Local girl flying high in realising her dream
Gabrielle Mccallum relishing career path as airline pilot
JAMAICAN-BORN Gabrielle Mccallum is a part of the small percentage of women who are certified airline pilots.
Just about seven per cent of women pilots are certified, according to a study by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
Mccallum, 21, who was born in Kingston, emigrated to the United States in late 2018, after which she acquired an Associate of Science degree in Professional Pilot Technology and is currently working to completing a bachelor’s degree in aerospace sciences at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mccallum told the Jamaica Observer that last year she officially became a commercial pilot with a single and multi-engine land rating as well as an instrument rating.
“The commercial rating means I can legally operate an airplane for compensation. The single-engine land and the multi-engine land is just the class of the aircraft I am certified to fly, which means I am certified to fly an airplane with a single engine and two engines. The instrument rating means I am certified to fly in what we would call Instrument Meteorological Conditions, where the weather is so severe that you are unable to see outside or you are in a cloud, so you have to fly solely by using the aircrafts instruments,” Mccallum explained.
And at present, she holds around 250 hours in flight time.
“To be able to fly for an airline carrier, you would need 1,500 hours in flight time to receive an Airline Transport License (ATP), which is the highest level in regards to pilot certification. However, after I obtain my bachelor’s degree, I would be eligible to receive something known as the restricted ATP which minimises those 1,500 hours to 1,000 hours in flight time. So, I am just in the process of reaching that goal of 1,000 hours so that I can be eligible for that rating.”
Mccallum told the Sunday Observer that she was able to put a finger on her passion when she was in third form at Immaculate Conception High School after attending a month-long aviation summer camp at the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre, Tinson Pen Aerodrome.
“I would not say my childhood fully helped to shape this desire other than the fact that I have always enjoyed travelling on planes,” she recalled enthusiastically.
“I knew this was the path that I wanted to take when at the end of this summer camp, I got the opportunity to go on a discovery flight. I was already interested in flying and aviation before this flight but this experience definitely sealed the deal for me. I had the chance to take off with an experienced instructor beside me and I got to hold the controls for a few minutes while we were in the air. As I sat in front of those controls and looked down at my beautiful island, I just knew within myself that I wanted to be a pilot,” she continued.
And most people have dreams, but acting upon them is a totally different thing. Mccallum said her parents were the driving force that actually pushed her to take the first step.
“My mother was the one who originally put the thought of becoming a pilot in my mind as I was struggling to find a career path that I was extremely passionate about. I was very intrigued at the idea of becoming a pilot, as I thought to myself that I had never seen a female pilot before at the time. My mom and dad encouraged me to attend the summer camp and my dad was the one who actually got the opportunity to experience that discovery flight with me.
“My family has been very supportive and I have been very blessed to have them because without many of them, I would not have reached as far in my career path as I have today. My parents have continued to encourage me and support me along the way and I can tell that they are very proud. My dad and little brother were actually the first passengers I took when I got my private pilot licence. I took them up in a small piper archer airplane and my dad still tells everyone about it to this day,” said Mccallum.
And she added that to some degree, she had to look far for inspiration.
“There are a few Jamaican female pilots who I know of. One that stands out is Captain
Maria Ziadie Haddad who is the first female pilot to be hired by Air Jamaica. There are a few other female pilots who I discovered via social media and I enjoy seeing their content and hearing their stories; some from other Caribbean countries and others from the United States,” she said, noting that there are also many Jamaican male pilots who are always sharing information and have given her advice and encouragement along her journey.
Further, Mccallum said she doesn’t believe that her gender has impacted her training in any way.
“We all have to go through the same process, training and the same amount of check rides, which are the examinations; written, oral and practical that we have to complete before we are awarded with our licences. I have been very fortunate to have not experienced any ill treatment because of my gender thus far in my career.”
In addition, it’s her hope that more women will be motivated to venture into aviation. As of January 2020, the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISWAP) said data indicates that women account for just over five per cent of airline pilots, and about 2,630 women are captains.
“I hope as more women decide to enter this industry, more persons will continue to become more accepting of this. I cannot give an exact number of how many women are in training right now but just by observation the aviation community is still highly male dominated. My advice to young Jamaican girls who want to be pilots but aren’t confident to act on it is, if this is your passion, take that first step and go for it. Once you start gaining more knowledge and get up in the air, you will not regret it,” she said.