A woman who graduated from a North East university is soaring towards her dream of becoming a commercial pilot as she begins the next phase of her training in Florida.
Emily Jung, who graduated from the University of Sunderland in 2024 with a BA (Hons) in tourism and aviation management, passed all 13 of her airline transport pilot license exams on the first attempt during 28 weeks of intensive ground school in the UK.
She is now based in Vero Beach, Florida, for the next 26 weeks of single-engine flight training.
Upon returning to the UK, Ms Jung will move on to multi-engine training, aiming to earn her commercial pilot licence by April 2026.
Ms Jung’s aspiration to become a pilot was sparked while studying for her A-levels at Hills Road Sixth Form in Cambridge, when she attended a seminar led by a female pilot from Titan Airways, which opened her eyes to the possibility of a career in aviation.
Her journey was not without challenges.
The COVID-19 pandemic thwarted her plans to pursue training programmes and scholarships, prompting her to pursue a degree, launch an online business and work part-time while the aviation industry slowly recovered.
Ms Jung, 22, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, said: "It was fantastic to be situated on St Peter’s Campus, I could spend my lunch breaks by the beach, just a 15-minute walk away."
Her course included a trip to Teesside Airport, which she described as "fascinating and really helped to aid my studies."
She also took full advantage of student life, joining the Travel and Tourism Society in her second year and later becoming its president.
A pivotal moment came during a guest lecture where Ms Jung was introduced to the Aviatrix Project, an initiative supporting women in aviation.
She successfully applied for a scholarship and completed a trial flight at Old Buckenham Airfield in Norfolk.
"This was a fantastic experience and a great way to connect with other individuals in the industry," she said.
After graduating in July 2024, Ms Jung spent several months preparing for entrance exams and interviews for pilot school.
In December, she began her training with Skyborne Airline Academy and is completing the next phase of her 18-month training programme with Skyborne in Vero Beach.
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Looking to the future, Emily said: "I am very excited to fly my family and loved ones commercially for the first time.
"After all the support they have provided me, it will feel like a great accomplishment to show them what I have been working towards."
Once qualified, Emily is looking forward to her first flight to Venice as "the approach over the water with the view of the city is fantastic and it brings me very fond memories of travelling there with my mum."
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