www.womanthismonth.com 57 March 2014 Wing walker in action The Breitling contingent When I came across an advertisement, looking for wing walkers, I promptly phoned them up, appeared in an interview and finally auditioned on the wing. I was 18 when I got the job. WTM: How did your folks react to these developments? DH: They were really happy and excited for me since they knew how badly I wanted to do this. It was early 2007 and they came to watch me practise at the airfield. Of course, they do worry like all parents worry, but they know that this is my dream come true. WTM: What’s the most difficult part about your job? DH: Well, things can get rough when you’re flying at an altitude of over 1,000 feet. The wind pressure sometimes forces snot or drool to trickle down your face or your hair comes undone during a performance. When it rains, you perform with the raindrops stinging your face. In England, there can be long days when it rains all day and you’ll have to wring the water out of your socks when you’ve finished! WTM: Do you have to undergo special training before you start performing? DH: Fresh recruits are taught all the manoeuvres on the ground. Then we take them through the simple manoeuvres in air, flying at a low speed in the beginning. WTM: What are the physical and mental attributes essential in this job? DH: You need to be physically strong and flexible. You also need to be petite in order to be able to spin around the harness with ease. Most of the girls have a background in gymnastics, martial arts or dance, which means they have strong bodies capable of withstanding wind speeds of up to 240km/h and a G force of up to four when they’re performing in air. On the mental front, you have to be sensible, organised and methodical, with a presence of mind. WTM: Which was your most memorable flying performance? DH: Climbing out of the cockpit onto the wing during flight is a tricky manoeuvre. It requires a lot of physical strength. You are working against a 100miles/hour wind speed as the plane moves through the air. The first time I did this, the experience was like climbing a tree in the middle of a hurricane. I was so proud and thrilled that I phoned up my dad after the performance to tell him. WTM: Who are your idols? DH: I’ve always admired women in aviation, especially the fighter pilots. Jules Thurston of the Royal Air Force was one of the best Hawk display pilots ever. She proved that you could be lovely and feminine even when you were flying a fighter aircraft. Then, there was Helen Tempest who performed as a wing walker for almost two decades. I remember watching her perform at air shows when I was a child. WTM: There must be plenty of men out there who envy your job. DH: I have to admit it’s quite cool to be seen performing stunts mid-air as we do. It’s like being on a rollercoaster and the adrenaline rush is incomparable. Also, it’s nice to be able to represent women in aviation. Meeting people after the show is very heartening. WTM: Exactly how dangerous is your job? DH: See, there’s an element of danger in all flights. The logic is simple: what goes up must come down. Having said that, at Breitling, we have a 100 percent track record for safety. Our founder Vic Norman is a veteran pilot with decades of flying experience behind him. Then, we have fulltime engineers who are proficient at their jobs. So I’d say we’re in very good hands. WTM: What’s your ultimate ambition in life? DH: I want to improve my wing walking technique. I’d like to go between the wings. It’s something I haven’t done so far and takes years to perfect. I got my pilot’s licence in 2008. So hopefully, I will remain associated with flying for a long time to come. I also want to be more proficient in playing the guitar.g
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