Meet the first Emirati female pilot to test AW609 tiltrotor

Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum has become the first woman to pilot the AW609 tiltrotor, setting a new milestone for female pilots in civil aviation.

She piloted the aircraft during her visit to the US helicopter headquarters of Leonardo, a global player in the aerospace, defence and security sector, located in Philadelphia.

In a statement to Dubai Media Office, Sheikha Mozah said, “I’m thrilled to be the first female pilot to test this revolutionary aircraft. It was not only a personal milestone but an opportunity to shatter another glass ceiling for women. I always push myself beyond my limits to prove that if I can do it, it is also within the reach of anyone else who is determined enough to try.”

“Piloting the AW609 has been something I’ve truly wanted to experience since I first saw the early prototype images. It is the natural evolution of my piloting experience, merging both fixed and rotary-winged piloting skills. Aircraft like the AW609 tiltrotor make me feel really excited about the future of aviation, a future now open to more women who chose this industry,” she added.

Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum has become the first woman to pilot the AW609 tiltrotor, setting a new and important milestone for female pilots in civil aviation.https://t.co/Ixc2yO1DsQ pic.twitter.com/kCXqLgtN9G

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 30, 2022

The AW609 is one of the most significant technological innovations in the civil aviation landscape. Its ability to take off and land vertically and hover like a helicopter offers passengers the comfort of a turboprop airplane. It can operate different kind of missions, including VIP transport, emergency medical service, search and rescue, and government applications.

Sheikha Mozah has been passionate about flying ever since the age of 12, by becoming the youngest enrolled student at Oxford Aviation Academy in England. She was appointed as a first officer with Emirates in 2015 and set out on her first passenger flight from Dubai to Amman. In 2019,  she became the first lieutenant pilot in the Dubai Police Air Wing in 2019.

Mozah bint Marwan becomes first woman to pilot AW609 tiltrotor.#WamNews pic.twitter.com/6sBIrnYyGq

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) May 30, 2022

Mozah joins the ranks of  some other remarkable female pilots from the region. Last year, Aisha Al Mansouri became the first Emirati A380 female pilot by flying for Etihad Airways. Hanadi Zakaria Al Hindi also made history as Saudi Arabia’s first female to earn a pilot licence.

Read also: All-women crew operates Emirates flight