sed the idea. However, when I showed through my schooling and pilot trai- ning that I live for that calling with all my heart and soul, the people clo- sest to me supported me strongly.” And you go on to experience inscribing yourself into the history of Serbian aviation by becoming the first female pilot to earn the title of captain within the framework of the Serbian national airline... “It was only during the actual cap- tain’s training that I became aware of the fact that I’m the first woman to go through this type of training at Air Serbia. It’s extremely dear to me that, through my example, girls and women who have a love for flying and aviation will also see that their dream is achievable. I feel delight when I he- ar that some girl wants to follow my path, because I see my former self in each of them.” How did that journey look at Air Serbia? “When I started my flying career eight years ago, becoming part of the national airline, that was a great ho- nour for me. That honour is now even bigger and complemented by the im- measurable satisfaction of having be- come a captain under the auspices of Air Serbia. I love my country and representing it in this way.” You initially moved from Boe- ing aircraft to the position of ATR co-pilot, and now also captain. Are there any changes in the feeling of flying itself? “There’s a big difference. The wing position is different, as are the engine type, aircraft weight, speed and altitude at which we fly. The ATR aircraft is smaller, slower and flies at lower altitudes, but its cockpit is mo- re sophisticated than that of the Bo- eing 737-300 that I operated. Every plane is special in its own way.” Where would you like your pro- fessional path to take you next? “For starters, I want to give my maximum in my new position of cap- tain, to enjoy flying and to continue doing my job with love. In a few years, once I’ve gained additional experien- ce, I would like to be a flight instructor and to help future colleagues build their careers as pilots.”
VANJA MARČETA CAPTAIN, ATR AIRCRAFT IT’S A WONDERFUL
KakojeizgledaotajputuErSrbiji? – Kada sam pre osam godina za- počela letačku karijeru i postala deo nacionalne avio-kompanije, bila je to za mene velika čast. Sada je ona još veća i upotpunjena neizmernim zado- voljstvom što sam pod okriljem Er Srbi- je postala kapetan. Volim svoju zemlju i volim što je na taj način predstavljam. Sa „boinga“ ste najpre prešli na mesto kopilota ATR-a, a sada i kapetana. Ima li promena u sa- mom osećaju letenja? – Razlika je velika. Drugačiji je polo- žaj krila, tip motora, težina aviona, brzi- na, visina na kojima letimo. ATR je ma- nji, sporiji, leti na nižim visinama, ali mu je kokpit sofisticiraniji od kokpita „bo- inga 737-300“ kojim sam upravljala. Svaki avion je poseban na svoj način. Gde biste voleli da vas profesi- onalni put dalje odvede? – Za početak želim da dam maksi- mum na novoj poziciji kapetana, da uži- vam u letenju i nastavim da s ljubavlju obavljam svoj posao. Za nekoliko go- dina, kada steknem dodatno iskustvo, volela bih da budem instruktor letenja i da pomažem budućim kolegama i ko- leginicama da se izgrade kao piloti.
FEELING TO BE PART OF SOMEONE’S TRAVELS
SHE LAUNCHED HER AIR SER- BIA CAREER IN 2016 , as a co-pi- lot on Boeing 737-300 aircraft, and has held the position of a co-pi- lot in the ATR fleet since 2022, un- til earning the title of ATR fleet cap- tain on 9 th July this year. Captain Marcheta made her maiden flight in her new position on 14 th July, on the route between Belgrade and Budapest... Do you recall when you first fell in love with aeroplanes? “My love of flying emerged when I was about five years old. Watching my military pilot father, I always won- dered what the feeling would be like to operate a plane and fly. I remem- ber that I would close my eyes when we travelled by car and imagine that I was aboard a plane, taking off, flying, enjoying myself.” How did your parents, friends and the people around you react when you embarked on that jour- ney? “When I expressed a desire to become a pilot as a girl, no one took me seriously, even my parents oppo-
Pored Vanje i Nitu, Er Srbija u letačkoj posadi ima još sedam žena, dok ih je u kabinskoj posadi preko 300 / Apart from Vanja and Neetu, Air Serbia has seven other women in its flight crews, while there are more than 300 in its cabin crews
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