Philippine Airlines pilot Capt. Marie Geraldine Gamallo, 31, is one of the 25 Filipinas in the country who are certified for transcontinental jets, like the Airbus 330 and 340, although their number is quickly increasing.
Female pilots are rapidly increasing and earning their seats in the cockpit in the male-dominated airline industry with Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines records showing that there are now 25 certified woman pilots operating planes across the country in the first quarter of 2015.
The first to earn that distinction in the Philippines is Capt. Aimee Carandang, the country’s first female commercial pilot who became the first full-fledged captain of Philippine Airlines in 1993, CAAP said.
The demand for pilots around the world has continuously increasing through the years and the needs are felt even in the country.
For those who inspire to become a pilot will face many risks and is therefore rewarded for its prestige for taking command in the cockpit and matched with a promise of a good compensation.
But CAAP Assistant Director General-Flight Standard Inspectorate Service (FSIS) Capt. Beda Badiola noted that while the number of Filipina pilots is steadily growing, it is still small “percentage-wise” with only only less than 2% of total pilots in the country.
CAAP records show there are 2,605 commercial pilot license-holders, 91 helicopter pilots, 538 airline transport pilots, 66 multi-crew pilots, 46 private helicopter pilots, 2,769 private pilots, 4,074 student pilot license-holders and 68 student helicopter pilot license-grantees in the country.
“There are so many female aircraft captains as of now, such as Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific (CEB) and other airlines to mentioned,” Badiola said. “More women want to fly an aircraft because it is a very challenging job and is mostly dominated by male pilots.”
Badiola said even his daughter Ileen Badiola-Logos shifted careers and belatedly went on to become a pilot at 42.
“My daughter is 42, married and with two kids, I asked her to learn how to fly. I persuaded her to change careers. She’s an AB Masscom graduate of Ateneo and a middle manager. Good thing is she adapted quickly,” he beamed.
His daughter is now a licensed commercial pilot with instrument rating and on her final interview with a reputable airline operator.
Story and photo: http://manilastandardtoday.com
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