The career of Proflight Zambia’s youngest female commercial pilot Besa Mumba has taken off after clocking up 1,000 hours of flying time as a first officer.

For the 20-year-old high-flyer, the sky is not the limit, following her recent achievement of becoming Zambia’s youngest commercial pilot with this latest milestone.

After landing a job with the country’s favourite airline, Besa reached the 1,000-hour landmark recently while flying her Cessna Caravan aircraft on the Lusaka-Kasama route.

The talented young aviator can now look forward to propelling her career by progressing and becoming a captain or taking the controls on bigger aircraft.

Besa, who joined Proflight Zambia in mid-2016, said of her achievement: “I am excited to be at this point. I was looking forward to clocking 1,000 hours and I'm grateful for the opportunity.”

“Obviously, I really enjoy it and like to fly, just like every pilot. I just try to do the best I can on every flight schedule I am assigned on."

“I really enjoy my work and love to fly. I just try to do the best I can do on every flight schedule I am assigned on. It's been quite a journey to 1,000 hours and I am happy to have achieved this before the end of 2017 in the space of one to two years of flying commercially with Proflight Zambia.”

Besa notes that any journey worth being on has its own challenges and the same can be said for flying, hence it is important to remain driven.

“Being a pilot requires a lot of focus, paying attention to details; hence you need to have your full attention on your work.

“I am happy I have come this far, it really motivates me to push to even more greater heights. “Today I am who I am because of my family and friends as they have always been there to support and motivate me in my dreams.

“There is no shortcut to success. The only way to make your dreams a reality is to stay focused on the goals you have set. Always keep them as a priority and always believe in yourself no matter what people have to say. You are the only one who defines your limitations.”

A grounded Besa also paid tribute to the company for helping her progress: “I am very thankful to Proflight and the entire team for the support they have given to me since the time I joined the company. I have really gained a lot of experience flying for them and so far it has been great being a part of the airline.”

Besa hopes she can inspire more females in Zambia think of becoming a commercial pilot in a career where men outnumber women by around 16 to one on the flight deck.

Besa added: “The experience as a pilot has just been spectacular. I love my work, it’s taken me far and exposed me to many places around Zambia.

“I have been flying as first officer pilot to lower Zambezi, Kasama, Livingstone, Mfuwe and Ndola, most of my frequent flights being along the Lusaka to Lower Zambezi route.

“I am glad I can help and motivate many others to achieve their dreams.”

“To everyone out there, a dream is achievable. Anyone can become what they dream to become. With a little hard work and discipline, you can go far places you have never imagined.”

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