Jessie Georg, Pilot
What is your Job?
I’m a commercial pilot, and a flight instructor. What this means is that I can teach someone how to be a pilot, all the way from day one and the first time ever being in a plane, through the first time you go solo in a plane, to getting your own commercial pilot license!
What does a normal day look like for you?
One of the many joys of being a pilot is that no days are really alike, but generally as a flying instructor I would have a mix of theory and practical flying days. So I might come in and start the day with briefing a student, talking about the theory and how that relates to an upcoming flight, and then I might go and do that flight with them afterwards. Or I may have to go off and teach a completely different flight altogether. I find that usually I would have 2 or 3 flights in a day, with a theory briefing in there somewhere. One of the fun aspects of instructing is that every lesson is completely different, even if you are teaching the same thing to 2 different students! It can be pretty tiring but also very rewarding at the end of the day
Crazy story from work?
One day I was flying with a student, when shortly after take-off I had a possible engine failure, in a plane that only has one engine. My options were to either try to land on a busy road or motorway, or to carry out a risky manoeuvre and turn around and land on the runway I had just taken off from. I decided that the roads were too busy with cars to be a safe option, so I turned around and headed back towards the runway I had just taken off from. Thanks to having practiced this manoeuvre during my training in New Zealand, and a solid understanding of the theory of what I needed to do, I was able to safely conduct this turn around and land on the runway in the opposite direction. Air Traffic Control was amazing at getting everyone out of my way when I called “Mayday” on the radio, which was a very surreal experience!
What is your favourite part of the job?
I love being able to disconnect from daily life and go up in the air where the only thing that matters, is the experience of flying. No more stress or dramas, just flying. Also the challenge of landing is pretty fun too!
How did you get to where you are today?
Everyone has a different journey through aviation, and mine is no different. I started flight training straight after finishing high school. After a couple years of training I gained my commercial license, at which point the job market for pilots became nonexistent. So I went off and looked for other work within aviation. I worked at Auckland Airport working behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly, including using the thousands of CCTV cameras. From there I moved into 000 calltaking for the ambulance, and learning about emergency medicine, which is still a passion of mine! After that I re-entered the industry, working for the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, making sure that the skies over New Zealand were safe. After 5 years, I found myself in a position where I could train to become a Flight Instructor in Sydney, so I jumped at the opportunity, and after doing that for 4 years, here I am today!
What qualifications do you need to apply for your job?
Ultimately, all you need is a real and deep passion for aviation and wanting to fly. Anything else can be learnt, if you are motivated to do so.
What character qualities do you think suit this position?
Someone who is passionate. Being interested in science or maths will help, but is by no means necessary. If you like structure in your life, that will also be useful too, but you still need to be able to think outside of the box sometimes too!
What is involved in the training for your job or for the qualification you gained to get your job?
So to be a pilot, there is a mix of theory, and practical. The theory is really important to help you understand the fun stuff – which is the hands on flying!
If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
Be yourself, and have patience. Aviation will always be there, when the time is right
What advice would you give younger girls wanting to start a career in Aviation?
Go for it! Back yourselves, and believe in yourself. There are plenty of people who think that women can’t succeed in aviation, but we are all living proof that we are just as good, if not better!
Inspiration and personal insights:
“Every mistake is a lesson that you didn’t set out to learn”
“There are two things you can control. Your attitude, and your effort.”
“One other thing of note is that during my time at flight school I came out as LGBT+, which back in 2009 was exceptionally isolating. I didn’t know a single other person within aviation who was a part of the community, and that continued right through until recently. The industry has grown, although it is still very socially conservative in some ways which can prove challenging. Ultimately, all that matters is that you live the life you want to live and be who you are, and if someone has a problem with that, then that is their problem, not yours! I hope that by being visible, others can see that they are not alone in the industry, and there are indeed other LGBT+ pilots out there and we are just as successful as everyone else!”
