- 9 minutes ago
Dreaming of flying high in a career still dominated by men? Ever wondered what it’s really like for women in the cockpit?
In the latest episode of the Life & The City podcast, hosts Aida Ahmad and Farid Wahab explore the challenges and triumphs of women in aviation in conjunction with World Pilot Day.
Joining them is AirAsia First Officer Nur Farah Najihah Rosmi, who shares her journey from aspiring pilot to navigating the skies professionally.
The trio discusses the demanding realities of pilot training—from mental resilience to the stereotypes women still face in the aviation industry. Farah also opens up about moments where she felt the need to prove herself, common misconceptions surrounding female pilots, and the rewarding experiences that make the career worthwhile.
Also discussed is whether the aviation industry is becoming more inclusive and the advice Farah has for young girls hoping to pursue their dreams in the field.
The Life & The City podcast series airs twice a month, spotlighting issues that matter to urbanites. Catch the full episode on www.youtube.com/@thestaronline/podcasts or www.thestar.com.my/metro
In the latest episode of the Life & The City podcast, hosts Aida Ahmad and Farid Wahab explore the challenges and triumphs of women in aviation in conjunction with World Pilot Day.
Joining them is AirAsia First Officer Nur Farah Najihah Rosmi, who shares her journey from aspiring pilot to navigating the skies professionally.
The trio discusses the demanding realities of pilot training—from mental resilience to the stereotypes women still face in the aviation industry. Farah also opens up about moments where she felt the need to prove herself, common misconceptions surrounding female pilots, and the rewarding experiences that make the career worthwhile.
Also discussed is whether the aviation industry is becoming more inclusive and the advice Farah has for young girls hoping to pursue their dreams in the field.
The Life & The City podcast series airs twice a month, spotlighting issues that matter to urbanites. Catch the full episode on www.youtube.com/@thestaronline/podcasts or www.thestar.com.my/metro
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LifestyleTranscript
00:03Farid, on April 26th, it was World Pilot Day. Did you know that? I didn't, actually.
00:09I did not, until you brought it up.
00:12Well, we have a female pilot with us today to talk about World Pilot Day and how women are getting
00:22into industries that traditionally has been a very male-dominated one,
00:29especially the aviation industry. Well, like you said, we've all flown on planes, but how often do we picture who's
00:38in the cockpit?
00:39Well, today we have First Officer Noor Farah Najihah Rosmi from AirAsia. Welcome.
00:45Hi, thank you for having me.
00:47Do we address you as Farah?
00:48It's Farah, yeah.
00:49Farah, okay. Welcome to our podcast.
00:52Thank you for being with us here today.
00:54Thank you, it's my first time.
00:55Wonderful. And you are a commercial pilot from AirAsia.
01:00Yes, I'm a First Officer for AirAsia.
01:03Wonderful. Are you the, well, let's get into it then. Are you the first, no, you can't be the first
01:12female pilot in AirAsia because you look relatively young.
01:15Yeah.
01:15Definitely not the first.
01:17Yeah.
01:18Maybe ask how old you are.
01:19I'm 26 this year.
01:22You are also a singer.
01:23Yeah, I am.
01:26How did you go from wanting to be a singer to become a pilot?
01:33I've been starting my singing since I was 10.
01:37My mom actually pushed me to be a singer and I ended up winning some competitions.
01:44So that's how I started.
01:45I've been performing for events, weddings, and in the year 2022, I started to release my own single on YouTube
01:56called Cerita Koo.
01:57Wonderful.
01:58Yeah, but I feel like I can offer more with my knowledge and ability.
02:04So that's how I feel like I want to start, I want to join a flying school and start to
02:09be a pilot.
02:10Yeah, so that's how it all started.
02:11What was your background? Like, what do you study in university?
02:17Actually, I've joined flying school after graduating from my high school.
02:22The requirement is actually SPM only.
02:25So I joined directly after my SPM.
02:28And after that, during the ground school, we have to take like 14 papers.
02:34And for me, it was quite tough because we have to complete everything in one year.
02:40So after finishing all those 14 papers, it's where the fun part, the flying part.
02:48The flying part is where that time I fly in Langkawi, also some parts in Alustra, Perak, and Penang as
02:57well.
02:58And after obtained like 200 hours, that's where I get my commercial pilot license.
03:04I see.
03:05So Farah, you were born and bred in Langkawi.
03:08Yes, yes.
03:08I see.
03:0924 years there.
03:11Well, from one island girl to another, I can say it's nice actually, born and bred on an island.
03:20It is.
03:20You feel like you're on holiday most of the time.
03:23It's so peaceful there.
03:25Exactly.
03:28Can you take us back to the moment where you decided you wanted to become a pilot?
03:36Growing up as a girl, I've never imagined myself as a pilot, actually.
03:42But I've been traveling a lot.
03:44And that time, I've never seen a female pilot before.
03:49So, with my background in my high school, when most of my friends, they were choosing careers like medicine, accounting,
04:00engineering,
04:00I feel like I want to do something different.
04:03So, that's why I decided, since I've never seen any female pilot before, why not be one?
04:10So, I take the challenge and start joining the flying school in Langkawi.
04:14Right.
04:15You mentioned that earlier just now, you mentioned that your mom actually was keen on you becoming a singer.
04:23So, how did she take it when you decided to become, I mean, to enroll into a flying school?
04:28What was her reaction?
04:30She's actually encouraging me to be a pilot because for me, singing is my passion.
04:37It's a hobby, but flying is a different thing.
04:39So, since we've been traveling a lot, she's actually encouraging me more to be a pilot.
04:46Okay.
04:46What were the 14 papers you had to take in flying school?
04:50One of it is meteorology, studies about weather, principle of flight, airframes, air laws, also some general navigations.
05:03Sounds like a lot of math.
05:05Yeah, communications, a lot of math and science.
05:08Were you a science or arts student in school?
05:11I'm a science student in school.
05:13Okay.
05:13I suppose that was a good thing.
05:16Yeah.
05:17What was the training like?
05:20I mean, how long did it take?
05:22Like one year, two years, three years?
05:26Roughly around 18 months to 24 months, also depending on the student performance and weather conditions.
05:35But during my time, I was the COVID victim.
05:38So, it took me like three years to finish the flying school.
05:47Well, did you face any mental challenges when you embarked on this journey?
05:56Well, I can't deny I doubted myself a lot in the beginning.
06:00I mean, up until today, even when I joined airlines, I still have the negative thoughts that keep on asking
06:08me, how am I going to do this?
06:12But, I know, one thing I know that nothing comes easy.
06:18Sure.
06:18So, I just took one step at a time and I pushed myself harder because this is something I want
06:25to do.
06:25And being a pilot, I know it's not easy.
06:28And one thing is I know that I have a great support system from my family.
06:33They always been believing in me since day one, even when there are times that I don't even believe in
06:40myself.
06:41But, for my family, they never once doubted my ability to be a pilot.
06:46That's good.
06:47Tell us about your family and upbringing.
06:51Do you have sisters or brothers?
06:54Yeah, I do have a brother in aviation as well.
06:58Wonderful.
06:59Yeah.
06:59Okay, that's good.
07:00That, you know, backup and moral support.
07:05It's an inspiration for me.
07:06Yeah.
07:07That's good.
07:07So, that's how I also feel inspired to join this field because of him also.
07:13So, there's only two of you?
07:14Yeah.
07:15Okay.
07:16Wow.
07:17I do want to ask.
07:17Parents must be proud.
07:19Yeah, they should be.
07:20I mean, I know I would be.
07:21I do have one question like, you know, you did tell me that you've done this for about a year
07:27now.
07:27Okay.
07:28Okay.
07:28What's the farthest?
07:29I mean, where are the farthest that you've flown to?
07:31The farthest that I've flown to?
07:33Recently, I went to Perth.
07:35You know, funny thing is, me and family, Perth is like our second home.
07:41And going there, we always celebrated Raya there.
07:46So, last month when I went there, I actually went there as a pilot.
07:51Last time as a small girl and now as a pilot, it's a different feeling.
07:55I feel like it's an achievement for me.
07:58You're the one steering the plane.
07:59Yeah, because I was the one who flying the plane.
08:01Before that, I was just a normal passenger.
08:04But that time, I feel so proud of myself.
08:08Well, we are proud of you as well.
08:10Wonderful.
08:11That's good for you.
08:12Let's talk about breaking barriers in what we know as a male-dominated industry, and that's aviation.
08:22What were some of the challenges that you personally faced as a woman in this field?
08:29From what I see since I've been joining for a year, this field might be male-dominated,
08:35but it is very welcoming for women to be part of it.
08:38The challenge that I face are merely the same as men, as their training requires skills, knowledge, not gender.
08:47But if you ask me on the personal level, I would say my challenge is just to prove that I
08:54deserve to be there.
08:55Because, as you can see, I'm quite petite here.
08:58So, I could understand that there might be some people who have doubts when they see me,
09:04like, can this girl really fly?
09:06Can this tiny person fly in a jet?
09:08Yeah.
09:09But that's why I feel like I need to put an extra work just to prove that I deserve to
09:16be where I am today.
09:18So, I'm very curious.
09:20As petite, tiny people, when you sit in the cockpit, right, how much muscle do you need to fly that
09:28plane?
09:28Don't worry.
09:29The seat is adjustable, actually.
09:31So, it's like a car.
09:33You can adjust everything.
09:34So, it's no problem for me at all.
09:37My car seat is jacked up to the maximum already.
09:40No problem.
09:41So, when you get into the cockpit, tell us in layman terms, when you're about to fly today, let's say
09:50your flight is to Perth.
09:52Okay.
09:52What are the procedures when you get yourself in the cockpit?
09:58When I get myself to the cockpit, normal thing, we check for the, everything is in the safe conditions.
10:05Basically, we check if the circuit freaks are all in, check the certificates, check the first aid kit.
10:13So, and then we also have some checklists that we need to do.
10:18Right.
10:18And then I will check on the weather.
10:21I will insert all the routing inside.
10:23Yeah.
10:23That's basically how I'm going to the cockpit.
10:30How many flying hours do you need to complete, let's say, in a month?
10:34Or is that how they gauge you?
10:37For now, roughly, we get like 60 hours.
10:416-0 or 60?
10:426-0, yeah.
10:44I bet it must be exhausting because, I mean, I know driving is exhausting, but I don't know if flying
10:50is the same as driving.
10:51It feels like comparing dragon to a lizard.
10:53But still, is it exhausting?
10:55You know, I feel like it would be exhausting.
10:57I have to be honest.
10:58It is so exhausting at the end of the day because flying is, it's not just sitting.
11:04It's all about monitoring.
11:05It's about judgment.
11:07And whatever we do, it involves knowledge and thinking.
11:11So, it gets pretty tiring at the end of the day, especially during bad weather conditions.
11:18And the fact that over 100 people are in your hands, their lives are in your hands.
11:25Yeah, it's a huge responsibility for us.
11:27Right.
11:28And that's a regular plane, right?
11:33If you're flying a jumbo jet, that's 300 over people.
11:36Yeah, different story.
11:37Yeah.
11:38What kind of plane do you fly now, Farah?
11:40For now, I'm flying Airbus HE20 and HE21.
11:46Okay.
11:46And when, or have you encountered any moments where you felt you had to really prove yourself?
11:58Yeah, when you asked about this, I remember on my second day of my flying school, there was this specific
12:05one person told me that, that I won't make it, that I will fail.
12:11Really?
12:11Really?
12:11So, that actually, that word still lingers in my mind.
12:15Because being 18 and youngest at the time, it definitely hurts me.
12:20I mean, up to this day, I still feel it.
12:22But, you know, if you want to do something, there will be a lot of people who will deny your
12:29dreams.
12:30People will tell you you can't do it.
12:30People will tell you you can't do it.
12:32But, it's very important to take those negative words.
12:37And for me, I change it, make it as a fire within me, just to push myself beyond and even
12:44more.
12:44So, yeah, I mean, like, thanks to her, I'm here today because of those words.
12:52It's very important to turn all those negativity into some motivations and encouragements.
12:59Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
13:02Is there any, like, are there any, like, misconceptions people have?
13:05I'm not sure if you've covered this before.
13:06Okay.
13:07But, are there any misconceptions about, you know, you as a woman being a pilot?
13:12Are there any, I don't know, people perceive you differently?
13:15People look at you differently?
13:16Any wrong ideas they may have about you just because you're a woman?
13:20I mean, like, just like how some people have some stereotypes against women when it comes to driving.
13:27Same goes for aviation.
13:29It's the same for aviation.
13:32But, like I said, flying is all about skills.
13:37It's all about knowledge.
13:38If you're good at that, there won't be any problem.
13:42But, I believe this mindset is just held by small minority because people are more aware of female pilots now.
13:51Instead of feeling those negative things, I'm sure they are more in awe and amiss when they see women, female
13:59pilots at the airport.
14:01Yeah, absolutely.
14:02And, it's different when we're driving, Farid.
14:05No one is giving you the side eye up in the air for, you know, driving wrongly or driving badly.
14:13Yeah.
14:14And, you don't have to announce to the people in the back when you're having bad weather.
14:17Like, you can see it in the windows, right?
14:21So, what does a typical day look like for you in the cockpit?
14:24Like, you know, say you're flying, I don't know how many hours.
14:26I mean, what does it look like typically?
14:30For me, I always make sure that I am well rested and have a proper meals before going for a
14:36flight.
14:37And, having enough energy is very important to make sure that I make a proper judgment and decisions during flying.
14:45And, when I come for a briefing, me and my captain, we make sure that we are in the same
14:50loop.
14:51We make sure that we are aware of the weather conditions, the technical reports regarding the aircraft and also the
15:01airport information.
15:02We basically make sure that we both have the same information.
15:06We both have the same knowledge.
15:09And, after that, we'll receive the flight documents called flight plan.
15:14This is where all the information regarding the destinations, the routings.
15:20And, when we discuss all that, we will come up with a decision on how much fuel we will carry
15:25on that day.
15:26And, during flying, one will be flying and one will be communicating with the air traffic controllers.
15:34So, you and your captain?
15:36Me and my captain, depending.
15:37We will decide who will be flying and who will be the pilot monitoring.
15:42Right.
15:42So, during flying, we will also monitor for the weather, monitor, just making sure that everything is operating safely.
15:52And, it could get very hectic at the end of the day because flying requires constant attention and monitoring.
16:02And alertness, yeah.
16:03Alertness, yeah.
16:03Can you take a nap?
16:05Let's say, if you're flying.
16:08Okay, you mentioned earlier that the farthest you've flown a plane was to Perth.
16:14And, that's four and a half, five hours.
16:16That was like five and a half hours.
16:18Okay.
16:18Yeah.
16:19Have you taken a nap?
16:21For me, personally, I've never taken a nap.
16:24Can you take a nap?
16:25For us, we don't practice that.
16:27I'm sure for a wide body, they do.
16:30But, we take some turns to rest.
16:34For sure, we need the rest also, yeah.
16:36So, we still can have a casual conversation.
16:39We still can eat.
16:40So, eating and casual conversations are considered the restfulness during the flight.
16:45Yeah, that is the rest for us.
16:47Has there been any unforgettable moment when you were flying?
16:51I don't know.
16:52So, you know, for me, flying is a scary thing.
16:55I'm afraid of heights and being trapped in a flying metal container is very scary for me.
17:00But, what's it like for you?
17:02Has there been any unforgettable moment for you as a pilot?
17:06For me, I am enjoying every single day because I waited for three years.
17:10And, I really appreciate these moments when I finally get this job.
17:15But, if you ask me what is the most memorable moments for me, I would say on the day I
17:21received these two stripes, when I waited for three years.
17:28And, when I joined, I need to go through intense training, I would say.
17:33And, when I finally got this appellate, I feel like, wow, I'm officially a pilot.
17:42And, I've been waiting for three years and I feel like that time, there's a reason for every delay, every
17:50doubt.
17:50And, I feel like dreams do come true.
17:53Do you sing in the plane?
17:57Because, I understand sometimes, you know, pilots, they have a good sense of humor.
18:01So, have you sung to your passengers?
18:04I've never done that, but maybe I should in the future.
18:07Maybe when we land, you can, okay, here's a song from me.
18:09Yeah, maybe, maybe, that's a good idea.
18:12Just to celebrate the safe landing.
18:13I've never done that, but maybe I should.
18:16What's the first location that you've flown to?
18:18And, what was it, how did it feel like when you, you know, the first time that you've ever flown?
18:24And, landed safely.
18:25Your inaugural flight.
18:28Inaugural flight, it was a training flight, actually.
18:31It was in Terengganu.
18:33And, I was back for flying for, after three years.
18:39And, the feeling, I can't deny, I was scared at first.
18:43Because, before this, I was flying a small plane.
18:46Now, it's a bigger, so much bigger.
18:49And, I feel scared.
18:51I feel amazed.
18:52I feel proud.
18:53It's a lot of feelings at the same time.
18:56But, it was definitely, definitely one of the moments that I won't forget.
19:03During my first takeoff and landing.
19:05So, Farah, tell us about this career as a pilot.
19:11Is it as glamorous as people imagine?
19:15What are the positive and negative points of being a pilot?
19:21Let's start with the positive.
19:23I know that being a pilot could get glamorous for some people.
19:28It's like, we are celebrities at the airport.
19:31Yeah.
19:32Every time we walk, everyone will be looking.
19:34But, not everyone knows that the training are very intense.
19:38And, we constantly go through assessment, evaluations.
19:44Every year, every six months, we have to go through something.
19:47And, it's quite, it could get tiring.
19:54Because, we need to study constantly.
19:57But, the rewards are definitely worth it.
20:01Worth all the hard work we went through.
20:06So, as everyone knows, the salary is, I would say, I would assume it's quite high for us.
20:12And, also the travel perks.
20:13We can travel everywhere with discounted price.
20:16And, that's the real rewards of being a pilot.
20:24When you started off as being a pilot,
20:27Did you read up a lot about just aircrafts in general?
20:34Aircraft engineering?
20:35Did you have to educate yourself about that before you even set foot in flying school?
20:40I mean, it's good to know.
20:41It's good to have a brief idea of what you're getting yourself into.
20:48Because, flying, it's all about learning.
20:51It never stops.
20:52Even up until you are at the age of 65,
20:54We never stop learning.
20:57And, every year, every six months,
21:00We still need to read all the manuals.
21:03So, for me, it's not wrong.
21:05To have a brief idea of flying before joining.
21:09Do pilots have to go through CPD?
21:12Like, doctors, for example.
21:15Continuous professional development.
21:17Where you go through your training.
21:19And, then you accumulate points to sustain your licensure.
21:23Is that, do you have to go through that?
21:25Yeah, we, we go through that every year.
21:29Actually, we do have simulators.
21:31I see.
21:31And, it's a simulator where we practice for emergencies.
21:38Basically, mainly emergencies and abnormalities.
21:41Because, we, we do not face that every day.
21:43So, that's how we make sure that our, we are on standard.
21:47And, recurrent our license.
21:49Yeah.
21:50One year into the job.
21:51Like, I'm sure there are things that we learn when we were in school.
21:55There are things we learn when we are on the job.
21:59So, what are the things that probably, you know,
22:01You only found out after you started working as a pilot.
22:05I mean, compare that to your time back when you were in the flying school.
22:09So, yeah, learning is a different thing.
22:11But, it still needs the experience.
22:13For me, one year of flying, I still have so much to learn.
22:17And, I've never encountered so many things in my career yet.
22:23But, based on my experience, for me, deviating weather is not something that we could learn from the book.
22:30It's what we learn.
22:31Experience.
22:32By experience.
22:33From what I do, I usually see on how captain, I encounter it.
22:39And, I learn from it.
22:40Yeah.
22:41Funny that you should mention weather.
22:43Because, for me, when, every time I've flown.
22:46And, you know, the weather was bad.
22:48And, then the aircraft was shaking.
22:50I got scared.
22:50Yeah, turbulence.
22:51So, maybe as a pilot, you can tell me.
22:53People like me.
22:54Our listeners who are like me, who are scared of flying.
22:56What's really going on when that happens?
22:58When it's shaking?
22:59Of course, we try our best to minimize the turbulence.
23:04But, sometimes we can't avoid it.
23:08But, for us, we try our best to avoid all clouds.
23:14It's because of the clouds.
23:16It's the air pockets, isn't it?
23:17I would say it's because of the clouds.
23:21Mainly the turbulence.
23:22But, if we go through, if we have no choice and have to go through it, there will be some
23:30procedures for us.
23:31It's like, turn on the seatbelt sign on and we will adjust the speed just to minimize the turbulence.
23:37And, we'll do our best because we know there might be some passengers who are scared and we'll try our
23:43best.
23:44And, I can still enjoy my nasi lemak.
23:47Yeah.
23:50Would you say that the aviation industry has become more inclusive for women?
23:57It is.
23:58When we look back 10 or 20 years before, like I said before, it was very rare for us to
24:03see female pilots.
24:05But, now we can see a few, but we are still the minority.
24:11And, I think it's because of the lack of the representations.
24:16There are still some girls who doesn't know that we are girls that we can still be a pilot.
24:22There are still a lot of people who doesn't know.
24:24So, when people see me at the airport, most of them will be amazed.
24:30And, they will ask, oh, I never know that a female could be a pilot.
24:34So, that is why I appreciate being in the podcast like this.
24:39So, that there will be some young girls who will feel inspired when they see, hopefully when they see me,
24:45they will feel inspired and influenced to join the flying school.
24:52What advice would you give young girls and young adult women who dream of becoming pilots but feel rather intimidated?
25:05I would say, I am a small girl from a small island.
25:11I've been denied by so many people.
25:13There are so many people told me that I will fail, that I can't do it.
25:16But, one thing about me is, I never like to listen to people.
25:24I take every bad words people say to me and turn it into a fire to push myself even more.
25:29And, to the young girls, I would say, dream big, chase your goals, never listen to people, and work hard
25:41for your dreams.
25:42Because, dreams really comes true if you work for it.
25:46That's right.
25:47And, that is your message for World Pilot Day.
25:50Yes.
25:51To our listeners.
25:52To our listeners, yes.
25:54Great.
25:54Any parting words for it?
25:57Can I get a discount?
25:58No, I'm just kidding.
26:00Do you get that a lot from friends and family members?
26:05But, wait.
26:05Family members do get a discount, right?
26:07They do.
26:07So, my parents are actually abusing the discounted tickets.
26:13They really use it.
26:15Okay.
26:16Wonderful.
26:17Thank you, Farah, for being on our podcast.
26:19This was a fun and interesting episode.
26:23Thank you for having me also.
26:25You're welcome for World Pilot Day.
26:27Be sure to check out our previous episodes on Life in the City on YouTube.
26:33And, our podcast can be viewed on Star Online.
26:37And, www.thestar.com.my slash metro.
26:40Thank you, Farah.
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