WOMEN IN AVIATION
Vista celebrates with women and girls across the globe for Women of Aviation Worldwide Week. From our maintenance crew handing aircraft on the ground, pilots and cabin hosts in the sky, to commercial and sales teams dealing face-to-face with clients, Vista’s female employees are essential to every part of the journey.
Women of Aviation Worldwide Week is a global celebration bringing awareness to women and girls of all ages. The occasion also marks the anniversary of the world’s first female pilot license earned by Raymonde de Laroche, on March 8th, 1910.
Vista is proud to announce that approximately 40% of its global workforce are women.
From our maintenance crew handing aircraft on the ground, pilots and cabin hosts in the sky, to commercial and sales teams dealing face-to-face with clients, Vista’s female employees are essential to every part of the journey.
Leona Qi, President of VistaJet U.S., is not only setting an example for the younger generations of female leaders but is making it possible for other women to be appointed into executive roles in the industry.
“I’d ask anyone looking to advance in this industry, ‘are you passionate and good at your job?’”
Leona shares a few essential steps to encourage others to be the best at what they do:
- Never assume. Do your research to ensure you provide a solution that meets the requirements.
- Prepare for your next step. This keeps you focused and determined to succeed.
- Focus on your strengths. Do not let imposter syndrome paralyze your progress. Let your skillset speak for itself and steer the narrative.
At the heart of Vista is aviation, innovation and technology, allowing a myriad of career paths for those without previous aviation experience.
With no previous aviation experience, XO’s Chief Marketing Officer, Lynn Fischer, states “It’s so important to explore careers in tech, science and aviation. Finding a mentor is also super helpful and allows women to genuinely start to consider this path as a career.”
Having inspiring role models is an essential part of life because it can be hard to imagine ‘doing something’ or ‘being someone’ when you have never seen what it looks like. Whether you have experience in aviation, technology or you are looking to explore a new industry, there are plenty of women at Vista ready to inspire your journey.
Vista is always achieving the inconceivable, and it doesn’t stop with our employees.
Cabin Host Nalini Ramer recently set a world record for the largest vertical formation skydive with 80+ other women from around the globe. The jump commemorated the 19th Amendment, first passing in 1920, giving women the right to vote in the United States.
According to the International Society of Female Airline Pilots, the number of female pilots worldwide stands at just over 5%. At VistaJet we are at 6%, which is above the industry average. VistaJet Captain’s Léa Thiery and Emma Heering are among those employees, passionate about encouraging more women and girls to consider being a pilot as a career.
Léa Thiery, Captain on the Global 6000, is also Vice President of Women in Aviation International Riviera Chapter (based in the South of France). Its aim is to encourage women and girls to pursue a career in aviation. After having been fortunate enough to meet her idol Béatrice Vialle — the first ever French female pilot on the supersonic airliner — Léa developed a strong passion for finding ways to shine a light on the pilot profession for women and girls.
Emma Heering, Captain on the Challenger 605, has recently become a Type Rating Examiner. Emma is passionate about mentoring the future generation of female fliers and feels strongly about encouraging them to persevere, follow dreams and break down traditional constructs. Emma’s ultimate ‘pinch me moment’ was the first time she took off as Captain on the left seat. The responsibility and pride that came with knowing she was being trusted to manage the beautiful machine that is the Challenger 605.