View Full Version : Saudi woman pilot graduates
newscaster
26th Jun 2005, 18:02
27 year old Hanadi Zakaria Al-Hindi, pictured here http://img237.echo.cx/img237/7008/hanadizakariaalhindi4ac.jpg graduated last week from the Amman-based Mideast Aviation Academy and plans to join the private aviation firm owned by billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Although proud of her career, Capt. Al-Hindi said she expects an angry reaction when she arrives back in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Conservatives believe women should be confined to home or jobs that do not entail mixing with men, such as in education and philanthropy.
“I am doing a respectable job,” al-Hindi said. “I know I will be facing many angry people, but it is my will, and the will of my father, that I become a pilot.”
The Arab News (paper) carried a two page advertisement from Kingdom Holding yesterday congratulating her on the achievement, the pictures showed her in uniform without Hijab!
The backround for the page was Kingdoms new B744. It will be interesting to see if she gets to fly that!
Mutt.
Glorified Donkey
27th Jun 2005, 13:05
Good for her! Its nice to see people not giving a damn what people say and are going for their dreams. Im sure there will be some pilots not happy to be flying with her, but I think majority will be alright with it... my question is how did she get Captain status so quickly?
KunnDize
27th Jun 2005, 17:23
A female Saudi pilot with no bag on head, defying the rules and getting around with blonde streaks in her hair - hope she's got a nice big stainless steel neck brace.
Good luck to her. :ok:
my question is how did she get Captain status so quickly?
In the land of "titles" they started calling her Captain once she had obtained her PPL! AFAIK, all of the other Kingdom pilots are expats, so they shouldnt have a problem flying with her.
Mutt.
4HolerPoler
27th Jun 2005, 19:00
One of the many problems will be getting her a license to fly - the Saudi PCA has no facility for granting women a pilot's license.
4HP
4HP,
Interesting point, but i dont remember ANY PCA/FAA regulation that stipulates a specific gender in the licence requirements!
Will be interesting to see how Berenji answers this one?
Mutt
FLEXJET
27th Jun 2005, 20:03
Its nice to see people not giving a damn what people say and are going for their dreams.
My question is: was it her will first or her father's?
Glorified Donkey
27th Jun 2005, 22:16
Can anyone confirm this, in Saudia Arabia only local or saudi nationals can fly royal family or are there expats flying for Kingdom Holdings and other VIP companies? Thanks for you replies. I know there are expats flying for Aramco but I meant for royal family just to clarify. :p... ok nm I read the post saying there are expats flying for Kingdom, thanks :ok:
PPRuNe Radar
28th Jun 2005, 00:29
My question is: was it her will first or her father's?
I suspect it is ''In'shallah''
ironbutt57
28th Jun 2005, 03:05
Good luck to her.....good to see a PILOT...gender notwithstanding willing to dismiss the obstacles before her and pursue his/her goals.....bravo...bravo...but...the female at my previous employer, was unable to obain her saudi pilots "licence"...but still served as a pilot in the gulf....we are being "dragged kicking and screaming into the 19th century" here...and best of luck and highest respect to those who pursue the goal......:ok: :ok: :ok:
beaucaire
28th Jun 2005, 06:00
One thing she'll never get that's a stupd drivers licence to drive to her home from the airport....
Congratulations to her and many hours of successful flying !
A340Jock
28th Jun 2005, 06:53
This is very interesting indeed, she can fly passengers but as the previous comment mentioned cannot drive home or to the airport. Now if she gets married latter on she will need written permission from her husbend every time she leaves the country to do a flight. It's insane. My hat off to her though for shocking the system. It's about time women get some freedom in the Kingdom, I hope the system allows her.
She has one thing going for her, working for Kingdom Aviation not many questions will be asked as Prince Waleed has huge influence. Congratulations to the Prince too for helping this lady achieve her dreams, by helping her he's sending a message to the autorities that it's time for change.
One thing she'll never get that's a stupd drivers licence to drive to her home from the airport
Its coming... maybe not this year, but women will be allowed to drive. :)
As for Captain Al-Hindi, does anyone know what actual licence she presently holds? Jordanian or FAA?
Mutt.
FLEXJET
29th Jun 2005, 08:03
She trained for Jordanian licences, which are ICAO.
She has a 10-year contract with KHC apparently, and is single!
Is she going to fly the Hawker or directly a Boeing?
Emirates Airline
29th Jun 2005, 08:15
i know about a female cadet in Emirates.. not cute though :(
i heared also that the company will try its best to make sure the girly graduate! cant wait to fly with her.. :suspect:
\\Will be interesting to see how Berenji answers this one?
Indeed it will. I wonder if the 'answer' will be as interesting as when he landed at Philly some years ago and two engines flamed out on the taxiway, due to fuel exhaustion, after a much delayed divert from JFK.
A close one that...:}
An article in today's (UAE) 'Gulf News' is headlined "Cleric rules it is unlawful for woman to work as pilot". The article says the cleric has issued a fatwa "making it unlawful for any woman to work as a pilot". The cleric said this work would "require the woman to travel alone without a mahram (male guardian) accompanying her and this would lead to her mixing with men which is not acceptable."
Another real gem in the article, quoting the same cleric is "...women should never be allowed to work as pilots or air hostesses." ("what the captain really means is "Saudi muslim women should never etc ..."
Emirates had their first local female cadet aroumd twelve years ago. Unfortunately, she did not complete her training in Scotland.
She had worked as an (trainee?) ATCO in Dubai before starting her flying training. I don't know why she failed, but a combination of being a lone UAE female among the other UAE males on course combined with going from sunny Dubai to Scotland in winter might have had something to do with it.
I have heard that she is now married to an Emirates (National) pilot.
IMHO, (and despite strong resistance from quite a few of the Emarati [and some expat?] pilots), I believe it is only a matter of time before EK takes on female pilots, not for any reason of gender equality, but purely from necessity. Simply put, the number of pilots required will demand it as more and more of EK's "traditional" recruits stay away in droves thanks to current ever-changing personnel policies.
On the other hand, the ladies might vote (not) with their feet as well.
411A.
Its amazing how some things are never forgotten :)
Flexjet.
ICAO licences? The present Saudi system is based on the US FAR's, if someone showed up in the USA with a Jordanian CPL/ME/IR and requested a validation, what licence would they be given? I believe that the answer is a PPL/ME/IR.
If I'm right, the person in question will have to obtain FAA certificates before she will get to fly any aircraft in Saudi.
Mutt.
FLEXJET
29th Jun 2005, 19:13
So she will probably get FAA certificates together with her type training, in the US.
We'll see.
haamdhanimaid
29th Jul 2005, 18:26
Rumour has it she is going on the Hawker. Well done to HRH for putting her there - but for him it is more a question of image, and being different, than pushing change in the country. I wonder will he be as critical about her weight and looks as he is with the flight attendants?
Kingdom also employ Saudi female flight attendants. HRH does not appear to be worried about whether something is lawful or unlawful..he has so much power, he does not need to worry!
And to answer a previous question - expats can fly for the royal family but now the government is pushing for Saudisation in all sectors, all Saudi aircraft operators have to be seen to employ local pilots.
95% of people who have had the opportunity to work with Saudi pilots will tell you they have come up against no end of problems - CRM issues being the main one.
There is a reason while the majority of pilots for Saudi private operations were/are expats...