First Lady Pilot of Vietnamese Airline is a Filipino

Filipino pilot Capt. Antonette Ortiz Parocha has made history by being the first female co-pilot of Vietnam’s privately-owned new-age airline, Viet Jet Air (VietJet), airport authorities said on Thursday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that Parocha paid a courtersy call to CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III on Thursday after submitting her application for Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

This, CAAP said, is a requirement before taking the ATPL, or the highest-level pilot license that allows the license holder to fly professionally as a pilot in command of multi-crew aircraft with any commercial airline company.

Certified pilot licenses are categorized under four classes: Student Pilot license (SPL), Private Pilot License (PPL), Commercial Pilot License (CPL), and Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), CAAP noted.

Parocha, has logged over 5,000 flying hours. The minimum requirement is to accumulate 1,500 flying hours.

A native of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, Parocha graduated from Patts Collage of Aeronautics in 2001 and Flight School International in 2005.

She meanwhile expressed hope that she will pass the exam she will take this month and soon become a commercial pilot. (PNA) RMA/ANP