Привет, я - Galina Marakhovska, first officer of SkyUp Airlines

I came to aviation as a flight attendant back in 2011. Anh then I decided to become a pilot. And I went to study in America. I told myself: I will get a Private Pilot Licence. Though I wasn't sure at the time that I was flying on Boeing. Finally, I decided after the first independent flight.

You're the only one on the plane who makes all the decisions. Next to you there is no instructor or commander. At such moments you understand what you are worth, you find confidence in yourself and your abilities. This flight lasted 2:00, the route - above the mountains, and the airport - uncontrolled, there are no dispatchers. Only the sky, the plane, the girl, the mountains and the ocean.

Pilot girl.

I started looking for a job in 2016. It was hard for any pilot to find her then. Especially without a flight hour on Boeing. More so for a girl. There was only one girl pilot in Ukraine at that time. People reacted differently. In one company, the chief pilot gave me a whole lecture about the "real" purpose of a woman. And it was reduced to children, cooking and housekeeping. But every man has his own happiness.

Over time, I learned to perceive it all with humor.

All over the world, thousands of female pilots successfully fly, becoming commanders and instructors. All prejudices come from ignorance and self-doubt.

Working at SkyUp

SkyUp has assembled a good team, a fleet of the most modern aircraft in Ukraine. SkyUp is dynamically developing. And I'm interested not only in watching it, but also in being a part of it, a kind of mechanism that supports this process.

The atmosphere in the company can be felt at once. Having visited the SkyUp office for the first time, I realized that I would like to work here.

I love my work very much, so I like everything about it. I like getting up in the morning, before the sun rises, and getting ready for my flight. I like going to the airport and watching the city wake up. Preparing for the flight, paperwork, all the crew are gathered, all in a good mood. Come aboard. Inspection of the plane, again checking documents, emergency equipment, all systems. Passengers are on board. Again, documents, calculations. And finally, a beautiful liner is pulled out on the runway. The commander hands over the control to you. Acceleration, takeoff. I always feel happy at this moment. You find yourself in a special world, living by its unearthly laws and rules. This is the feeling that people who leave aviation miss.

Not everything works out the first time, but no matter how hard it is, the road is worth it to move on. And also, read more. Not only instructions, but also fiction. And then you will hear the cherished: "cleared for takeoff".