2020 March 2 - Sarah Clark
In May of 2017 Sarah started her career in the aviation industry as a Flight Attendant. She understood what the lifestyle was like since her mother was also a flight attendant and her father had his pilot's license. She loved the freedom and the flexibility that the position gave her.
However, while she loved the job, Sarah felt like she wanted to take on an even greater challenge. One year after starting as a flight attendant, Sarah decided to switch gears and follow her true passion: flying airplanes.
She knew it would be a long difficult journey. The commercial pilots world is still a male dominated industry. Sarah knew she would have a lot of obstacles to overcome.
It was also a deeply personal challenge for Sarah. She had never put herself in a position to fail before. But training to become a pilot would test her willpower. And expose her to failure.
Sarah failed her instrument checkride. A checkride is the test they take at the end of the phase of training for that specific rating.So for her private pilot phase, instrument phase, commercial phase and flight instructor phase Sarah had a checkride for each. The checkride is comprised of an oral portion which can range anywhere between 1.5 to 8 hours long depending on which checkride you’re taking and then the practical portion where you go up in the plane with the examiner and perform everything you’ve learned for that phase of training.
Because she’s a woman, all her male colleagues and instructors felt the need to comment on her ability to pass or not pass the checkride. Despite the chauvinistic attitudes of those around her, Sarah buckled down and wouldn’t let them rattle her. Within a year, she passed all the required tests and courses and received all of her pilot ratings.
She is now a commercially rated instrument pilot with a Certified Flight Instructor rating. Sarah is currently working hard as a flight instructor to build up her required flying hours to 1,500, at which point she will begin applying to regional airlines or a private jet company.
Sarah is looking at this job as an adventure and is open to any possibilities that come her way because of it. She loves working for herself and the flexibility and opportunity to travel that this position brings.
As a female working in a male-dominated industry, to switching careers and following her true passion and dream, Sarah embodies exactly what it is that makes an empowered female. We are honoured and humbled to present her story!
Check out Sarah's profiles below to see what she's up to, and to book your flying lessons!
Facebook: @TheFlyingCouple
Instagram Business Account: @The_Flyingcouple
Sarah Clark's Personal Instagram: @sarahbrookclark