I trained to be a pilot because I was inspired by my ex-RAF parents – now I’ve flown them for the first time and I’m so proud

• Michelle Herberts flew her parents on her WizzAir flight from Palma to Luton
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A female pilot who was inspired to train in the profession by her ex-RAF parents has welcomed them as passengers on her flight for the first time.

Michelle Herberts, 28, welcomed her parents onboard her WizzAir flight from Palma to Luton –  five years after they helped her to get her 120,000 euro (£104,000) pilot licence.

First officer Michelle was able to finance her costly training after help from her parents, Mike, 76, and Chris, 61. She also took out a bank loan which she is still paying off alongside her study fees.

‘I think what motivates me the most is my dad who is my role model,’ she said. ‘His attitude, he’s hard-working. It inspires me to be like him.’

Her father Mike worked in the Royal Air Force (RAF) where he was shot in the arm, before later becoming a commercial pilot.

Michelle Herberts, 28, welcomed her parents onboard her WizzAir flight from Palma to Luton – five years after they helped her to get her 120,000 euro (£104,000) pilot license

First officer Michelle was able to finance her costly training after help from her parents, Mike, 76, and Chris, 61 (pictured onboard the flight)

Michelle’s father Mike (pictured) worked in the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) where he was shot in the arm, before later becoming a commercial pilot

Michelle (pictured with a Hawker Hunter jet her father flew) first applied for flight school in 2018 but didn’t graduate until 2021 after Brexit and Covid delays

Michelle, who is originally from Belgium but now lives in Luton, was just one of two women in her 23-strong class at flight school.

‘When I walked outside the cockpit and saw my mum and dad, I did get a bit emotional because it meant a lot to me,’ Michelle said.

‘I showed them around the A320 cockpit with a lot of pride. I was quite nervous about my landing as my dad was probably watching and judging my landing with critical eyes [laughs].

However she said the flight was ‘great’ and she ‘finished it off with a nice landing’ at Luton. 

Michelle added: ‘I was quite nervous, excited and proud to fly my parents for the first time. As they supported me since day one, it was my moment to show them what my hard work and commitment resulted in.

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‘This would never have been possible without the help of my parents – a memory of a lifetime!’

Michelle first applied for flight school in 2018 but didn’t graduate until 2021 after Brexit and Covid delays.

She currently holds a Commercial Pilot Licence which means she can fly an aircraft that holds than nine passengers but she is working towards the highest grade of licence. 

She needs to complete more flying hours before gaining the qualification – which will allow her to fly more than nine passengers commercially.

Whilst working for British low-cost airline Wizz Air UK, Michelle has flown to over 30 European and Eastern destinations.

‘My dad’s mum and dad were in the military but none of them were pilots,’ she said.

‘So, my dad was the first pilot and I have continued it. My dad never really pushed me to become a pilot – it just came naturally.’   

Michelle is pictured with her parents Mike and Chris on the Wizz Air flight she was proud to take them on

Michelle (pictured) currently holds a Commercial Pilot Licence which means she can fly an aircraft that holds than nine passengers but she is working towards the highest grade of license

Mike joined the Sultan of Oman Airforce (SOAF) after leaving the RAF – where he received a Gallantry medal by the Sultan of Oman for saving the fighter jet (strike master) after being shot. Pictured is a news article from the incident 

Michelle needs to complete more flying hours before gaining the qualification – which will allow her to fly more than nine passengers commercially

Michelle is pictured in the red toy vehicle with her father and brother Matthew (left) and her mother Chris (right)

Wizz Air pilot Michelle is one of just over 70,000 female pilots in the world – just short of 10 per cent. There are over 750,000 pilots in the world in total

Mike joined the Sultan of Oman Airforce (SOAF) after leaving the RAF – where he received a Gallantry medal by the Sultan of Oman for saving the fighter jet (strike master) after being shot. The late Queen Elizabeth II permitted Mike to wear it on special occasions.

Whilst on counter-insurgency operations, his arm was hit by a heavy machine gun which deflected off his watch and reduced the damage he took from the bullet.

His career as a pilot could have ended if his arm had to be amputated but doctors did all they could to avoid that.

Michelle is one of just over 70,000 female pilots in the world – just short of 10 per cent. There are over 750,000 pilots in the world in total. 

She spoke about what it is like to a be a female pilot in the male-dominated industry, and how seeing other women in the industry on social media helped her see it as a possible career.

She said: ‘During the last year of my degree I had some friends who are airline pilots in a company in Belgium. I never really realised that it was something that I could do.

‘When it became more approachable after looking at social media and seeing other female pilots, I thought well maybe it’s a possibility.’

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