Latest news with #pilot
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
How to become a real high flyer... woman's journey from air hostess to top pilot
For many pilots, their interactions with passengers are limited to announcements over the PA. However, Sarah Johnson has an expert knowledge of the people she carries, as a former air hostess. The 39-year-old Scot spent seven years in cabin crew for Emirates as she saved the £70,000 needed to fund her pilot training. She said: 'I've always been fascinated by planes, even as a girl.' But when she left school and studied to become a translator at a Spanish university, she didn't dare believe that she would one day become a pilot. Ms Johnson, from Birse, Aberdeenshire, said: 'Attitudes to women pilots were different 20 years ago. I thought I was being silly – I was good at languages and becoming a translator was the road set out for me. 'But I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted to be a pilot. I saw an opportunity to become a flight attendant, which meant that at least I'd be flying.' In 2010 she moved to Dubai to work for Emirates and said: 'Flying to Japan and Australia was amazing but I wanted to be flying the plane. I got into so much trouble as cabin crew because no one could ever find me. I'd be in the cockpit when I had the chance.' Ms Johnson embarked on a gruelling schedule, attending flying school in Los Angeles during layovers after 17-hour flights from Dubai. She said: 'The training was intense – after long-haul flights to Australia or New Zealand, I'd be up all night studying principles of flight or air law. It was tough.' After getting her pilot's wings, Sarah landed a job with Ryanair as a cadet pilot, moving up to junior pilot, senior first officer and then captain two years ago. Ms Johnson, who lives in Palma, Mallorca, with her financial consultant fiancé, said: 'I still can't believe I'm captain. When I had only two stripes, I used to put them together on my shoulder and look in the mirror, imagining what it would be like to have four as captain. My favourite part is the take-off. 'Every time I press the take-off thrust, it's such a thrill. 'A special moment was when I had my mum Chris and dad Martin as passengers. Of course, Dad made a dad joke about being relieved we landed safely. I can't see myself ever changing career. I'm lucky to have a job like this.'
The Independent
5 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Hot air balloon horror as at least eight people killed in Brazil
A hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Santa Catarina, Brazil, on Saturday. The incident resulted in the deaths of eight people. Thirteen of the 21 people on board, including the pilot, survived and were taken to hospitals. Footage captured the balloon engulfed in flames as it fell from the sky. This crash follows another fatal hot air balloon accident last Sunday in Sao Paulo state.
New York Times
a day ago
- General
- New York Times
Pilot Killed in Plane Crash Had Lifted Wheel to Dodge a Turtle, N.T.S.B. Says
The pilot of a small plane who was killed in a crash this month in North Carolina had lifted a wheel after landing to spare a turtle on the runway, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released on Friday. The pilot and one passenger were killed when the plane crashed just before noon on June 3 near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, N.C., about 60 miles north of Charlotte, the report said. Another passenger was severely injured. The N.T.S.B. said in its report that a communications officer pointed out the turtle to the pilot as the plane returned to the airport and turned to prepare to land on a runway. The pilot landed but then lifted the Universal Stinson 108 plane's right wheel to avoid the turtle. The communications operator reported that she heard the pilot advance the throttle after lifting the wheel. She said that she lost sight of the plane after that. A man cutting the grass at the end of the runway said that he saw the pilot lift the wheel to spare the turtle, the report said. He then saw the plane's wings begin to rock back and forth before it took off again. The man lost sight of the plane after it passed behind a hangar, but said he heard a loud crash and saw smoke, according to the report. The plane crashed in a heavily forested area about 250 feet past the runway and caught fire. It was wedged between several trees and remained intact aside from a few pieces of fabric, the report said. It was unclear whether the pilot's decision to lift the tire to avoid the turtle caused the crash. The N.T.S.B., which said it does not identify the victims in its reports, did not list a probable cause. A final N.T.S.B. report on the crash could take one to two years to complete, the board said. The registered owner of the plane listed on a Federal Aviation Administration website did not immediately respond to a phone message on Friday seeking comment.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Pilot killed in small plane crash in North Carolina raised a wheel to avoid a turtle, NTSB says
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. — The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report. The pilot of the Universal Stinson 108 and a passenger were killed in the June 3 crash near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, officials said. A second passenger was seriously injured in the crash.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Pilot who died in North Carolina plane crash was trying to avoid hitting turtle on runway
The pilot of a small plane that crashed near a North Carolina airport this month had raised a wheel after landing to avoid hitting a turtle on the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report. The pilot of the Universal Stinson 108 and a passenger were killed in the June 3 crash near Sugar Valley Airport in Mocksville, officials said. A second passenger was seriously injured in the crash. A communications operator looking out the airport office window advised the pilot that there was a turtle on the runway, according to the report released this week. The operator reported that the pilot landed about 427 metres (1,400 feet) down the 739-metre (2,424-foot) runway, then lifted the right main wheel to avoid the turtle. The operator heard the pilot advance the throttle after raising the wheel, but the plane left her view after that. A man cutting the grass at the end of the runway reported seeing the pilot raise the right wheel to avoid the turtle, then the wings rocked back and forth and the plane took off again, according to the report.
