“Horses are a fantastic equaliser”

ISABELL ALTENKÄMPER-JAHN moves in two very different circles.

“Horses are my hobby, but I’ve been a commercial airline pilot for 16 years,” she explains. “My flying career has been quite intense and the horses have been a fantastic equaliser.”

After flying for low-cost airlines and freight carriers, piloting business jets and spending several years with Emirates as a Boeing 777 captain, Isabell moved away from the commercial side of aviation in 2019, returning to the UK as an instructor on a flight simulator.

“I teach pilots from all over the world, who come for initial training and licence checks and renewals,” she explains of her Farnborough-based role with FlightSafety International. “I had horses throughout my own training; my event horse Badger moved with me, so I could take a real break from studying. With the pressure and the responsibility of flying, it’s nice to step into the world of horses.”

Alongside Badger, now 29, Isabell has an up-and-coming dressage warmblood called Elando (pictured). With regards to her interests in equestrianism and aviation, she finds that respect goes both ways.

“Both require determination and commitment,” she says. “When pilots hear that I compete horses in my spare time, they say, ‘That’s dedicated.’”

WHEN TWO WORLDS MEET: “I’ve flown many horses during my career – competition horses, stud horses and racehorses,” says Isabell, recalling some of the more unusual cargo she has been entrusted with. “It’s always fascinating for me to see that they cope so well.”