Dreaming of the Flight Deck? A South African Pilot shares her advice

• Charné Steyn emphasises decision-making and teamwork as crucial piloting skills alongside technical ability
• Aviation requires resilience, especially for women in this traditionally male-dominated industry
• Steyn advises aspiring pilots to research funding options and seek mentorship for success
• Briefly News writer Gloria Masia spoke to South African female pilot Pallavee Appigaddo, who shared advice for people who dream of becoming pilots but worry they have started too late

Charné Steyn, First Officer on Global Airways' Airbus A320 fleet and pilot for LIFT with 16 years' aviation experience, says good decision-making, situational awareness, composure under pressure and strong teamwork are just as important as technical flying skills.

Qualities that matter most

When asked what skills a pilot requires, Steyn says people rarely see the psychological side of the job. "Good decision-making, situational awareness, staying calm under pressure and working well with your crew are just as important as flying the aircraft.” She also lists balance, persistence, humility and attention to detail as critical personality traits, noting that the career is as much about working with people as it is about flying an aircraft.

"Aviation is a team sport," she says. "Bringing together the flying, procedures and coordination so everything works seamlessly is incredibly rewarding. Some of the toughest days of my career are also my favourite memories because I shared them with exceptional crews."

“I feel women are generally very situationally aware and have good emotional intelligence - both valuable qualities in this line of work,” she says. But strong organisational skills are a must too, “there’s a significant amount of preparation behind the scenes between the flight deck crew and about 10 other departments and service providers,” she explains. “Being able to follow procedures, be organised and multitask are other attributes that would be advantageous,” she adds.

A woman’s resilience

“It would be remiss of me not to include resilience as a required attribute for being a pilot, especially as a woman. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive. For the most part, I'm simply a pilot doing my job. Like many women in traditionally male-dominated industries, I've occasionally encountered inappropriate behaviour or people who were uncomfortable with me because I am a woman. Those moments have been the exception rather than the rule, and over time I've learnt either to address them professionally or recognise they often reflect the other person rather than me.

The overwhelming majority of my colleagues, especially everyone at LIFT and Global Airways, are supportive, inclusive, respectful and an absolute joy to work with. Still, I list being resilient as a key quality, because apart from women being less common in this field, becoming a pilot in general is not a walk in the park. It requires persistence and sacrifice.”

A day in the life of…

Steyn explains that as a First Officer, she works alongside the Captain to operate the aircraft safely and efficiently. “Every flight starts long before passengers board. We review weather, aircraft performance, operational information and regulations, complete all the necessary checks and calculations, and prepare the aircraft for departure. Once everyone is on board, our focus shifts to getting everyone to their destination safely, comfortably and on time.

Flexibility and being comfortable with a changing schedule are also key. “No two days are exactly the same. Some mornings begin before sunrise, while others finish late at night, but a typical day involves two or three flights.”

Practical advice for aspiring pilots

“Do the research. It can save you thousands of rands and a lot of frustration,” Steyn suggests. “Reach out to women who are in the industry, attend aviation events and make use of the online communities that are happy to share advice and experience.”

“One of my biggest early challenges was financial. I worked while training, completed my licences part-time and relied on a student loan to make it possible. Large loans can become a big liability so I always maintained strict discipline with my finances.” She notes that several funding options exist, including student loans, “not many people are aware that Standard Bank offers student loans for commercial pilot training, and that made a huge difference for me.”

She advises applicants to find a mentor and trust those who are supportive of their dreams. “My parents always believed in me, and that gave me a strong foundation. Early in my career I was also fortunate to meet several women in aviation who became mentors and role models. One in particular was the Head of Training who interviewed me for my first commercial flying job. I don’t think she realises how much of an impact she had in contributing to the positive aspects of my career.”

“Most importantly, don’t let the journey intimidate you. Every pilot starts exactly where you are and if you don’t like something, address it professionally or find an alternate route to keep at it,” she adds.

Trust the journey

Looking back on her own journey, Steyn reflects: “It took me three years to complete my Commercial Pilot Licence, after which I spent ten years flying at a regional airline. I freelanced for two years, during which I flew as a passenger on LIFT, with my dog. I was intrigued enough to apply to work at Global Airways to fly for LIFT, and the rest, as they say, is history. I joined Global Airways a few months later in pursuit of a better quality of life and I found it!”

“Working at Global Airways and LIFT has given me something I value enormously: balance. The schedule allows me to have a fulfilling life outside of flying, which is something I appreciate more as I’ve progressed in my career. Most importantly, I’ve been surrounded by genuinely wonderful colleagues. My career has never been only about the aircraft or the uniform. It has always been about the people I get to share the journey with.”

While she continues working towards further studies and new professional goals, her advice to young women remains simple: trust the journey, keep learning and don’t let the path intimidate you.

Appigaddo told Briefly News writer Gloria Masia that aspiring pilots often compare themselves to people who started flying as teenagers, but everyone’s aviation journey happens at a different pace.

“I definitely think there’s this idea that if you want to become a pilot, you need to start young. We see people who started flying at 16 or 17 and I think naturally you start comparing yourself and feeling like you’re already behind. But aviation has taught me that everyone’s journey is so different. Some people take two years to get where they want to be, others take ten. Life happens in between, and that doesn’t mean the dream has expired.”

She acknowledged that starting later can come with financial, family and career responsibilities, but said self-doubt and comparing your journey to someone else’s can be among the biggest obstacles.

“I think starting later definitely comes with different challenges. You might have a family, a career, financial responsibilities, and aviation training itself is expensive and takes a lot of commitment. There are also the medical and licensing requirements to consider. But I honestly think one of the biggest challenges can be your own mindset, convincing yourself that you haven’t missed your chance because you’re comparing your timeline to someone else’s.”

Appigaddo encouraged people who have always wanted to fly to take the first step without feeling pressured to completely change their lives immediately. She also stressed that aviation can mean different things depending on a person’s goals.

“I would say just start. Even if that first step is going to a flight school, asking questions or booking an introductory flight. You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow and completely change your life. Just find out what’s possible for you. One thing I’ve learnt through my own journey in aviation is that things very rarely happen according to the timeline you imagined for yourself. I’ve had delays, setbacks and moments where my own journey looked completely different from the people around me. But you keep going."

And also, becoming an airline pilot isn’t the only way to have aviation in your life. You can learn to fly because you’ve always wanted to, fly recreationally, own or build an aircraft, or make it a career. If flying has been a dream of yours for 20 or 30 years, I actually think that’s even more reason to finally give yourself the chance to do it. You’re going to get older anyway… you might as well get older having done the thing you always dreamed about.”

Source: Briefly News