Being a
pilot must be a pretty cool job. Not only do you get to fly around the world regularly, but you look pretty cool while doing it - and the majority of people
are likely to fancy you. Despite it being something that many of us dream of doing, becoming a pilot is incredibly difficult and time-consuming, with training taking a number of years and costing thousands of dollars. However, as one female pilot is showing, it is all worth it.
Maria Pettersson, a 32-year-old Swedish pilot, shot to fame on Instagram due to her documentation of her incredibly glamorous lifestyle - which shows off the perks of working in aviation.
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Maria works for Ryanair, and has amassed over 128,00 followers on the social networking site. The majority of her photos involve her snapping herself at work, with the pilot regularly taking selfies in the cockpit, operating the controls or casually sitting inside an engine turbine (very edgy).
However, Maria also shows what her life is like outside of the "office", with the blonde bombshell showcasing her outstanding yoga moves in a variety of locations that we can only dream of going to.
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The pilot, who is originally from Gothenburg in Sweden, but now resides in Palermo in Sicily, says that she started doing the flight deck selfie in order to show her friends and family what a normal day at work looks like for her. Speaking about her growing popularity, Maria says:
"I loved the positive feedback I was getting and all the curious questions from young aviators asking about how to become a pilot or flight simulator pilots asking about a specific procedure."
However, while Maria appreciates the popularity, she also says her page shows that it's possible to carve out a successful career in such a male-dominated environment.
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"My story is about strong females in a male-dominated environment. Proving that we are just as good as them. Believing in ourselves and keeping a positive attitude towards life."
Maria says that despite jet-setting all over the world, her lifestyle isn't much different to the rest of us:
"My lifestyle is actually similar to a 9 to 5 job. Our roster is a five days on four days off pattern and we operate from our home base so I get to sleep in my own bed every night."
"Always having four days off after five working days is amazing. It gives me more than enough time to rest and spend time with family and friends."
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The young pilot also says that she likes to travel in her free time: "I try to travel as much as I can during my off days and this summer I have already seen places like Berlin, London and Stockholm. When I travel on my own holidays I like to visit places with paradise beaches and adventures."
Maria hopes that her story can show others that you don't have to be rich and a male in order to fulfil your dreams of becoming a pilot:
"Before starting my training I worked and saved for most of the costs. In the end, mine cost me around 65,000 euros."
"I never thought becoming a pilot was an option for me due to the high costs and the fact that most pilots were men."
"The more I thought about it the more I wanted it and I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I was 24 at the time. I worked hard to save for the costs of flight training and studied even harder. Hard work pays off and my dream became reality."
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"For me so far the toughest challenge has been to get that first flying job. Competition was tough and many unemployed pilots fighting for the same job.
"It took me years. I'm very lucky to be where I am today flying a young fleet of Boeing 737 around Europe."
After having a look at Maria's profile, I've decided that I'm going to become a pilot. I currently have $0.27 in my account, but we all have to start somewhere... right?
