Talk: Careers in Aviation

On Thursday 3 October, pupils attended a talk on ‘Careers in Aviation’.

Many who attended were interested in becoming a pilot, although the talk included working in engineering and in cabin crew. Captain Maria Pernia-Digings (pilot, EasyJet) gave a fascinating talk about her time as a Captain, and her career to date. She was especially keen to talk to girls as there are only a few female pilots out there!

Captain Maria Pernia-Digings was born in Spain and came to England to learn to fly. She gained her private pilot’s licence in 1989 and her commercial licence in 1991. Her first job was as flight instructor on light aircraft and then she joined the airline world, flying cargo and passengers on turboprops and jet aircraft. She joined EasyJet sixteen years ago and she has been a Captain for thirteen years. She loves flying and says she has the best views in the world from her office when she is at work! Ms Catarina Goncalves joined her, as cabin crew. She talked openly about her love of the job and her desire to move forward in this profession.

It was especially helpful to learn about the qualification routes, and to hear about the Amy Johnson initiative, which aims to tackle an industry-wide stereotype and double the number of new female pilot recruits to easyJet. Pupils asked wonderful questions, from coping with the fear of heights, deciding between commercial and military routes into the job, and asking for tips in applying into this industry.