The world tends to get pretty caught up about age, doesn’t it? For some reason there’s this whole big thing about being the youngest person to do something that society typically deems to be an older person’s game and vice versa.
To put it simply, we’re not about that life. And neither is Kate McWilliams.
26-year-old Kate was recently promoted to commercial airline captain for easyJet, reports the Telegraph.
Now, I don’t know about you but having the skills to fly a plane is one of those things that blows my mind. We all know it to be one of those careers that’s no easy feat to get to, what with all of that intense training you have to master before being allowed to fly a plane load of people around the world.
According to an EasyJet spokeswoman, the airline did some research that suggests that she is the youngest commercial airline captain in the world.
But as Kate explained, she’s done exactly the same training as all of the other commercial airline captains were required to do, so really the age thing shouldn’t be THAT big of a deal.
She said: ‘Personally I don’t think my age matters. I’ve been through the same training and passed the same command course as every other captain so I’ve proven myself capable regardless of my age.'
‘I do now get asked how old I am on an almost daily basis which didn’t used to happen when I was a first officer.’
Kate went on to explain that most of the time its the cabin crew who query her age, but sometimes the passengers ask too.
‘When I tell them I'm 26, most people are pleasantly surprised and impressed with my achievement at such a young age.’
At the end of the day, Kate is just a young woman who worked hard to be really good at her job. She started flying in the air cadets when she was 13 and then went on to do a training programme when she turned 19.
But it feels like the idea of a 26-year-old airline pilot isn’t something we’re used to yet. Which quite frankly is more than a bit disappointing because why on earth should it be questioned?
More positively though, Julie Westhorp, chairwoman of the British Women Pilots' Association (BWPA), said she hopes Miss McWilliams' progression inspires more women to consider pursuing a career in aviation.
She said: ‘Kate's achievement clearly demonstrates to other young women that it is possible to succeed as a pilot in commercial aviation.’
Amen to that, Julie.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.