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Fledgling Pilot Resolves to Soar

Gibbs Dube

   As ateenager, PreciousSibalovisited the airport in herZimbabwehometown
   of Bulawayoto watch planes flying in and out ofthe country's
   second-largest city. She wasentranced by the aircraft but dismayed by
   something else.

   "I saw male pilots and never saw a woman there.I said to myself,'I want
   to be one of those few women who are pilots,'"she said.

   She followed through on her goal, earninga license as an airline
   transport pilotin November. Now, atage 35,Sibalois among the growing
   ranks of female pilotsin a field still overwhelmingly dominated by
   men--though Air Zimbabwe, the national airline,marked its first flight
   with two female captains in 2015.

   Sibalo'sroute tolicensingwas neither direct norsmooth.She spoke with
   VOAin hopes of inspiring others to confront bumps and other challenges
   in their career paths.

   "You cannot expect to climb the ladder with your hands in the
   pockets,"she said."You need to work hard. You need to put(in)effort, do
   your research."

   Her mother, Catherine,gave birthto Sibaloatthe age of17.But she
   eventually had to leave the childin herparents'care to work as a maid
   in South Africa.Catherinesenthome money for schooling, and young
   Precious,whose grandfather was an educator,didwell in most classes.

   But her mother"fell sick when I was around 17 years old, and that's
   when I also had a child,"saidSibalo, who had adaughter."Ithought my
   dreams were shattered.'¦I could no longer go to university."

   Sibalo'smother died in her mid-30s. When her own daughter was 2 years
   old,Sibalohad to leaveherchild in Zimbabwe withhergrandparents and go
   to South Africato find a jobtohelpsupport themall, she said.

   Like her mother and many others in Zimbabwe,Sibalofoundemploymentin
   South Africa--in her case, waitressingat a restaurant in
   Johannesburg.She impressed people with her work habits andher upbeat
   character.

   "Customers would see potential in me because I was very
   optimistic,"Sibalo said.

   Oneencouraged her to try modeling,which she didonfashion
   showrunways.Another recommended a website leading
   tobetter-payingemploymentinthe Middle East. First,she waitressed
   inDubai. Then shelanded a positionas aQatar Airways flight attendant.

   Sibalo describedthatwork asrewarding"because you get paid for
   traveling. '¦ You get to see different countries. '¦ You get exposure
   to different cultures. You broaden your mind, basically."

   She visited Belgium, China, New Zealand,Russiaand other countries."Too
   many to name,"she said.

   The work put Sibalo close to the cockpit. After five years as a flight
   attendant, shehadsaved enough money for flight training. She
   enrolledat43 Air School,locatedina South African townof Port Alfred,
   southof Johannesburg,in late 2017.

   The road to becoming a pilot

   At first, Sibalo thought it might be easy to landin the pilot's seat.

   "I used to see pilots, when I was a cabin crew member, just drinking
   coffee,"she said, admitting that she wrongly assumed they were"doing
   nothing."

   But shequickly learned that she had underestimated what it took to fly
   aircraft. Shescored poorly ona pilot aptitude test, falling short
   onthemath skills needed tocalculate, say, whether a plane's loadwas too
   heavyfor safe takeoff or landing.Thatconvinced herto work harder."I
   spent sleepless nights studying,"Sibalosaid."'¦ Youhave totake the
   lessons seriously because you will be carrying lives. It's very
   important to be disciplined."

   Hereffortsproduced high scores and,last November, her license as a
   commercial pilot.

   Now Sibalo isbuildingflighthours as the airline industry itself builds
   toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns.She
   hopes to find steady work among the small but growing ranks of women
   who are commercial pilots.In 2009,womenaccounted for73 out of 1,036
   (7%)pilotsforsixSouth African-ownedairlines operating domestic and
   regional routes, according to the Airlines Association of Southern
   Africa. By 2019, they made up 120 of 1,201 pilots(10%).

   Maybesometime soon,Sibalo will return to the Bulawayo airport--asa
   pilot.

   This story originated in [1]VOA's Zimbabwe Service.

References

   1. https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/emerging-queen-of-the-skies-doing-what-she-knows-best/5851582.html

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