Ângela Pedro Francisco – The lady in the cockpit

She knows the cockpit like no one else. This space has been part of her routine for decades. Today, she is retires, she enters the aircraft as a passenger, but the history of national aviation keeps her legacy.

Co-pilot by profession, for more than 22 years, Ângela Pedro Francisco was the only woman to challenge heights, her journey inspiring the new wave of women who seek the industry, which for a long time was male-dominated.

To understand her path, we have to know her origins. Daughter of a nurse father and a dressmaker mother, she spent the first years of her life between the districts of Xipamanine, Chamanculo and Central. A sports lover, she says that it was basketball that led her to Mozambican Airlines (LAM). In the 1980s, she played for Maxaquene, which was sponsored by LAM, which made room for some of the players to be part of the institution.

When admissions began, Ângela asked to study piloting, but the request was not accepted, as there were still voices that believed that piloting was an area for men only. She put off the dream for 7 years, joined LAM in traffic control, waiting for an opportunity to be in the cockpit.

Adversting

The moment arrived: “it was a strange day, I was late and it was difficult to get transport, so I took a ride. In conversation, I discovered that the driver was an aviation instructor and registration for the piloting course was ending in a few hours and was open to women,” she says, detailing that, in a few hours, she gathered all the documentation and signed up. The following year, the training process began. In the beginning, there were three women, but only one finished the training.

The course was practical and demanded a lot from Ângela, who went through the several stages, one by one, until she became a co-pilot. Along the way, she excelled in commercial flights.

But her story was not just one of glory, there were battles that she had to fight, without compromising her character. “I’m a persevering person and I like what I do,” she says, indicating that good humour and silence won out mean jokes.

Through work, Ângela conquered her space and, after 22 years as the only woman in the cockpit, she made room for more women. Despite the struggle, she feels she could do more. “We already have three female captains and I feel that we can have more,” she indicates, pointing out that she hopes to one day return to the cockpit. “I ended my career due to work time, but nothing prevents me from continuing to fly,” she said.

Through work, Ângela conquered her space and, after 22 years as the only woman in the cockpit, she made room for more women.

Far from what she likes most, she is currently dedicated to her family, her only son and three grandchildren. On weekends she plays basketball, as age is not a barrier. And she still travels, dances and listens to music, because life is a continuous journey.

Issue 74 Jul/Aug | Download.