Start Your Journey
Hey you, are you ready to embark on the best adventure yet? If so then you've touched down on the perfect page!
Starting your aviation journey can be an exciting yet overhwhelming process, luckily for you, our community has already been through it all and are here to welcome you, support you, encourage you, and most importantly be there for you through the highs and lows.
It's like your own personal cheer squad! How cool is that?
We understand that it can be quite an overwhelming process especially if you are unsure of where to even begin! That's why we have listed a few links below to hopefully help you out and make this process as simple as possible for you. Scroll down to see some advice from our crew members and to browse career pathways.
If you could tell your beginner Pilot self one thing what would it be?
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Emma Kennedy Line Pilot flying a C208b for Aviair Becoming a pilot is an incredible journey, one that takes a lot of time, commitment, determination, money and ... Read Testimonial
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Erin Mealor Base Manager & Line Pilot The road ahead is going to have twists and turns in it and take you places you wouldn’t think you’... Read Testimonial
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Ebony Fraser Charter & Ferry Pilot, Northern Territory / Outdoor education leader Although you will be surrounded by support and advise, your journey is yours and yours alone, you can not meas... Read Testimonial
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Daniel Moy Mustering & Charter Pilot for Fox Helicopters The one thing I would say to my beginner pilot self would be: &ensp... Read Testimonial
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Eloise Fraser Private Fixed Wing Pilot / Vet Student Enjoy the learning process and take every single opportunity that comes your way! ... Read Testimonial
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Rosie Stevenson Charter Pilot Breathe. You got this girl! Don't be nervous. You have a trained instructor right next to you with contro... Read Testimonial
Becoming a pilot is an incredible journey, one that takes a lot of time, commitment, determination, money and skills. To me becoming a pilot has been the most rewarding experience and has taught me a lot about myself. Aviation teaches you life skills and exposes you to a variety of experiences.
Becoming a pilot and learning to fly is meant to be fun and if at any point it stops being fun and you lose sight of why you began this journey it’s important to reevaluate. If you don’t like your instructor, find a new one that fits your personality and learning style. Continue to push yourself to find where your true passion for flying lies. Never take for granted this journey you have begun as it is a privilege not a right. Embrace all aspects of becoming a pilot and expand your knowledge base by talking to new people, learning about aircraft maintenance and continue striving for more skills. Always remember to evaluate and praise yourself for taking a risk on yourself and embarking on this incredible journey. Be proud of where you are right now and don’t be in a hurry to get to the next thing. Progression is natural so smile and appreciate every moment of your journey.
The road ahead is going to have twists and turns in it and take you places you wouldn’t think you’d go, doing things you didn’t think you would do but take every opportunity that comes your way. No hour in the sky is ever wasted. Each opportunity can grow you, teach you and be valuable to you if you let it. Aviation is not a job, it’s a great adventure.
Although you will be surrounded by support and advise, your journey is yours and yours alone, you can not measure your progress on other peoples scales.
Enjoy the learning process and take every single opportunity that comes your way!
Breathe. You got this girl! Don't be nervous. You have a trained instructor right next to you with controls.
Where can a career in aviation take you?
The sky really isn't the limit...browse just a few of the possibilities below:
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Pilot
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Engineer
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Marketing / Admin
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Operations / Management
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Air Traffic Control
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Aviation Fire and Rescue Fighter
Cabin Crew
Travel for a living!
Do you live for a slick bun and red lip moment? Do you have excellent customer service skills and love to travel! Then the cabin is the place for you. As a cabin crew member you will deliver necessary safety instructions to your passengers and ensure they are 'maxo relaxo' during flight!
Aviatrix Australia does not offer training to become an air hostess / cabin crew however, we recommend researching the airline you wish to pursue a career as an air hostess with - their website should take you directly through the steps to enrol.
Flight Training
The golden rules with commencing your flight training and choosing a flight school is:
1. Do your research!
2. Be ready for change.
Whilst it sounds broad - researching and finding a flight school that fits you even if it's not in your home town is key.
Aviatrix Australia Pilot training is facilitated by Townsville Helicopters and Townsville Flight Training. CASA authorised pilot training facility., operating from our private hangar adjacent to Townsville's main International Airport.
This ones for the girls....
With visits from the theory therapy pup, to social events, coffee catch ups with the crew plus cheese platters and winedowns with the girls, it’s the most fun you’ll have whilst ‘studying.’ There’s room in our crew and we’d love to have you.
However, whilst we would love to meet you and offer you the benefits of training with our sister brands we understand that a move away from home to tropical paradise might not be suitable for you in this moment, even though you're not training with us, Aviatrix Australia is still here to encourage you to join the industry and take to the sky! Wherever, your flightpath takes you, know that we will always be here to support you during your training and cheer you on from the sidelines. Aviatrix Australia is for all women in or interested in aviation, in all roles.
Here's our hot tips for looking for a flight training provider.
Our Tips:
- Not sure if it's for you? Book in for a trial introductury flight (TIF) - most flight schools offer these! It's a great way to see if sitting in the Pilot seat is somewhere you'd like to be.
- Try before you buy - If you are interested in training at a particular flight school but still unsure if it's the one for you then request to chat to an instructor or ask to go into their Hangar for a tour! Meet the team and see the aircraft you will be training in before you commit.
- Are they listed as an RTO? Can you get student loans or assistance with funding? Is this something you need to consider?
- Research, research, research...... and again! It sounds super boring but don't be discouraged, if you are really stuck and unsure of where to begin. Also P.s. hop onto our instagram @aviatrix_australia and you might see a Pilot in your area. Don't be afraid to reach out and message them to see how or where they got started.
- Ask questions! We don't expect you to be an expert just yet. No question is ever a 'silly' question and your student enrolment liaison should be willing to assist you with any issues! If you have questions for flight training such as which path you'd like to take (fixed wing or rotary) then our office staff are here to chat with you and guide you in the right direction - (07) 4772 4998
It all starts with the first step... let's make some magic happen girl!
Air Traffic Control
Air traffic controller .... aka the safety gods and goddesses of the sky. They are like the friend with the pretty pink daily planner who is always super organised and has a great attention for detail.
Are you that friend? To read more about ATC jobs and training Click here
Aviation Fire Rescue
She protect, she attack (fires) and most importantly we need her in the Aviation Fire and Rescue Fighters Pack!
This specialist area of fire fighting is a unique and rewarding job day in and day out which is vital for the safety of the sky.
We asked Townsville's Leading Aviation FireFighter Sarah what her 3 most favourite parts of the job were:
Three things I love about my job:
1. I love helping people, especially when they could be having one of their worst days.2. I love the camaraderie; you and your team must work as one machine to achieve our desired outcome.3. I love how we never stop learning, there is always evolving practices, new equipment/aircrafts. No one callout is like the other.
For more information on how to join the super inspiring Sarah click here
Student Testimonials
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Dannielle Moy Mustering & Charter Pilot with Fox Helicopters ​The very first time I was introduced to helicopter was when I was a teenager mustering on our family p... Read Testimonial
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Ebony Fraser Charter & Ferry Pilot, Northern Territory / Outdoor education leader My interest in becoming a pilot started when I was still in school, but back then it didn’t seem achieva... Read Testimonial
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Kate De Koning Nautilus Aviation: Ground Crew / Junior Pilot I always considered becoming a pilot as a teenager, life took me in other directions for a while working in th... Read Testimonial
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Rosie Stevenson Charter Pilot I first got the urge to fly when I was in the Gulf of Carpentiera in the Northern Territory working at Lorella... Read Testimonial
​The very first time I was introduced to helicopter was when I was a teenager mustering on our family property. I just thought to myself "WOW! t]That would be amazing to be up in the air like a bird, getting to see everything from above." Any opportunity to go up in a helicopter, I would jump at, I just absolutely loved it. Then, over time working with helicopters while I was on the ground mustering, made me more and more intrigued about the aviation industry. It was only just a dream, until I was a little older and I thought "I so can do this," so I started talking to some friends that were in the aviation industry and turned my dream into a goal... Off to Townsville Helicopters I went!
I spent 5 months with the team at Tsv Heli + Aviatrix team and it was a great time. I was given the opportunity to work with some exceptional pilots, who were able to teach me lifelong tools for the industry. I also made some lifetime friends with the team members and other students that were studying.
Friday afternoon helicopter wash time were some of my best memories made. Each Friday we would get all the R22 Helicopters out and wash them as a team, once they were all cleaned, dried, and put to bed, we would all sit down for a cold drink and talk about our week, what we learnt, anything funny that happened and just a good old chat session.
I found the team at TSV very helpful with my study, as it had been quite a while since I had done full time study, I struggled with the theory side of things, but each instructor would take the time to talk me through the problem until I was able to fully understand it. I felt extremely welcome and apart of the Aviatrix and Tsv Heli team while training and even now 3 years later.
Being a part of the Aviatrix community means that I can share my story, my struggles and success with other women in the aviation industry or anyone that is thinking about a career. That as a woman, the sky is our limit, and we can do anything we want to do. With a community like Aviatrix, it lets us all ban together to help each other out.
I was born into a family whereas being a female didn't matter, if I wanted to do something I just had to set my mind to it and then just do it. I'm most proud of all the woman in the aviation industry sharing their stories of how they got into the aviation industry and where they are now / what they are doing. Showing any woman that is thinking of a career in the aviation industry that they can do it and they support that the community of the Aviatrix give.
My most favourite part of Aviatrix is Takeover Tuesday, I love getting to see and hear everyones stories of what they do in a day. It is a chase for people to see what it's like a day in their life.
My interest in becoming a pilot started when I was still in school, but back then it didn’t seem achievable for a number of reasons including that in my generation ‘it wasn’t a suitable career for a women’. Once I was able to follow my dream, my training was fractured by COVID which added an extra layer of difficulty. When I arrived at Townsville Helicopters and into the Aviatrix community I felt very welcomed. The training at Tsv Heli was intense and I felt very behind the other students, as I had not been there from the start with them and built repour and also due to the long gap in between due to lock downs. All of the staff and students were supportive and helped me any way they could.
I am very proud to be an Aviatrix and advocate and support females, it's not something that I felt would be needed in this day and age but it makes an immense difference in such a male dominated industry. During my training, when I was struggling and just over it I knew I had the ‘girls’ there by my side to help, even if it was just a message from someone I had never met half way across the country.
I finished my licence in Townsville last June (2021) and I am currently doing private charter and ferry work around the NT. I am very fortunate to be able to work on a casual and short contract basis that allows me to still be involved in the outdoor education industry, travel Australia and fly at the same time. I am looking forward to increasing my skills and my goal is to become a flight instructor, so that I can help other women to follow what ever path they choose.
I always considered becoming a pilot as a teenager, life took me in other directions for a while working in the animal industry as a zookeeper and a vet nurse. I decided to take the opportunity to do my Commercial Helicopter License while I lived here in Townsville with the resource of Townsville Helicopters at my fingertips. I had a great time studying at Tsv Heli, I met many wonderful people who I will keep as friends for life and I felt so welcomed as an Aviatrix. I feel proud to be one of few women in the aviation industry, and I get super excited when meeting others! I really hope the number of women choosing to become apart of this community grows as I am really passionate about seeing the people around me succeeding.
During my time study with Tsv Heli & Aviatrix Australia I was able to enjoy a few early morning coffee catch ups and was privileged enough to be taken to an amazing International Women’s day lunch with the crew. I Loved a good afternoon heli wash with all my friends and believe that men or women regardless, all need to be there to cheer each other on.
I have recently started work for Nautilus Aviation as a Reservations/Ground crew/ Junior Pilot. I feel really lucky to have been offered a position only a few months after completing my license. It’s still early days but I’m really enjoying it so far.
I first got the urge to fly when I was in the Gulf of Carpentiera in the Northern Territory working at Lorella Springs Wilderness Park. There was one R44 offering scenic flights to the most remote, picturesque and magical places. The sound of the machine starting, taking off and flying over was music to my ears. Every time I heard it, my interest grew. I had several opportunities to go on these scenic flights as a passenger. I was also lucky enough that the pilot was very open to answering all of my helicopter related questions. That year I applied for my ARN and began researching different flight schools, where I ended up in Townsville a couple of years later. I loved training there, for a few reasons. It is Class C, so radio calls became second nature. The training grounds are beautiful and very diverse, and all types of weather occur in the area.
Throughout my training at Townsville Helicopters, I got to know Aviatrix and what it was all about. To know that by completing my Commercial Pilot Licence, I was assisting in increasing the percentage of women in aviation. When I started, it was at 8%. Now it is at 9% and growing! Through Aviatrix, I have connected with other women in aviation. I love speaking with other axiatrix's, empowering them when the industry is tough, helping them through obstacles and hurdles along the way and praising them for their success - what more could you possibly want out of a community?!
Since completing my Commercial Pilot Licence, I have had the opportunity to be an Operations Officer and Junior Pilot in the Pilbara and now a Line Pilot in the Whitsundays, Qld. It definitely isn't an easy industry to find full time and secure employment in, but at the end of the day it has all been worth it!
Already an Aviatrix?
We would love to support your journey! Whilst originally our main goal was to grow the percentage of female pilots in Australia, we believe it is just as important to strengthen and bring together those who are already in the aviation industry and pride ourselves on the community of incredible women we have brought together.
We know you can’t be what you can’t see and we would love to highlight your achievements, head to our socials to stay up to date on the many ways to be involved with the Aviatrix Australia community as well all our upcoming events.