The Scenic Drive celebrates Women's Month: First black female fighter pilot Mandisa Mfeka
The Scenic Drive with Rian is celebrating Women’s Month by reliving some of our favourite interviews with some of SA’s most loved women!
Mandisa Mfeka has recently been named as the world’s first black South African female fighter pilot - and she shared her journey in the skies with the Scenic Drive with Rian.
Mfeka was born in Malvern, in the east of Johannesburg and works for the South African Air Force (SAAF) as a combat pilot.
She says growing up she always had aspired to become a medical doctor but following research, she found aeronautical engineering as her passion.
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Mfeka joined the SAAF in 2008, two years thereafter she joined the Central Flying School in Langebaan and in 2011 she got her own set of wings.
Rian and the Scenic Drive team were extremely inspired by Mfeka and decided to invite her to share her incredible story.
Rian wanted to know what it feels like to be a fighter pilot. "It is extremely excited, especially when you can hear and feel the power of the jet," she said.
“It is such a dynamic environment and so mentally stimulating," she added.
Her life motto is, 'the sky is the baseline' - meaning you should constantly push yourself to do better.