Women fly to new heights

The South African Cabin Crew Association celebrated their fifth National Aviation Gender Summit on Wednesday, with this year being the first in KwaZulu-Natal.

The summit embodied their success of driving forward the narrative of women being present in the aviation field.

Among the many present at the event, was 35-year-old pilot and instructor Kaela Okafor, who is also the owner of Paramount Aviation Academy in Mahikeng in the North West province.

She said that her dream of becoming a pilot was formed a child during a traumatic event.

“When I was 10, I was involved in a car accident with my mum and I was airlifted from the rural area that I lived in to the hospital. It’s something that stuck with me, because I thought, wow you can do this?

“It was cemented by the fact that my parents always say, you could have died but that aircraft saved you.”

Up until now, Okafor sees an aircraft as a form of safety and a way of helping others.

“Rural countries, those who cannot get food or healthcare, have them airlifted to them. It is a convenient source of safety and life saving.”

She started at 19, and it took her six months to receive her first pilot (private pilot) licence. The second licence takes 18 months, and at the end of two years she was a qualified commercial pilot including completing her 1 500 mandatory hours to become an airline pilot.

“Commercial to airline pilots, can also become instructors such as myself. I fly local, like Johannesburg and other areas as a way to instruct the student pilots.

“I have a passion for females to become pilots because I remember how hard it was for me to become one. I was discouraged many times, it was so bad that I could not become a pilot eventually.

“But that first solo flight is indescribable, I remember feeling the world around me, and it all felt worth it.”

She said she still goes through men dominating in the piloting industry but moreover, she faces racism more often than sexism.

“I face racial issues where I would have to explain myself two times more than someone who isn’t of colour. It becomes difficult. Although on the gender front, I am seeing the gap being filled but we as a country are not doing enough.

“Aviation and becoming a pilot is expensive and the resources are lacking. The young females don’t have the funds, we need to offer more to those who need it,” said Okafor.

Lisa Mahlaba, 19 and Sesiphi Mantumbo, 21, from the Eastern Cape, who are both student pilots at Focus Air at Virginia Airport in KwaZulu-Natal, have only been in the programme for a year.

“Aviation chose me, I found it interesting and fun, there was so much to see. It is not hard to get into the institution but it is hard to get funds to attend, it is an expected field to get into. When I become a pilot, I want to be a pilot on Air Emirates and travel the world.

“I love seeing how aviation is becoming more gender accepting because in school we have more females in our class than males,” said Mahlaba.

Mantumbo said that although her family is supportive of her dream, the dream took two years to fulfil because of the lack of funds.

“It was a childhood dream of mine to be on a plane, I didn’t see planes fly over my home in the rural area. It was something out of the ordinary. So when I first saw a plane, I fell in love.

“Even Though it was difficult to get started, it is a great opportunity for women to become pilots, and I can’t wait to start flying and making women proud,” said Mantumbo.

The summit also hosted Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who said he is excited to see women in aviation.

“So far there is a 50/50 participation of women in various spaces in the aviation sector. Of 25 000 personnel, we are currently at 5 000 women participation and there are commitments from the aviation sector.”

He said the growing aviation sector is vital in the growth of job empowerment in South Africa. However, he underlined the importance of this summit to show the transformation of the aviation sector, by gender inclusivity.

“We need to be able to work together, to make meaningful contributions to the changes that will be required to make aviation policies. These incentives need to take place in order for us to make an aviation policy that is coherent, up to date and futuristic for all,” said Hlengwa.