Flying into THE HISTORY BOOKS

FIRST NATIONS TEEN Cj IS REACHING NEW HEIGHTS AS A PILOT

- Megan Rowe

AS she took her first flight over the picturesque coast of Western Australia two years ago, CJ Rankin realised being up in the sky was her destiny.

Just 16 at the time, the talented teenager has now been accepted into Qantas’ prestigious accelerated pilot training academy, and is set to become the airline’s first female Indigenous pilot.

In April, CJ will back her bags and move from her home in Darwin to Toowoomba, QLD, where she will undergo 55 weeks of training to become a commercial pilot. She tells New Idea it truly is a dream come true.

“I’d always been interested in fighter jets so my uncle bought me a lesson to fly a small plane when we were holidaying in Perth,” an excited CJ shares. “I flew over Rottnest Island and the scenery was just so pretty. I felt really free, so I asked Mum if I could go again the next day.”