Editor's Note: This article has been updated to better represent two portions of the story. One, that she could afford flight school on her own—which she clarified that she could afford a different flight school and not the one she eventually attended; second, that ATCs recognised her voice—which was corrected in the story.
Jolene was fresh out of college when she started her career as a stewardess. She was accepted into AirAsiaX almost immediate and worked there for eight months before transitioning into Emirates Airlines.
Jolene with her cabin crew gang living it up in Business Class. Image Credit: Jolene
She then moved to the U.A.E where she spent three years as a Business Class Cabin Crew. It was a cushy life of travelling and adventure but Jolene shared that even then, she was already thinking about her next step in her career.
She knew she didn't want to be a stewardess for life and after a certain point, she didn't know if she would be able to find another job. After seeking advice from pilots in Emirates about what her next step could be in her career, they convinced her to pursue a pilot’s licence.
So, at 27 years old, she decided she was going to take her pilots license and pursued it with passion. She identified a flying academy in the Middle East and decided to go for the pilot examination.
“When I told my family that I wanted to become a pilot, they all laughed at me! Even my extended family!”
But when she showed her research to her dad and shared that she had passed her panel interview to become a pilot, her father realised how important this was to her and supported her.
She was the only female trainee in their flight training centre in the Philippines. Image credit: Jolene
We asked if she would have still pursued her pilot’s licence if he disapproved and she said yes.
It would take her a full four years of studying and delays due to COVID before she would find herself in the cockpit.
“I had to take up lots of part-time jobs in between and my airline even offered me a part-time stewardess job while I waited,” Jolene shared. Things got worse during lockdowns as she had to rely on the kindness of friends to provide her with a roof over her head.
The airline renewed Jolene's cabin crew license so she could work part-time while waiting for her turn to fly. Image Credit: Jolene
Food, shelter, and clean water didn’t come easy in one of the world's most expensive cities and with no income, she very nearly had to pack it all up.
Finally, in December 2021, she entered the cockpit as a second officer, the third in line in the cockpit as an observer. Today, she’s the first officer and is racking up her flying hours in hopes of becoming a captain.
“Thank goodness I persevered through, I made it. Especially in this country where women are not as empowered as the west.”
We asked her about her role as one of the only females in her field and why she thinks there aren’t as many pilots who are women and she said, “I think it has to do with exposure. My parents did not even tell me being a pilot was an option.”
Photographed during women's day in her airline. These are all the female pilots in the airline mind you, and two have left.
We then asked if being female, she was treated differently.
“Actually, yes. I had a trainer who asked me what I was doing in flight school. He told me ‘women shouldn’t be here’.
“But on the other hand, now as a first officer, I’ve been shown a lot of respect as a female pilot. And I get perks from the Air Traffic Controller when I radio in. I find that people are happy to hear a joyful woman's voice on the radio, so I get direct routings instead.”
Even in 2022, the ratio of females to males in the industry is still low. A cadet in a local flying academy shared with us under anonymity that there’s “At least one (female) in every class”, but that’s actually more damning than it is encouraging.
If you’re looking for a spark of encouragement in a male dominated role, let Jolene’s story motivate you. As the only female, it just means you’ll shine all the brighter.
We're looking for the next inspirational Malaysian story and we want to hear from you! Drop us a DM on Instagram or Facebook and tell us your story. If you'd like, you can nominate someone too! Can't wait to hear from you.
Marcus Lee
Fri Apr 08 2022
