Mamaj's Aviation Blog Travel News, Events, Trends, Jobs, Gossip and Inspiration
“It always seems impossible until its done”
Nelson Mandela
Meet Obiageli Adelana, The first female Pilot in Nigeria to have commercially flown both Helicopter and fixed wing Aircraft.
What inspired you?
I wanted to do something different. I have a B.Sc in computer science and worked as a Network engineer in an ISP for about 3 years. I got bored doing a desk job and needed some excitement. The break I was looking for came as an ad in the paper for the Bristow cadet pilot sponsorship training.
Training
I got selected for a fully sponsored helicopter pilot license training and attended Bristow Academy Florida.
The journey so far…
I flew the Bell412 offshore Nigeria for 7 years before returning to Florida to obtain an Airplane pilot license.I now fly the Embraer 145 jet for Air peace Airlines thus making me the first female in Nigeria to have commercially flown both Helicopters and Airplanes in Nigeria.
Your advice to the young ones..
We can achieve anything we set our minds to, with smart work and determination.
How do you cope as a Pilot, wife and mother?
That’s actually an interesting one. I have a very supportive partner, actually he’s my number 1 fan. But the birth of my kid necessitated my switch from flying Helicopters to Airplanes as I can now work go to work from my house (unlike in my Helicopter world where I worked for prolonged from remote locations)so I spend more time at home and have more time to care for my family. Also, my husband is a very hands-on Dad and helps out when I’m not available.
