More Than Wings. What Mentorship Really Looks Like

In aviation, we often celebrate the milestones, the solo flights, the promotions, the ratings earned. But just beneath those big moments are the mentors, the quiet forces who make those wins possible.

Some of the most impactful mentors I’ve ever had didn’t make a grand show of their support. They didn’t shout their advice from the rooftops or post about every success story they were part of. Instead, they showed up, consistently, patiently, and purposefully. They taught with integrity. They led by example. And most importantly, they believed in me before I believed in myself.

Mentoring champions

These mentors, many of them men, didn’t see gender as a barrier. They saw potential. They offered advice in the right moment, encouragement when it mattered most, and calm presence during turbulent times. It wasn’t performative. It was powerful.

Mentorship isn’t about posting a photo on International Women’s Day and calling it progress. It’s about being in the hangar before dawn, reviewing flight plans, staying late to answer one more question, or offering the words: “You’ve got this.” It’s about correcting, not criticising. Guiding, not controlling.

Mentorship isn’t about the spotlight, it’s about the quiet moments that shape a career. Thank you to those who lead by lifting others.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have male mentors who never questioned my place in the cockpit, they only asked how they could help me reach the next one. Their mentorship wasn’t about ego or acknowledgment. It was about service. About the legacy they’re leaving in the next generation of pilots.

This post is for them, and for all the mentors out there doing the quiet work. You may never get the applause, but you’re shaping the future of aviation in ways no social media post ever could.

Thank you. For seeing more in us than we saw in ourselves. You gave us more than wings, you gave us belief.