An aviation trailblazer will be featured on lifestyle program My Way.
Mary Earnshaw, who lives on the Sunshine Coast, defied the stigma that prevented many women from flying in the 1970s and ’80s.
She persisted and had a decorated career in aviation.
A highly accomplished pilot, Mary was passionate about encouraging women and men into aviation, no matter what their age or experience.
She was born in regional WA and pursued a flight career in her 20s.
Mary became a Grade 1 Flight Instructor at the Royal Aero Club in Perth in the ’80s and continued up the ladder to become Australia’s first female Chief Flying Instructor and an examiner.
She said that at the time, it was a big honour.
“Women just didn’t do that (back then). I don’t think it made much of a difference to me. I would always get ’Oh, you’re the office girl. Where’s the pilot?’ and I would say, ’I’m the pilot’.”
Mary said she was generally well accepted as time went on.
“Women in aviation now is not as rare as it was 30 years back,“ she said.
Since retiring from the cockpit, Mary has been a keen promoter of flying lessons at the Sunshine Coast Aero Club.
The program will also introduce Gold Coast restaurateurs Peter and Tracey Cianci, Stanthorpe strawberry growers Brendon and Ashleigh Hoyle, along with Yeppoon artist Jet James.
My Way will air on Channel 9 and 9Now on Sunday, March 6, from 5.30pm. See @9myway on Instagram.
An historic Sunshine Coast theatre was highlighted on a previous episode.
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