WATCH | Touch The Sky

Each week, we release an episode of

Touch the Sky on YouTube.

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www.youtube.com/@touchthesky-doco

EP 1 - ERIN

Erin learnt to fly to overcome her fear of flying. Now, Erin needs to overcome her anxiety and fear of being bullied to pursue her dream of being an instructor. Erin has a fantastic community of online followers who support her. Unfortunately, there are other pilots who have been bullying her online. Erin has been bravely telling her story, being an example for others to follow. She is also acutely aware that female participation in the industry is low and is determined to be part of changing the culture.

EP 2 - CATRIONA

Catriona is a professional TV presenter married to a farmer which often leads to competing priorities and have to manage the complexities around time and responsibilities which is wins out over which. Catriona does not think she is smart enough to learn to fly and has to overcome her own self-doubt and insecurities.

EP 3 - KILLARA

Killara has wanted to learn to fly since she was 2. Killara’s father moved her and the family to Australia from PNG 8 years ago so Killara could follow her dream of being a pilot. Killara didn’t speak English, and she is having to deal with issues of racism at work, language barriers and the lack of female instructors visible in the industry in Australia. Her male cohort at uni told her that being a captain in the airlines is for men, and women are more suited to general aviation flying

EP 4 - MADDY

Maddy is 17. Her father and mother both have mental health problems, leading her to live with her aunt. Maddy has paid her way through an aviation gateway school and can’t decide whether she wants to be a pilot or engineer. Maddy does not know aviation is even an option for girls as she has not seen many female role models who are aviators.

EP 5 - ZAHRA

Zahra joined the Afghanistan air force in the hope of becoming a military pilot. Within months she had fled the country and ended up in Australia with little English, and no support when the Afghanistan the government collapsed. A group of pilots heard her story on the radio and are helping her to learn to fly. Zahra hopes are to be a light for women and children in Afghanistan and show them that women can be whatever they want as she see little female participation or visible women from where she grew up.

EP 6 - DANNI

Danni has always wanted to be involved in the aviation industry and growing up thought her only options to be in the industry were cabin crew or ancillary positions like reservations for airlines. Being from a military family, Danni struggles with the notion that her husband can go away for months at a time to help his career, leaving her to look after their children, and feels guilty when she does something similar to help in her career, based on the perception of what others may think.

EP 7 - ELLEN

Ellen recently completed her instructor rating. Ellen felt the isolation that comes from being away from friends and family while she was doing her instructor rating full time. In a foreign city, with people she hardly knew, will Ellen succeeded in obtaining her rating.

Ellen has to overcome gender bias in the industry with the need to do it better than her male counterparts.

EP 8 - SONJA

Sonja obtained her instructor rating on her 18th birthday. Sonja’s struggle has been gaining the confidence in delivery of briefs and the cockpit. She has found her voice but struggled to do so throughout her training. She wants to show women that there is a place for them in aviation.