EVEN Emily Sidoti’s dad doubted her when she said she wanted to fly aeroplanes for a living.
The 37-year-old was told that being a woman would affect her ability to perform as a professional pilot.
However, with almost 20 years of experience under her belt now, Emily has proved her doubters wrong.
The mum-of-three had stints in hospitality and fashion before she decided to take things sky-high.
But with a global average of just 5% of commercial pilots being women, the odds were stacked against her.
Emily, whose official job title is a Senior First Officer, says eyebrows were raised when she began training for her commercial pilot licence at 18-years-old.
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Proving the naysayers wrong, she became the first Australian female pilot to captain an A380 fleet for Emirates.
Emily spent the first leg of her career flying regional and domestic planes down under, before taking things international as an Emirates pilot for the last four years.
“Working as a female pilot is no different to being a male pilot,” she tells 7Life.
“We are all trained to the same high standards. We continually work hard and remain professional.”
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“I have been confronted by doubt from a minority of people, including my own father initially, during years in the aviation industry.
“They suggest my gender will play a part in my ability to perform as a professional pilot.
“This judgement is only a reflection of someone else’s belief or opinion.
“It has no relevance in my ability to succeed in the aviation industry.”
Since taking her job with Emirates, Emily’s family is now based in the UAE city.
She shares three daughters with her husband, who is a “solo parent” while she is away on work.
“My husband is incredibly supportive and runs the solo parent role when I’m away,” Emily says.
“My family has learnt to adapt to the changes and demands of my career.
“They also love the perks of my job, in particular business class staff travel anywhere in the world.”
Emily’s secret hack to ensure she performs well on the day is to exercise before every flight – something particularly handy to boost energy when working across multiple time zones.
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“It’s great for circulation and helps loosen up tight muscles or joints before sitting for a long period of time, as well as boosts energy,” she explains.
“I usually have two to three hours of flight preparation ensuring familiarity of the route we are flying, including country rules and regulations, weather, airports and airspace requirements and restrictions.”
