Anusha Siriratne | |
---|---|
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Education | Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya |
Occupation | pilot |
Known for | Sri Lanka's first female pilot captain |
Spouse | Hemantha Siriratne |
Anusha Siriratne is a Sri Lankan female aviator and served as one of the prominent pilots in the Sri Lankan Airlines. [1] She is the first Sri Lankan female captain of the national carrier and also led the first all-female crew in the history of Sri Lankan Airlines. [2] Her husband Hemantha Siriratne is also a pilot, and the duo became the first husband-wife combination to work as captains at the Sri Lankan Airlines. [2]
She completed her secondary education at the Holy Family Convent in Bambalapitiya. [3]
She had a brief stint with the Sky Cabs as an instructor before joining the Sri Lankan Airlines as a full-time pilot. [4] Anusha obtained her private pilot's license at CDE Aviation, and received her commercial pilot's license in Texas. She became a cadet pilot in 1998 and served as a second officer on the Lockheed L1001 Tristar fleet. [4] She was promoted to the position of first officer in 1991.
She was officially appointed as captain of Sri Lankan Airlines and became the first female to achieve the feat. She also led the first all-female crew on a flight from Colombo to Trichy on 1 November 2009. [5]
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they are involved in operating the aircraft's navigation and engine systems. Other aircrew members, such as drone operators, flight attendants, mechanics and ground crew, are not classified as aviators.
Bessie Coleman was an early American civil aviator. She was the first African-American woman to hold a pilot license. She earned her license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921, and is the earliest known Black person to earn an international pilot's license.
Mary Wallace Funk is an American aviator, commercial astronaut, and Goodwill Ambassador. She was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Agency inspector, as well as one of the Mercury 13.
Lieutenant Colonel Olga E. Custodio is a former United States Air Force officer who became the first female Hispanic U.S. military pilot. She was the first Hispanic woman to complete U.S. Air Force military pilot training. Upon retiring from the military, she became the first female Hispanic commercial airline captain of American Airlines.
Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya is a leading Catholic girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was established on 3 February 1903, by the nuns of the Holy Family Order of Bordeaux.
Emily Joyce Howell Warner was an American airline pilot and the first woman captain of a scheduled U.S. airline.
Airline Captain Irene Koki Mutungi, commonly known as Koki Mutungi, is a professional pilot in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. She was the first female on the African continent to become certified as a Captain of the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" aircraft. She flies for Kenya Airways, the national airline of Kenya.
Women have been involved in aviation from the beginnings of both lighter-than air travel and as airplanes, helicopters and space travel were developed. Women pilots were also formerly called "aviatrices". Women have been flying powered aircraft since 1908; prior to 1970, however, most were restricted to working privately or in support roles in the aviation industry. Aviation also allowed women to "travel alone on unprecedented journeys". Women who have been successful in various aviation fields have served as mentors to younger women, helping them along in their careers.
This is a timeline of women in aviation which describes many of the firsts and achievements of women as pilots and other roles in aviation. Women who are part of this list have piloted vehicles, including hot-air balloons, gliders, airplanes, dirigibles and helicopters. Some women have been instrumental in support roles. Others have made a name for themselves as parachutists and other forms of flight-related activities. This list encompasses women's achievements from around the globe.
Ari Fuji is the first female pilot in command and flight instructor at a commercial passenger airline in Japan. She earned her original aviation license in the United States of America and trained to be a certified pilot for commercial passenger airline under Japanese aviation regulations.
Sariana binti Nordin is a Bruneian aviator. She is the first female pilot to work at Royal Brunei Airlines.
Sharifah Czarena is a Bruneian pilot, who was the first woman from Brunei to captain a commercial airliner. She was initially seconded to Loganair, where she flew the Saab 340. Since flying for Royal Brunei Airlines, she has flown Boeing 767s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Carol Rabadi is a Jordanian airline pilot, one of the first for Royal Jordanian. In 2009, she was the Captain of the first all Arab female flight crew on a Royal Jordanian flight. Carol was a Line instructor, a simulator Instructor and a line check Captain on the A320 aircraft. She has now moved on to the B787 wide bodied aircraft, as well as being appointed as the Director of Corporate Quality Management Department in Royal Jordanian Airlines. http://www.rj.com
Beverley Bass is an American aircraft pilot and was the first female captain of an American Airlines commercial plane. She was hired in 1976 by American Airlines as their third female pilot. In 1986, Bass became the first female captain of a commercial plane at American Airlines and later that year she captained the first all-female crew in the history of commercial jet aviation, on an American Airlines flight from Washington D.C. to Dallas, Texas. She and pilot Stephanie Wallach founded the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, which began as a group of women aviators but later changed into a program providing career support and mentorship to aspiring pilots.
Tammie Jo Shults is an American retired commercial airline captain, author, and former naval aviator. She was one of the first female fighter pilots to serve in the United States Navy. Following active duty she became a pilot for Southwest Airlines. She retired from Southwest Airlines in 2020.
Vanita Kayiwa, is a Ugandan airline transport pilot, who serves as a first officer at Uganda National Airlines Company, Uganda's national carrier airline, on the A330-841 aircraft, since February 2021. Before that, effective April 2019, she served as a first officer on the CRJ 900 equipment, at the same airline.
Tina Drazu is a Ugandan airline transport pilot, who serves as a First Officer at Uganda National Airlines Company, Uganda's national carrier airline, on the A330-841 equipment, since February 2021. Before that, since April 2019, she is a first officer on the CRJ 900 aircraft, at the same airline. As of October 2023 she was one of the only two female first officers on the A330-841 equipment at the airline.
Ayesha Rabia Naveed is a former commercial pilot from Pakistan who flew for the national airline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). In 2005, she became the first Pakistani woman to captain a scheduled commercial flight. In 2006 she was captain of the first all woman crew of a Pakistani passenger flight.
Neshat Jahandari is an Iranian pilot. She is the first Iranian female pilot on a passenger airliner. She currently holds three records in Iranian aviation history, including first Iranian female pilot under the Islamic Republic, first female Iranian airline pilot, and first all-female crew. She flies the MD80. She became famous after her inaugural video went viral.