Fatima Shafi
First Officer at ExpressJet Airlines
Greater New York City Area
When you are young, you think you can change the world but as the reality of life, old traditions and shackles of culture come stand as obstacles in your face you realize, may be not! By no means I am trying to state that I did not have the strength and the determination to over come those traditions and break the shackles, but what was next?
"An Air Force Officer who does not stand equal opportunity to make a General, not because she is not good enough, but because she is a woman." my reason for discharge from PAF.
I have a lot of courage, but may be not enough to invest 20 some prime years of my life to wait and see if I could change the way people think in Pakistan.
So 6 years ago, with 2 suit cases, I showed up in VeroBeach, Florida at 10pm, to find myself at a deserted gas station and the only passenger getting off the Grey Hound bus. It was a moment out of the movies, I had no cell phone, did not know anybody, didn't know where I was, didn't have coins to use the public phone and didn't have any phone numbers for a cab service, and english was broken too on top of the culture shock I was in!!
Two hours, multiple phonecalls to cab companies and one 911 call later, I was on my way to FlightSafety to become a pilot.
The little things in life that we never give too much importance to, carry of lot meaning and value, like being able to breathe in free air and not have a feeling of being watched and harassed all the time, like having a cell phone to call a cab or like having a friend or family member around in the country you live in as your support group. I learnt the value of these little things when I came to USA.
The opportunity of becoming an Aviator, that I was looking for in my own country, in many unsaid words was denied to me, but I got that opportunity in USA and thats why now I call it home. Where I can not only pursue my career but can do it freely, which is what matters the most to me.
Thank you USA for letting me break free of the shackles!!
Experience
First Officer
ExpressJet Airlines
October 2012 – Present (2 years 7 months)Atlanta, Georgia
Certified Flight Instructor
FlightSafety International
April 2011 – October 2012 (1 year 7 months)Vero Beach, FL
Certified Flight Instructor
Aviator College of Aeronautical Sciences & Technology
June 2010 – March 2011 (10 months)Fort Pierce, Florida
Avionics Engineering Officer
Pakistan Air Force
January 2003 – January 2008 (5 years 1 month)Islamabad, Pakistan
First Female in Pakistan to work as an Engineering Officer in a Fighter Squadron.
Reported to the Commanding Officer of an F-16 Fighter Squadron. Responsible for the flight line operations of an active-duty F-16 Fighter Squadron. Also had the same position in two different Mirage Fighter Squadrons.
Duties included managing the entire fleet of fighter aircraft, manpower of 300 enlisted airmen, and all ground and support equipment. Responsible for the monthly and annual mission tasks of the squadron and kept the fleet at the highest operational readiness status in the entire Air Force.
Managed aircraft stagger and supervised aircraft modifications and installation of new equipment. Troubleshot and supervised aircraft maintenance for the entire squadron.
Ensured smooth and continued logistic support to the squadron. Managed liason affairs with Air Force support agencies and OEMs including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney.
Managed all Squadron movement to forward bases and established new operational set up. Supervised the 24 hour Air Defense Alert fleet of the Squadron.
Participated in joint military exercises and liasoned with foreign officials including USAF. Represented the Squadron's engineering section during visits by foreign dignitaries.
Officer In Charge of Avionics Integration and retrofit Team, assigned with the Avionics upgrade of the Mirage Fighters at Pakistan Air Force.
Fatima Shafi | LinkedIn