Granny stood in home yard, waiving at the plane circling the skies overhead. Piloted by her precious little granddaughter, Mari-Liis Saar. It was only then that she was ready to admit: the girl really is studying to hold the controls – not to be stewardess.
Right now, Mari-Liis Saar works for Estonian Air as co-pilot for Bombardier CRJ900. She’s been flying in crews with everybody else all males. And then again – there’s been flights when both the captain at her side and the entire cabin crew were «ladies only».
«That [ladies only] flight was quite a case, as some passengers lost the desire to get to Tbilisi altogether – with only women in charge,» smiles Ms Saar.
Autopilot does the flying
Fresh from Jõgeva upper secondary school and taking the tests for Tartu Aviation College in 2008, Mr Saar was fully confident of being accepted. No matter the competition was 18:1.
According to Ms Saar, the understanding that aviation is a men-only thing is slowly but surely giving way. Indeed, no great strength is needed. Except for, during studies, one does need to be able to push a small plane out of the hangar, with the flight instructor.
Flying bigger planes rather takes technical thinking and abilities to solve unexpected situations. «In standard conditions, autopilot does the flying. But what really counts is not the routine, but managing the unexpected situations. And that’s what we are being prepared for,» says Ms Saar.
When airline and commercial pilots get together, say, for a birthday party or something, and «non-flying» companions are dragged along, Ms Saar really pities the latter. For the talk mostly centres on fuel types, plane weight, capabilities, airports, oils and turbine engines.
Family will have to wait
Right now, Ms Saar is not thinking of getting married. Not for the next decade, she’s convinced.
«When you’ve worked so hard to be able to fly, who would want to stay away for three years?» she asks. After a pause, one would have to begin again at level zero – the type of plane to be flown needs to be studied from scratch.
Should she decide to become a mother, that’ll be considered long and thoroughly. However, being a wife and a mother is nothing strange for female flyers: that’s the case with most of Estonian Air’s lady pilots.
The work really is no different from other working moms, the routine is just the same. «It’s like driving a bus or a tram: you are given a vehicle, and the people who want to get some place. And then you fly,» says Ms Saar.