Lily: Air Force Pilot

[UNITED STATES]

 
 
 
 

Air Force Pilot

Lily is part of the 6.5% of women pilots in the Air Force. She flies a C-5, the biggest plane in the Air Force. Read her take below.

Question + Answer

1) What advice would you give to another woman considering going into this field?

I would tell her to go for it! The opportunities are endless. The training I have received is valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars while arming me with a work ethic that I couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. And the best part is that I have the ability to travel the world and see first hand the impact that my missions have in our global reach.

2) What's the most fulfilling part of your job?

The most fulfilling part of my job is the sense of camaraderie I have with my unit. It’s like a family where everyone has your back. I trust each and every person I go on a mission with and they make coming to work fun and not feel like a regular 8-5 day.

3) You mentioned you chose to fly a specific plane because it offered the ability to have a family while staying in this industry. Can you talk about that decision, and in general what about other positions in the Air Force that also offer good work-life balance.

The C-5 compared to other plane platforms is relatively family friendly. Granted being a pilot, there’s always going to be struggles with being gone. However, the cool thing about the C-5 is that we can travel the world and reach all parts but make the mission more of a week long endeavor rather than a month long. Compared to other Air Force jobs, it’s rather easy to have a family because you can come every night to a family at home. But with being a pilot we will be on the road every other week.

4) What's it like being a woman pilot in the Air Force?

Being a woman pilot in the Air Force means having a lot of older brothers looking out for you.

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