‘The views will always win’: Meet Air Rarotonga’s first female pilot

Isabel Drollet Macdonald, the first female pilot for Air Rarotonga. Photo / Isabel Macdonald

By Coco Lance of RNZ

The moment Isabel Drollet Macdonald stepped inside a plane, on an aircraft that was flown by none other than her dad, she knew that the pilot’s life was meant for her.

“It was just one of the little scenic flights,” Macdonald said.

“But it was just very inspiring to see the world from a pilot’s eyes. I was probably eight or nine years old, but that was the start of it.”

At just 23 years old, Macdonald is set to make history as Air Rarotonga’s first-ever female pilot.

“My mum travelled a lot for work … and I think, I really do like the idea of travelling around the world. And why not be a pilot? I mean, it’s one of the coolest jobs in my opinion.

“Once you take off, there’s an unmatched feeling of just weight being lifted off your shoulders, off your whole entire body, actually.

“It’s just an amazing thought that something so heavy, man-made, is flying in the air. How did we humans even achieve that?”

It was not an easy journey for the youngster. Macdonald said there was a key moment during her entry interview that has stuck with her ever since.

“The interviewer asked me, ‘Do you know how many women as a percentage are in the aviation industry?’

“I told him maybe 20%. He just kept saying, ‘Lower, lower, lower.’ It ended up being 5%.”

“That number is very scary to hear,” Macdonald said, but adding that “from what I’ve seen, it’s growing and thriving”.

Raised largely in the Cook Islands before studying in Aotearoa – Macdonald’s mother is of Cook Islands and Tongan whakapapa, and her dad, Samoan – she believes her journey resonates with the Cook Islands community because she is someone who “was bred and brought up there”.

“The love is unmatched,” she said. “They’re so, so, so proud.”

Macdonald added that the highlight will be kick-starting her career in the Cooks.

“I’ve started to see other Cook Island girls … they’re flying as well, and that is so great to see. But not only that, they’re such a proud country, and they’re so happy to see me graduate.”

“I’m just really happy that I could serve my country in a way that I didn’t even know would start such a movement.

“I would take any job. I would love to even just serve them coffee. I would work in the office. I would do the baggage. I just want to be in the aviation industry.

“It’s a bit bittersweet,though, because I do have to say goodbye to all my connections I’ve made in New Zealand. There were so many great friends that helped me along the way. But it just means they’re going to have to come over for a holiday.”

‘I’m proud to say I found it hard’

The standout of Macdonald’s journey, of course, is that she will be Air Rarotonga’s first-ever female pilot.

While the journey was inevitably hard, she felt encouraged and invigorated by her cohort.

“But I’m proud to say that I found it hard because that just shows my character. I was very passionate and I really wanted to push through, graduate, and reach my goal.”

The demands of pilot training are unique, demanding and require those who pursue the career to be switched on at all times.

A typical week involves full days of classes, followed by flight training that sometimes extends into night flying sessions.

“The hardest part is just, partly leaving home, also with the idea of having to juggle the practical side with my studies,” she explained.

“You may finish your day at school and then have a little break, get ready for building your hours at night, and then that just takes away basically a whole entire day … so just make sure you’ve got your food ready!”

Though aviation has traditionally been male-dominated, Macdonald said she was encouraged by the growing number of women entering the field during her time at Massey University, and never felt sidelined because of her gender.

And while her official start date remains up in the air, Macdonald has plenty keeping her busy, having graduated just last week and now preparing for a move to Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), before she relocates once again to the islands.

But Macdonald is happy to be patient as discussions continue around hopefully taking to the skies for scenic flights across Rarotonga.

“I’m hoping I can start on the smaller flights, doing scenic flights in Raro, helping tourists see the island within 30 minutes. But the aviation industry is currently going through the fuel crisis, so I’m just ready when they’re ready to go.”

Macdonald’s advice

Asked about her favourite part of flying, Macdonald said nothing compares to the views from above.

“The views will always win.

“You can fly at a different time in the day, and you’ll always get a different setting … the sunset will never be the same.”

And for young women dreaming of entering aviation themselves, Macdonald had some sound advice.

“Fake it till you make it,” she said.

“I pretended I knew what I was doing, but with the repetition, I ended up knowing what I was doing, and that confidence really shot through ... find your why, and you should be able to go through anything.”

She said young women should not be afraid that being a pilot is male-dominated.

“Maybe there’s only 5% women in the aviation industry. Those are just words and numbers. Just do what you know.

“You will make it, and it won’t be fake in the end.”

- RNZ