BY AHMED LOTFY
FOR A conservative family to be convinced to let their daughter trek to the other hemisphere, and live in solitude for a whole year, was just one of the hurdles for Munira Al Dosary, the first Arab woman chopper pilot.
Munira is a 25-year-old Qatari lady, who got her commercial chopper pilot licence from Bristow Academy, Florida, USA, last May.
Munira narrates a story of intrinsic drive and determination, and "a limitless confidence in Allah".
"To me, the challenge was to leave my homeland and go to a Western country, where I knew none. In California, I spent 10 months in severe solitude. And, though thousands of miles away from homeland, I found that my determination was not only surging to bring the licence home, but hit a record as well."
On achieving this goal, she feels indebted to the man who stood by her side through tough times.
"Mohammed Al Muhannadi, the General Manager of Gulf Helicopters believed in me and he always used to say that I would be an efficient pilot."
"Through my different experiences, I learnt that treading through gruelling moments in life always leads to success. I always had towering goals in mind. My goal during my course at the US was to be distinctive, to do better than the best. I strived hard to finish earlier than the stipulated time and, in spite of tight schedules and the unfriendly environment, got my licence in 10 months (12 being the set time)," says Munira.
Starting Early
She stresses that a major chunk of her life was devoted to the goal of attaining this position. But her story started early, when her interest for the skies were first kindled.
When she was in secondary school, where she was always within the top 10, she decided to take private pilot training hours. Then for the first time, she experienced the abundant exhilaration of take-off and landing, which paved way for her ardent interest in ?ying.
To pursue her dawning dream, she decided to enrol in Qatar Aeronautical College. She did and everything went well, until she had to face the first difficulty in her career and had to leave the college as a result of this.
She then decided to go to Jordan to join the Middle East Aviation Academy from 2004-2005.
"From Jordan, I had the private, commercial and instrument certificates, then the ATP (a specialty in the three). And then returned to Doha."
"My attempts yet failed to land me a job as a commercial pilot. Then, one day, I was walking close to the Air Forces headquarters, when I saw a helicopter over me.
And to my surprise, it took all my attention, and I said; 'Why not?'"
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"Soon, I talked to a number of friends, all of whom recommended Gulf Helicopters as the best option for me. Right from that point, my chopper career started. I contacted Gulf Helicopters, who asked me to send my credentials. The same day, I received a call from the head office for an instant interview, in which I was approved. They decided to send me to Bristow," she says.
After her stint at the Academy, she became a regular staff member at Gulf Helicopters. Gulf Helicopters is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Petroleum. It has been providing helicopter services since 1970, and has worked with almost all the major oil, construction and survey companies. Chopper challenges
Munira takes on the daily task of transporting people to offshore work sites, among others. "I feel so proud to take part in such a vital sector in my country's economy as oil and gas," she says.
Munira has plans to further pursue her helicopter private and commercial licences. "Although my first dream was to become an airline pilot, I am still happy with this turn. I still think I am the first Qatari lady to obtain a commercial airline licence. I find myself immersed in the challenges that a chopper has to undergo," she says.
There's just one thing that she is unhappy about, her busy schedules, which keep her away from her friends.
"All my friends are now in Egypt for the summer vacation, and I am here alone due to the pressure at work." |
