The Guvnor
15th Nov 2001, 16:14
From today's Scotsman:
Praise as pilot fulfils her lifelong ambition
John Ross
AS A young girl, Annag Macleod’s head was usually in the clouds. From the age of eight, she can remember watching planes land on the beach airstrip on her home island of Barra and dreamed that one day she would be at the controls.
The dream came true recently when she piloted a commercial flight for the first time and touched down on the island landing strip, renowned for being the only one in the UK washed twice a day by the tide.
Ms Macleod, 20, from the village of Eoligarry, has qualified as a pilot with Loganair and will fly regular flights from Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree, Barra and Benbecula.
She is now the youngest of Loganair’s six female pilots and a colleague of some of the pilots she used to watch land the Twin Otter planes on Barra’s Traigh Mhor airstrip.
The cost of the £60,000 training was paid through her own savings, as well as help from her parents, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Western Isles Enterprise and Comhaire nan Eilean Siar - the islands’ council.
Miss Macleod said that on leaving school, there were no grants or bursaries available to help her: "I did not fall into any category for assistance. There are no HNCs or HNDs for people wanting to be pilots."
But after she got her private pilot’s licence at 18, a package of aid was put together, with WIE and the council each paying £3,000 while a career development loan was arranged through the Royal Bank of Scotland to help her get her commercial licence.
Mrs Macleod’s local councillor, Donald Manford, said: " Annag is a credit to Barra and the Western Isles in the way she has overcome the obstacles to achieve her dream."
Praise as pilot fulfils her lifelong ambition
John Ross
AS A young girl, Annag Macleod’s head was usually in the clouds. From the age of eight, she can remember watching planes land on the beach airstrip on her home island of Barra and dreamed that one day she would be at the controls.
The dream came true recently when she piloted a commercial flight for the first time and touched down on the island landing strip, renowned for being the only one in the UK washed twice a day by the tide.
Ms Macleod, 20, from the village of Eoligarry, has qualified as a pilot with Loganair and will fly regular flights from Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree, Barra and Benbecula.
She is now the youngest of Loganair’s six female pilots and a colleague of some of the pilots she used to watch land the Twin Otter planes on Barra’s Traigh Mhor airstrip.
The cost of the £60,000 training was paid through her own savings, as well as help from her parents, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Western Isles Enterprise and Comhaire nan Eilean Siar - the islands’ council.
Miss Macleod said that on leaving school, there were no grants or bursaries available to help her: "I did not fall into any category for assistance. There are no HNCs or HNDs for people wanting to be pilots."
But after she got her private pilot’s licence at 18, a package of aid was put together, with WIE and the council each paying £3,000 while a career development loan was arranged through the Royal Bank of Scotland to help her get her commercial licence.
Mrs Macleod’s local councillor, Donald Manford, said: " Annag is a credit to Barra and the Western Isles in the way she has overcome the obstacles to achieve her dream."