Teenage girl trains to become a pilot at Flight Training London

Hetal Mistry, 16, from Stanmore, has been studying at Flight Training London at Elstree Aerodrome in hopes to receive her Private Pilot’s Licence.

The aspiration is a rare one for a teenage girl, and in fact just two years ago the teenager would not have imagined herself trying to get into that field.

But after trying out a flight simulation with her family at the age of 15, she was recommended to try out flight school after her impressive performance for a first timer.

Even after the suggestion, there was a slight reluctance to try it out – but once she seated herself in the cockpit, it quickly became clear to her that her newfound hobby would be her dream career.

She said: “At the time I didn’t know, I thought let me just try one and see what it’s like in the first time, and after that I kept doing lessons and I knew I definitely want to do that as my career.

“In the simulation it was a bigger aircraft – it was a A380 – and the one I’m flying now is only a two-seater, so it’s a big difference.

“Both were similar in a way, you focus on landing and take-offs, there’s a similar sort of routine.”

Hetal Mistry is training to become a commercial pilot

Hetal spent most of her time since balancing her GCSE studies and her training sessions for the Private Pilot’s Licence, and by the end of her GCSEs she aced all her exams with a grade 9 in all of her subjects.

In between her academic studies, she needs to read five books in practice for her nine theory exams and one practical exam.

Then last week (September 29), Miss Mistry took her first solo flight without an instructor.

When asked about what her peers think, she said: “They’re impressed, obviously there’s not that many people doing it. The earliest you can start is 15, but you can’t pass until you’re 17. And you can only start doing a solo when you’re 16, so I did it as early as possible.

“My friends are turning 17 now and they’re still learning how to get their driving licence, and I’ll get this before I even start my driving license. It’s kind of funny they let you in a plane by yourself but not a car.

“Everyone has their own idea on what they want to do, they (her friends) would probably try it, but I don’t think they’d want to do that as their full career.”

Hetal recently completed her first solo flight

The future pilot said she was thankful her parents were accommodating to her adventurous personality, as she acknowledges most parents – especially from her ethnic background – would have been against the idea.

She said: “I don’t like doing the typical thing Indian parents say, about having to be a doctor – my parents have always said do what you want.

“I’d say I’m probably quite adventurous, I like trying new things. And at first I thought I’d just do this as a side thing, I still want to go to uni – not necessarily to do a pilot related degree – but I think I’ll enjoy this much more than anything else I do.

“The training is kind of like a break from my studies, I only did one lesson a week for two or three hours – but when you’re interested in something, you’re happy to put effort in. And if you’re motivated enough then you’ll spend extra time studying.

“A lot of my friends would be going out, but I just say no sometimes and study a bit harder. It’s a lot, sometimes it’s hard, but it’s fun. When you pass, it’s just a good feeling.”

The teenage pilot hopes that more people are encouraged to try out unique activities like this, but admits it may not be for everyone, “there’s no time to be nervous,” she explained.

But she is thankful for her newly found skills and admits her patience has improved following her continuous training to master her landings.