She really wanted to prove something about woman power and she indeed did. She is the only female student among the 45 who graduated in the intensive training course for pilots this year from the Qatar Aeronautical College (QAC).
For Adeline Nassim Zoghbi (pictured), being the only female in the class was not a hindrance to the gruelling 76-week training course for pilots as she passed it convincingly with flying colours.
“I was the only girl in my course and it was a challenging experience to prove myself,” said Zogbhi who went into 190 hours of flying which is a prerequisite before a QAC student could pass the course.
Zogbhi said it was difficult to be the only girl of a male-dominated class but she managed to overcome it and proved that more women can now fly planes and excel despite in what she said as “a place where females don’t really express themselves, don’t want to take the first place.”
“I wanted something different, not very familiar with everyone, Zoghbi said. She wanted to work with Qatar Airways.
Although she is the only female of this year’s QAC pilot graduates, Captain Lawrence T Wade, head of training of Pilot Training Division, said there were three women who made it last year.
Having women aviators is no longer new in Qatar as there were reports that Qatar Airways already has several female co-pilots and captains. In 2006 Amna Al Aubaidli became the first Qatari woman to pilot commercial jet flights.
Qatari male students in the pilot class who composed more than half of the graduates are also doing well. Mohammed A Mohammed was accorded as the “best overall pilot student” during the graduation ceremony yesterday at Ramada Hotel.
For Mohammed, being on top of the class was not just given in a silver platter.
“It didn’t come like doing nothing. After long nights and long study, thank God we made it,” he said.
Mohammed said he took 180 flying hours and three months of ground school for 10 subjects before passing the flying course. He was hired by Qatar Airways about two months back.
“We realise we entered into a profession that demands very high standards,” Mohammed said in his acceptance speech as the best pilot student of 45 graduates.
Another student, Mohammad Osama, has experienced a more flying privilege as he said he underwent 45 hours of solo flying around Qatar. Pilot students are required to fly both single and twin-engine aircraft to pass two demanding QCAA flight examinations.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/128106-lone-woman-among-45-to-get-their-wings.html
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