendly locals and food in Barbados. At times I visit Singapore as well, having lived there for four years.”
AS SOMEONE WHO FLIES OFTEN, WHAT CAN WE FIND IN YOUR CARRY ON BAG?
“Lip balm for sure! I also like to snack on something healthy like fruits and nuts and you’ll definitely find that in my carry bag when I fly.”
DO YOU HAVE A FITNESS REGIME?
“Depending on which city I am, I look for a cycling track. I also make sure I visit the gym at hotel I stay at whenever I travel.”
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL AN ASPIRING PILOT?
“Your first airline job is usually a challenge, it takes time to understand and adopt each company’s procedures. Always behave like a professional and have a sense of pride in what you do.
“Before you choose a career as a pilot, take a flying lesson to understand if you have a passion for it. If you are self-sponsoring your course, know that it is both a financial commitment and a lifestyle choice.”
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