18022020

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
SMS only: 08088693107
Email: ebellistic@yahoo.co.uk
Flying , for me, isn't a job but a way of life
—Mary Ombugadu
By Ebele Orakpo
Mary Abye Ombugadu
is a commercial pilot,
one of the few Nigerian female
pilots, and the very first
female pilot from Nasarawa
State, North-Central Nigeria.
In this chat with Vanguard,
Mary who works for a
corporate airline, providing
scheduled and charter services
across Nigeria, speaks on her
life as a pilot, working in a
male-dominated field, among
other issues.
Excerpts:
Educational background
After my primary education at
Eliztor Private School, Barkin
Ladi, Plateau State, I went on
to St. Louis College, Jos, also
in Plateau State for my
secondary school education.
Thereafter, I enrolled into the
Standard Pilot course, SP-25 at
the prestigious and foremost
Nigerian College of Aviation
Technology, Zaria, Kaduna
State. I also went for further
training in the Finnish Aviation
Academy, Finland; Flight
Safety in the USA; South Africa
and CAE in the UK.
What made you decide to
become a pilot?
I like to say flying chose or
found me. Growing up and
watching my father have a
remarkable career as an
engineer, all I wanted to be was
an engineer.
I had wanted to apply for an
engineering course when my
mother picked up my form from
the Aviation College but
because there was no
engineering course selection
exercise scheduled at the time,
I was advised to try the
Standard Pilot Course exam
and I did. I was selected, I went
for the week-long medicals and
evaluation exercise, got the
admission and here we are
today.
What was it like training and
working in a male-dominated
environment?
Training was very exciting, I
was going into something I
hadn’t dreamed of but the
opportunity availed itself and
I caught the flying dream right
after resuming as a flying
student. I made up my mind to
give it my all and excel.
No bias
There was no bias
whatsoever. We all wore the
same uniform, black pants,
white shirts, black ties, and the
school provided the same
schoolbags. We were given
•Mary Abye Ombugadu...We live in a world of opportunities and infinite supply; the only
limit to what you can achieve is you
equal opportunity and I didn’t
feel less simply because I am
female as much as there were
more males than females.
Coming into the industry fresh
from school, I didn’t know what
to expect but all the men I have
come across so far are
encouraging, supportive and I
am grateful. I see everyone at
work first as a colleague whom
I need to work with to achieve
a common goal, irrespective of
gender. There may be conflict
of interest at some point and
that comes with living and
sharing the world with other
humans.
What have been the high
points and low points of your
career so far?
High points for me have
always been passing my check
rides, the adrenaline rush I get
when the check airman debriefs
me and says I passed, is heartwarming,
not like I ever
imagine otherwise though.
Another one is when the
esteemed passengers say
Thank you to show their
satisfaction, because I believe
in giving them more value than
they paid for. Low point I
remember was after I
graduated, and was told at a
job interview that I didn’t have
High points for
me have always
been passing my
check rides, the
adrenaline rush
I get when the
check airman
debriefs me and
says I passed, is
heart-warming;
another one is
when the
esteemed
passengers say
Thank you to
show their
satisfaction
the minimum experience
required for their kind of
operation, and I wondered
“how do I get any experience
if you do not employ me?” That
did not deter me, I kept
applying to airlines and
general aviation flyers until I
got my first job.
What’s a typical day at work
like?
I work with a corporate airline
at the moment. You show up
ready and fit, report at the
operations control center where
your flight dispatcher gives you
all relevant information
pertaining your flight, from
weather to serviceability of your
aircraft, to any route changes,
and gives you a briefing pack
containing all the paper work.
The captain briefs the entire
team also. You then proceed to
your aircraft, do your external
and internal checks; set up the
aircraft and ensure the cabin is
comfortable and ready. Checks
are done by professional cabin
crew.
You call for boarding of your
esteemed passengers, fly the
aircraft safely and efficiently
from point A to point B, and
repeat again until you have
completed your assigned
flights for the day.
I promise you, no two flights
are the same even if you fly
between Abuja and Lagos six
times a day, that makes each
trip unique and exciting.
What was the biggest
challenge you faced in your
career?
It is unfavourable weather
condition. That was my biggest
challenge in flying school
because when you are ready
for a check ride and is
grounded for a couple of days
due to bad weather, it almost
always meant you would do a
review flight with your flying
instructor before eventually
going because it is believed that
the waiting may have gotten
you rusty so this extends your
training period. However, I
overcame that by using the
waiting period to study my
course handbooks.
Have you ever felt like
quitting and why?
Since the first day I started
line flying in school, I told
myself there is no going back.
Some of the flight training
exercises were tougher than
others but we had a chance to
repeat before moving onto the
next.
I have never felt like quitting.
Thankfully, my instructor,
Instructor Shettima Abba Jato,
was very kind and patient.
What has kept you going?
I have come to love and
enjoy flying, it is not just a job
but a way of life for me. I intend
flying until retirement. I
suppose my ever growing
passion for what I do has kept
me going.
How long have you been
flying?
I have been in the commercial
aviation industry for six years
now and counting.
What is your philosophy of
life?
I believe one can be anything
he wants and achieve all his
dreams. You just have to decide
what you want early in life, go
for it and you can have it. I also
believe it is never too late to
start over again if you fall out
of love with what you are
doing currently.
This world is full of
opportunities. You own your
vision, so don't get upset when
people don't see things your
way. Explain to them patiently
and help them to understand
so they can invest in you.
Again,you cannot change
where you have been (the
past), but you can change
where you are going (the
future).
Advice to young ladies
To all the young ladies out
there, yes, you can. We live in
a world of opportunities and
infinite supply. The only limit
to what you can achieve is you.
There are different career
opportunities in the aviation
industry for pilots, from airline
to general aviation. After your
initial flight training, you
decide early what you want out
of it and go on to have a
rewarding and fulfilling career.