Behind the wings: Gráinne O'Keeffe, First Officer

Meet #DreamTeam member Gráinne O'Keeffe, First Officer

Aviator since she was 17, first officer at GlobeAir since 2018.

Our #DreamTeam is made of the people who work with us. To celebrate the importance of our team members, we are releasing a series of profiles for you to get to know the people of GlobeAir. Coinciding with Women's Day 2020, we are presenting Gráinne O'Keeffe, one of our bright first officers.

When did your passion for aviation begin?

A passion discovered very early in life.

I did a lot of travelling with my family as a child, going on month long holidays every 4/5 years to destinations like Peru, Thailand and Borneo. This definitely sparked my love for exploring and experiencing different cultures.

"As for aviation, this is something I only started to get interested in when I was about 17... and once I started I knew it was for me."

I started my training first in Florida, but after a few months, the school went bankrupt. After that, I completed all of my training and licenses in Weston in Ireland, which gave me a much better appreciation for flying in bad weather!

What’s your current role at GlobeAir?

Tell us about your experience as a #DreamTeam member.

I’ve been here 2 years now. There’s many things I like about Globeair, the destinations, interaction with the passengers and the the unpredictability of the our kind of operations. Flying into major airports as well as small, VFR airfields in the alps.

The job is never boring so there’s no fear of listlessness! And of course, the team. I have an amazing bunch of colleagues who make the job extremely gratifying.

What’s your future aspiration in aviation?

To progress in my career, become a captain and continue learning, experiencing and developing professionally.

What does the expression "Women in aviation" mean to you?

What does it mean to be a female pilot?

It’s not something I think about very often. I grew up with only brothers and a lot of male friends so I have always been comfortable being one of the few females (although it is always a delight when I get to fly with another female!) As for my training, I was never treated any better or worse so I never felt neglected or scrutinised in any way. Lucky me!

My mother is a huge role model to me. As an intelligent, resilient woman, she taught me to be strong, considerate and capable. She always encouraged me to work hard, strive in life and ensured that I always had the same opportunities and advantages as my brothers.. if not more! So with a mother like that, I was shaped to never see myself as a ‘female pilot’, just a pilot!

Gráinne's Bio

Gráinne is Irish and has joined Globeair in 2018. She studied for her pilot training in the Ireland and obtained her licence in 2015. During her free time, she loves music, travelling, baking, spending time with friends in London and going home to Ireland to visit her family and her niece. Gráinne has been living in London since 2018.