Overview

This is the incredible story of Silva Mcleod, the first Tongan woman to become an airline pilot, told with frankness and wit by Silva herself. Silva was a Tongan girl from a small island with little hope of anything beyond getting married and having babies. Her dreams of becoming an airline pilot seemed just that — dreams — until Ken McLeod came into Silva’s life. He was an Australian hired to build a hospital on her island of Vava‘u. She started dating him despite frowns from her family. After a whirlwind romance, they got married in a traditional Tongan ceremony before moving to Australia Silva faced challenges in Australia as a woman of color. Then came the biggest challenge of all — Ken was diagnosed with cancer. He said to Silva, ‘Do you still want to fly? Life is too short, if you have a dream, go for it.’ There were many barriers to succeeding in such a male-dominated field, but Silva refused to give in. She became the first Tongan female airline pilot and worked for the Royal Flying Doctor Service amongst other small airlines then Virgin International, flying B777s around the world. With every new height Silva reached in her career, Ken’s struggle with cancer continued. Despite the hardships, Silva is sure she would dare to do it all over again. Dare to love a white man and dare to pursue her dream to go from island girl to airline pilot. 

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9781922539618

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Reviews

“An epic story of love, and heartbreak and family and sacrifice. One of the most moving reads you will have in a long time” * ABC Weekends with Andrea Gibbs * ‘Told by Silva with frankness and wit, she takes us on a journey of cultural change. … challenges of pursuing a flying career and its impact on her family are set against the backdrop of the love story of her life with her husband and his battle with cancer.” * Good Reading * “Such a wonderful inspiration for girls everywhere” -- Holly Branson * Chief Purpose & Vision Officer at Virgin and Chair of Virgin United * “In episode 101 of AFF on Air, Matt talks to Silva McLeod about the inspiring journey that took her from a small island in the Pacific to the cockpit of an international airline – flying over the Pacific.” * Australian Frequent Flyer Podcast * “Told with frankness and a selective photo album, the challenges of pursuing a flying career and its impact on her family are set against the backdrop of the love story of her life with her husband and his battle with cancer.” * Public Service News * “Wonderful to see Virgin Australia pilot Silva McLeod has published a book about her remarkable life – from a young girl on a small island in Tonga, to a pilot flying for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Virgin Family. Congratulations Silva.” * Richard Branson *

“Silva McLeod had always dreamed of flying. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and with the unwavering support of her husband Ken, Silva braved social and cultural barriers to become the first Tongan female airline pilot. She shares her amazing story in her memoir Island Girl to Airline Pilot..” -- Mindful Puzzles Magazine “An epic story of love, and heartbreak and family and sacrifice. One of the most moving reads you will have in a long time” * ABC Weekends with Andrea Gibbs * ‘Told by Silva with frankness and wit, she takes us on a journey of cultural change. … challenges of pursuing a flying career and its impact on her family are set against the backdrop of the love story of her life with her husband and his battle with cancer.” * Good Reading * “Such a wonderful inspiration for girls everywhere” -- Holly Branson * Chief Purpose & Vision Officer at Virgin and Chair of Virgin United * “In episode 101 of AFF on Air, Matt talks to Silva McLeod about the inspiring journey that took her from a small island in the Pacific to the cockpit of an international airline – flying over the Pacific.” * Australian Frequent Flyer Podcast * “Told with frankness and a selective photo album, the challenges of pursuing a flying career and its impact on her family are set against the backdrop of the love story of her life with her husband and his battle with cancer.” * Public Service News * “Wonderful to see Virgin Australia pilot Silva McLeod has published a book about her remarkable life – from a young girl on a small island in Tonga, to a pilot flying for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Virgin Family. Congratulations Silva.” * Richard Branson * “A poignant story you will enjoy. It is filled with courage, perseverance, adventure, success, family photographs and most of all love and respect” * School Days Magazine * “She grew up in an island hut with no running water or electricity. Now she’s a pilot” -- Lilit Marcus

Author Information

Silva Mcleod was born on the small Tongan island of Vava‘u. With the encouragement of Ken, her Australian husband, she trained to become the first Tongan female airline pilot, working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and eventually flying B777 jets around the world.

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