MY BRILLIANT CAREER
Kanthum du Plessis is a captain with kulula.com and British Airways. She tells Margaret Harris that she wanted to be a pilot since she boarded a plane at the age of nine for the first time
How an airline captain earned her stripes
What do you do at work each day?
A flying day starts with a sign-on an hour and 20 minutes before the flight departs. We plan for the sectors we will fly that day and then we are briefed on the expected weather at the destinations, alternate airports and fuel required.
When we arrive at the aircraft, we do a preflight check to make sure the aircraft is serviceable and we have all the required safety equipment on board.
The refuelling, catering and loading of baggage and boarding of passengers all take place at the same time. Coordination of ground services and safety is vital. The process from pushback and start requires various system and control checks followed by a taxi out. We typically fly three to four sectors a day on a regional and domestic route in southern Africa. They are shorter hops and usually challenging but enjoyable.
At what age did you know you wanted to be a pilot?
It was when I first flew in a Boeing 747-SP, when I was nine. I was fascinated and the pilots were my heroes. My dad encouraged my interest by always making sure I understood that a possibility was present in every question.
Did you face much opposi-
tion to your dream?
Not opposition, but definitely a lack of exposure to the aviation industry. With social conditioning, you tend to limit yourself to the community and culture that surround you. It becomes your paradigm. My parents have always been supportive and always made sure that if an opportunity presented itself, I was made to believe that I could do it.
What study route did you take to become a pilot?
Initially, I started studying towards a chartered accounting degree, but I always knew I wanted to fly. So I was glad when the opportunity presented itself.
I was paging through the Sunday Times careers section having a look at the scope for chartered accountants and came across a matchbox-sized advertisement for the Comair cadet pilot programme. I sometimes think how easily I could have missed this opportunity and how different my life would have been. My “office” would be very different had I let this opportunity pass me by.
There were about 800 appli- cants for the programme and we had to complete various tests and exams and an airline interview, and that was even before a first flight. But it was all worth it when I was selected.
I was extremely anxious about leaving my studies, friends and family and embarking on a completely new course to start at air school, but I knew it was meant to be.
Is being a pilot the way you imagined it to be?
Being a pilot means logging many flying hours — and having a seven-year-old in Grade 1 means life is very busy. To make it all work, a lot of planning and preparation is required in both my personal and professional life. Since my career is not a regular nine-to-five job, I am afforded quality time during the week with my child, which is a real perk. The best thing about this career is that when you leave the aircraft that day, there is no deadline, stress or work that needs to be attended to after hours.
There are still few female pilots. How difficult is it to be a woman in a male-dominated industry?
Yes, there are not enough female pilots in the industry. I think little girls, teenagers and young women need to be exposed to careers that have been seen in the past as “masculine”. All you need to be in the industry is a strong character, conviction and confidence. I believe that women are welcome and even embraced by the industry. It is a good time to pursue a career in science and technology as a woman. However, we need to be equally competent — the route you take as a pilot leaves no room for being average, because this job needs to be done safely and efficiently.
What qualities do you need to be a pilot?
One really has to be pas- sionate about flying. It doesn’t matter what type of flying or aircraft — if you don’t enjoy it, it will always be just another job. The irregular times, early mornings, late nights and working weekends and holidays mean it has to be worth it and bring you enjoyment.
Would you recommend being a pilot as a good career to follow?
I would, although personality profiling would be a good place to start. The career requires continuous studying and keeping abreast of global safety standards, development and efficiency in operations.
The management in a flight deck is a science and the fluidity of procedures, check lists, awareness, communication and knowledge is vital to a safe environment.