A group of eight or so women from the Federation of European Women Pilots – FEWP– are visiting Cyprus for the first time next month and during their trip will also award a membership to a British female pilot living in Paphos.
“I am going to become the first FEWP member in Cyprus and I am really looking forward to it,” Tracey Spence told the Sunday Mail.
The Paphos-based pilot fulfilled her aspirations of flying and finally obtained her pilot’s licence last year and said it was the best thing she had ever accomplished.
“Flying gives me a major buzz, it’s better than any other experience I’ve had. Looking down at your shadow of the plane and being up in the skies gives you a different perspective on life and everything,” she said.
Spence completed her flight training at Griffon Aviation in Paphos, which is recognised as a leading flight training organisation in Cyprus, and now works at their office.
As a superb baker who makes all sorts of speciality and wedding cakes, baking was one of a number of jobs she took to help to pay her way through her pilot’s course.
Spence tried flying whilst living in the UK a couple of times but it proved impractical and expensive. However, after moving to Paphos as a tourist rep almost 17 years ago, she began flying in Cyprus in 2014.
The FEWP is a non-profit organisation and was founded in Rome in 1995. Since then female pilots have met all over Europe, including Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland and Belgium.
The aim of the organisation is to cultivate and retain links between female pilots, provide opportunities for them to meet and fly to all European countries, to develop international relationships between them and to promote aviation to women.
“We have the pleasure of welcoming this group of amazing ladies at Griffon Aviation in Paphos, on May 8 whilst they are here for a short stay and it will be the first time ever they have visited Cyprus as a group. They travel all over the world to fly in different countries and to encourage women into aviation,” she said.
The group will fly with Griffon using the company’s aircraft as it was proving difficult to fly into Cyprus using their own craft, due to areas of restricted airspace she said.
“Everyone should try flying both men and women, it’s so stimulating, an amazing experience,” she said.
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