Mandy, now a motivational speaker, served in the RAF as a Tornado GR4 fast jet pilot and operated in a number of hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘no fly’ zone over Iraq, at one point having to take extreme evasive action when her aircraft was attacked by a heat-seaking missile.
One of the RAF’s very first female fighter pilots, Mandy used her personal experiences around rejection, determination, teamwork and confidence to deliver a number of broader points relevant to both work and life in general.
She delivered an inspiring and fascinating presentation with self-deprecating humour and well chosen illustrations before answering a number of questions from an appreciative audience.
Mandy also revealed that her book, An Officer, Not a Gentleman, which tells of her determination to succeed in her pioneering role, was turned down by one publisher because a predominantly male readership for aviation-themed books “would not be interested in a women pilot”. The book has gone on to be a best-seller and is available from Mandy’s website at https://www.mandyhickson.com/aboutd55661df
