Capt. Lydia Bakri Mulokozi, Captain of the all-female crew flight conducted recently by Precision Air, feels pleased with her outstanding achievement for the female folk and here relates her source of inspiration to Aviation & Allied Business Journal in this exclusive interaction

Excerpts:

Q: How did you feel when you pioneered an all-female crew Precision Air flight last November?

A: I felt very proud and honored to have had the opportunity to represent Precision Air during this important event in its history. I had a wonderful crew on board consisting of Senior First Officer Specioza Rweyemamu, Senior Flight Purser Della Mosses and Senior Flight Attendant Elizabeth Kizingo.  Also on board were our biggest fans and colleagues, Flight Operations Officer Jemmima and Public Relations Manager Annete Nkini. We worked together well and welcomed the encouragement our passengers complimented us with.  It truly was one of the best days in my life and I will cherish the moment forever.

Q: What motivated your choice of piloting as a career and how do you think more women can be encouraged to take up piloting and aircraft engineering as careers in Africa?

A: I’ve wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember.  When I was around the age of 12, I came to learn that my best friend’s mother was a pilot and it took but one flight with her in a single-engine Cessna to convince me that flying was what I wanted to do.  In my last year of high school, I learned that two of my classmates shared my dream. We were like the three musketeers always talking about how one day we would fly for our national airline (Ethiopian Airlines). Well, we all served ET at one point or another and now one of those high school buddies flies a Boeing 777 for Emirates and the other flies a Boeing 767 for Ethiopian Airlines. It is good to align yourself with people who share the same interests as you.  You tend to encourage one another and keep your dream alive.  You can never fail if you have interest and above all the passion to pursue that interest.

Q: Do you know that an all-female crew flight was in April 2009 also conducted for the first time between Lagos and Warri in Nigeria by Aerocontractors Airline? How do you feel about that?

A: I did not know about the all-female flight in Nigeria, but I am so pleased to hear you tell me that.  It means that times are indeed changing and such careers as flying are not so impossible for women to attain after all.  In fact, it’s very reassuring to see that quite a number of African airlines have already operated all female flights, including Kenya Airways and Air Botswana among many others.  I am truly honored to be a part of this industry and particularly to serve it in this part of the world where I grew up.

Q: What would you propose as solution to the manpower shortage in Africa’s air transport industry?

A:The aviation industry is growing rapidly. Newer, more advanced airplanes are being manufactured and we are starting to feel the huge need for pilots to operate those new and improved machines.  It takes much longer to train a human being to operate such equipment than it does to manufacture it.  I believe the best solution for this problem with regard to Africa is for governments to first and foremost encourage youths to take interest in this sector. Secondly, governments must ensure that international aviation regulations and safety programs are established by the local aviation authority to ensure that operators observe safe operating environments and adhere to all safety regulations and procedures. Finally, governments must establish sponsorship programs for eligible candidates to undertake basic flight training.  Ideally, this would be a government/airline sponsored training school established within the country to avoid expensive training abroad.

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