Trial flight clears Mollie’s career for take off

With a flight attendant mum and an airline pilot dad, aviation had always been part of Mollie’s world - but becoming a pilot wasn’t part of her plan.

After school, she began a physiotherapy degree before moving into teaching. Then a trial flight changed everything.

“From the moment we took off, I thought, I want to do this forever. I was instantly hooked and decided to take the leap into aviation,” Mollie said.

She enrolled in the Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) (AVI50222), delivered by Aerostar Aviation in partnership with TAFE Queensland.

From mastering the fundamentals in a Cessna 172 to commanding a multi-engine aircraft, Mollie began building the technical skills, confidence and resilience needed for a future in the cockpit.

For Mollie, the power of the course was the way theory and hands-on training came together as she learnt to fly and trust herself.

Regular access to aircraft, industry facilities and experienced aviation professionals helped turn classroom concepts into real-world capability.

Training at Aerostar Aviation’s base, located at Hangar 8 Parafield Aiport, also immersed her in a busy aviation environment from day one.

“Learning in a controlled aerodrome was really valuable. Communicating with air traffic control from the beginning meant I felt much more confident when I started my instrument rating,” she said.

She quickly discovered that becoming a pilot is about far more than operating an aircraft.

Aeronautical general knowledge - particularly engines and aircraft systems - initially pushed her outside her comfort zone.

“I had very limited knowledge of engines and aircraft systems, and I’m not naturally mechanically minded so I struggled with some of the theory because I had never seen inside an engine,” she said.

Access to Hangar 8 and Aerostar’s maintenance crew changed that by bringing the theory to life.

Seeing aircraft components up close and learning from the people who maintain them helped Mollie understand how every system contributes to safe flight.

“The maintenance crew took the time to show me the different components and explain how everything worked. It made a huge difference,” she said.

“It helped me visualise the theory and gave me a much greater appreciation for the work behind the scenes that keeps every aircraft safe and ready to fly.”

Mollie credits her instructors with helping her grow not only as a pilot, but also as a decision-maker – building her confidence with every class.

Their honest feedback, reassurance and willingness to share their own experiences helped her see that challenges are a normal - and valuable - part of learning to fly.

“I’ve always been hard on myself, and there were plenty of times when I thought I was doing much worse than I actually was,” she said.

“My instructors shared their own struggles and reminded me I wasn’t the only person who found parts of training difficult. They also managed to have a laugh along the way, which made the experience much more enjoyable.”

Challenging cockpit scenarios also taught Mollie to trust her judgement under pressure.

“Being put through challenging scenarios showed me I could handle difficult situations and over time, I grew much more confident in my abilities and my decision-making,” she said.

Her first solo flight was a defining moment - the instant preparation became independence.

“You spend so much of your early training relying on your instructor, and suddenly you’re sitting there by yourself thinking, okay, this is up to me now,” she said.

It was an exhilarating reminder that every hour of study, practice and preparation was moving her closer to the career she wanted.

After earning her Commercial Pilot Licence, Mollie continued into the Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) (AVI50519), ready to take on a new level of technical flying.

Looking back - from a Cessna 172 to a multi-engine Baron - made the scale of her progress impossible to miss.

“When you’re focused on the next goal, it can be hard to recognise how far you’ve come,” she said.

“But comparing where I started with where I am now makes the difference stand out. I feel like a completely different pilot.”

Instrument training gave Mollie the next challenge she was looking for, building on her commercial flying skills and pushing her beyond her comfort zone.

“Instrument flying was a completely different style of flying and challenged me in a new way,” she said.

Learning to operate a multi-engine aircraft under instrument flight rules marked another major step towards her professional goals.

“That was the first time I really felt like a pilot,” she said.

The experience strengthened her technical capability and prepared her for the next stage of her journey: becoming a flight instructor.

Pilot training tested Mollie’s resilience as much as her technical ability, with one of her biggest lessons was learning to reset when a flight didn’t go to plan.

“There will always be flights where things don’t go the way you want. I’ve learned to turn setbacks into progress and not to let one bad day define how I see myself as a pilot,” she said.

By taking feedback on board, identifying what to improve and returning ready to try again, Mollie built the resilience every aspiring pilot needs.

Mollie’s next goal is to create a career in the cockpit by building experience as a flight instructor, helping new students develop their own skills and confidence.

Her background coaching gymnastics showed her how rewarding it can be to help others improve and achieve their goals - a passion that makes instructing feel like a natural fit.

“I love helping people improve and achieve their goals, so instructing feels like a really natural fit for me,” she said.

Her ultimate ambition is to fly for an airline - and one dream makes that goal especially meaningful.

With her dad also an airline pilot, Mollie hopes they will one day share a cockpit.

“I look up to my dad, so having the opportunity to share the cockpit with him one day would be really special,” she said.

“Doing something we’re both passionate about would be pretty incredible.”

For Mollie, aviation has delivered more than flying skills. It has taught her to trust herself, make confident decisions, rise to challenges and keep moving forward.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I’m far more capable than I sometimes give myself credit for,” she said.

“If I could go back and speak to the girl who took that first trial flight, I think she would be really proud of the person I’ve become.”

Her advice to prospective students is simple: you don’t need to have your entire future mapped out before you begin.

“You don’t have to know everything when you start - you just need to be willing to learn, and your first step could change everything.”

One trial flight opened the door to a career Mollie never expected - and now can’t imagine leaving behind.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have found something I genuinely love doing,” concluded Mollie.