This is Audrey Esi Swatson and she’s shattered yet another glass ceiling
The 22-year old is officially Ghana’s youngest commercial pilot (female) and we are so proud of her.
By receiving her commercial pilot license with instrument and multi engine ratings as well as meeting the standards of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, she is currently joins the league of Ghanaian flight legends such as Melody Danquah, Ghana’s first female military/commercial pilot and Patricia Mawuli Nyekodzi, the first civilian pilot in West Africa.
A fluent speaker of English and the Fanti and Twi dialects, Swatson who is a native of Saltpond in the Central region had the love of soaring the skies from a pretty young age and had other athletic ambitions.
Her passion for planes and flights were further enhanced when she enrolled at the University of Ghana Basic Schools, Legon for her basic education and later the Ghana Christian International High School in Dodowa.
In 2015, 18-year-old Audrey Esi Swatson gained admission to study Aviation at the Mach1 Aviation Academy, Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Age 19 offered her the taste of flying solo when she was given the opportunity during one of her flight trainings on April 4th 2016 and according to the young pilot remains a day she’ll never forget. In addition to this feat, she also got her private pilot license in the same year.
Sharing the news of her successful flight and bagging that license on social networking app, Facebook, Audrey could not hide her apparent elatedness at chalking such a feat.
She posted:
“Dear IMC (Instrument meteorological conditions), I remember you like it was yesterday and how my very first encounter with you made me question if I wanted to move forward with flying!
You disoriented me beyond measures,I was nauseous,I felt like I was upside down and spinning,The voices in my head kept screaming,”TRUST YOUR INSTRUMENTS AND NOT HOW YOU FEEL”. I knew I was just spatially disoriented! After talking to myself(as pilots often do)I was able to gain controls back and fight through how I felt and learned to trust my instrument and my instruments only!
This process has been a hard one especially when you are a control freak and like a wet water-melon seed,you were so hard to pick up. My scanning game was high!😩
When your vision is stripped,you will be amazed at how your brain starts to play tricks on you!
The more I fought through ,trained and chair-fly every single day,I started to become comfortable with the uncomfortable!
After 15 hours ground briefing time and 17.5 hours on sole reference to my flight instruments only, I proved to myself and SACAA I am made for this!
Thanks to all who have supported me and have been with me throughout this journey.For the ones who don’t understand my absence and focus,as Jay-Z said… We ain’t meant to be friends.
#blackfemalepilot #Instruments #instrumentrating #Africangirlsalsofly#womeninaviation #flygirlEsi #mach1aviationacademy #ghanapilot #imc#sectorentries #holds #holdingpatern #wefly #zs #Gh #aviation#aviatorsofcolor @ Mach1 Aviation”
Credit: Facebook.com/Audrey Maame Esi Swatson