<p><em>Susanna Sundberg, 43 years old. Born in Göteborg, Sweden 1977, went to flight school in Sweden 2001-2002, flight instructor training 2005-2006 and got my first job as commercial pilot on the Avro RJ 2007. I also worked as flight operations assistent in between. I’ve been working for several different companies in Scandinavia & Europe, but also outside Europe, in Mongolia for example. Since 2014 I am flying for Brussels Airlines, based in Brussels and since 2019 I am flying Airbus 319/320 on our medium haul sector. I live together with my husband who is also a pilot, and together we have our lovely daughter Olivia who is just about to turn 2!</em></p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg flying" src="/getasset/373cd6a4-ed5d-4664-8ed4-a2807adb55ba/" /></p>
<p><strong>What did you want to be when you were growing up?</strong> First Flight attendant but I changed to pilot quickly, that was already my childhood dream. I did change my mind several times though and didn't really make up my mind until I was 18.</p>
<p><strong>How did you get started in aviation?</strong> I took a private lesson on a cessna just to check if flying was “my thing” and it was love at first sight :) I contacted Lund University School of Aviation in Sweden and started my ab-initio training there after a lot of tests and interviews.</p>
<p><strong>What made you realise you wanted to become a pilot?</strong> I have always been fascinated by space and airplanes and I think it was on my first flight as a young girl I really realised that pilot is a “normal job”. Unfortunately I believed for many years that you have to go through military service and air force to be a pilot, and I didn't really know it was possible for a normal girl like me to become a pilot. When I was 17-18 years old I read about pilot careers in school and suddenly realised it is perfectly possible even for me to become a pilot.</p>
<p><strong>Who is your biggest influencer in your industry and why? </strong>My flight instructors from flight school are still my biggest support and influencers. These guys had careers in the air force and did everything they could to teach us how to fly, but also how to stay humble and never take anything for granted. Without them I would never have had the chance to do what I do today.</p>
<p><strong>What do you enjoy most about your job?</strong> To see the world from above, to fly amazing aircrafts and to visit new destinations. My biggest hobbies in life are travel and photography, and my job gives me the opportunity to do everything I dreamt of.</p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg in engine" src="/getasset/4dffbfec-1466-4f31-b652-0d7b86a9d7ab/" /></p>
<p><strong>What do you like least about your job?</strong> The irregular hours and uncertainty. Our rosters are published late and I can never book a ticket or be 100% sure to be home for birthdays or Christmas, and that is always I bit stressful. My friends and family understand but it is still affecting my social life a lot. To do a hobby or evening class for example is very difficult with our working hours.</p>
<p><strong>What piece of advice would you give your younger self starting a career in aviation?</strong> Just go for it, you only have one life girl! I doubted myself a lot in the beginning of my career, I cared a bit too much about what other people would think. The older I get I realise you really have to “just do it” and don’t waste to much time overthinking things.</p>
<p><strong>Where do you see yourself in 10 years?</strong> Maybe still flying in Europe, maybe long haul? I am also willing to discover other parts of the world and fly somewhere else for a few years. It all depends on how the industry turns, during hard times it is very comfortable to have a fixed contract and stable employer and during better times there are nice opportunities everywhere.</p>
<p><strong>Can you tell us a little bit about what training you have done in the past and how it has helped you get where you are?</strong> I did my flight training at Lund University School of Aviation and graduated from there with all qualifications to start flying as a commercial pilot. Before that I started studying at Chalmers University of Technology to become an engineer in case my pilot dream wouldn’t come true. The mathematics, technology and physics I studied there was a great help for my pilot studies later on. For every new employer or aircraft you need additional training, which is usually provided by the employer. I got my Avro RJ type rating from my first employer and that made me qualified to fly for other companies later on as well.</p>
<p><strong>What qualifications did you require to start your career?</strong> I was lucky to be able to start in a company that accepts so called “low timers”. Most pilots have around 200 hours or less when they graduate from flight school and it can be difficult to find a job directly. I worked as a flight instructor and tried to get as many flight hours as quickly as possible and was employed when I had around 500 hours. I also needed Multi Crew training and the correct licenses. My flight school gave us all training and qualifications needed and I got my type rating through my first employer.</p>
<p><strong>What does your job entail?</strong> Besides the actual flying we also need to follow ground courses and stay up to date with the aircraft systems and procedures. We have regular check flights, both in the airplane and simulator where we need to show that we are able to perform our pilot duties in a safe and professional way.</p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg by plane" src="/getasset/e10082e6-9157-4f93-9262-bcc63add08f0/" /></p>
<p><strong>What challenges do you face in your role?</strong> As a pilot I face different challenges every day, that is also a part of the job that I really like. We need to be able to make correct decisions under pressure and during limited time, we also need to be creative to come up with non-standard solutions sometimes. Challenges in my more specific role as first officer can aslo be how to work with your crew and of course the captain sitting next to me. I need to be able to speak up if needed, but also to be humble and take the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues.</p>
<p><strong>What's your next career move?</strong> Since I started flying the airbus 320 quite recently I am very happy where I am for the moment. I think my next step would either be upgrade to captain on the 320 or first officer on long haul airbus 330. That might take a few years though, all depending on how our company evolves.</p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg flying" src="/getasset/373cd6a4-ed5d-4664-8ed4-a2807adb55ba/" /></p>
<p><strong>What did you want to be when you were growing up?</strong> First Flight attendant but I changed to pilot quickly, that was already my childhood dream. I did change my mind several times though and didn't really make up my mind until I was 18.</p>
<p><strong>How did you get started in aviation?</strong> I took a private lesson on a cessna just to check if flying was “my thing” and it was love at first sight :) I contacted Lund University School of Aviation in Sweden and started my ab-initio training there after a lot of tests and interviews.</p>
<p><strong>What made you realise you wanted to become a pilot?</strong> I have always been fascinated by space and airplanes and I think it was on my first flight as a young girl I really realised that pilot is a “normal job”. Unfortunately I believed for many years that you have to go through military service and air force to be a pilot, and I didn't really know it was possible for a normal girl like me to become a pilot. When I was 17-18 years old I read about pilot careers in school and suddenly realised it is perfectly possible even for me to become a pilot.</p>
<p><strong>Who is your biggest influencer in your industry and why? </strong>My flight instructors from flight school are still my biggest support and influencers. These guys had careers in the air force and did everything they could to teach us how to fly, but also how to stay humble and never take anything for granted. Without them I would never have had the chance to do what I do today.</p>
<p><strong>What do you enjoy most about your job?</strong> To see the world from above, to fly amazing aircrafts and to visit new destinations. My biggest hobbies in life are travel and photography, and my job gives me the opportunity to do everything I dreamt of.</p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg in engine" src="/getasset/4dffbfec-1466-4f31-b652-0d7b86a9d7ab/" /></p>
<p><strong>What do you like least about your job?</strong> The irregular hours and uncertainty. Our rosters are published late and I can never book a ticket or be 100% sure to be home for birthdays or Christmas, and that is always I bit stressful. My friends and family understand but it is still affecting my social life a lot. To do a hobby or evening class for example is very difficult with our working hours.</p>
<p><strong>What piece of advice would you give your younger self starting a career in aviation?</strong> Just go for it, you only have one life girl! I doubted myself a lot in the beginning of my career, I cared a bit too much about what other people would think. The older I get I realise you really have to “just do it” and don’t waste to much time overthinking things.</p>
<p><strong>Where do you see yourself in 10 years?</strong> Maybe still flying in Europe, maybe long haul? I am also willing to discover other parts of the world and fly somewhere else for a few years. It all depends on how the industry turns, during hard times it is very comfortable to have a fixed contract and stable employer and during better times there are nice opportunities everywhere.</p>
<p><strong>Can you tell us a little bit about what training you have done in the past and how it has helped you get where you are?</strong> I did my flight training at Lund University School of Aviation and graduated from there with all qualifications to start flying as a commercial pilot. Before that I started studying at Chalmers University of Technology to become an engineer in case my pilot dream wouldn’t come true. The mathematics, technology and physics I studied there was a great help for my pilot studies later on. For every new employer or aircraft you need additional training, which is usually provided by the employer. I got my Avro RJ type rating from my first employer and that made me qualified to fly for other companies later on as well.</p>
<p><strong>What qualifications did you require to start your career?</strong> I was lucky to be able to start in a company that accepts so called “low timers”. Most pilots have around 200 hours or less when they graduate from flight school and it can be difficult to find a job directly. I worked as a flight instructor and tried to get as many flight hours as quickly as possible and was employed when I had around 500 hours. I also needed Multi Crew training and the correct licenses. My flight school gave us all training and qualifications needed and I got my type rating through my first employer.</p>
<p><strong>What does your job entail?</strong> Besides the actual flying we also need to follow ground courses and stay up to date with the aircraft systems and procedures. We have regular check flights, both in the airplane and simulator where we need to show that we are able to perform our pilot duties in a safe and professional way.</p>
<p><img alt="Susanna Sundberg by plane" src="/getasset/e10082e6-9157-4f93-9262-bcc63add08f0/" /></p>
<p><strong>What challenges do you face in your role?</strong> As a pilot I face different challenges every day, that is also a part of the job that I really like. We need to be able to make correct decisions under pressure and during limited time, we also need to be creative to come up with non-standard solutions sometimes. Challenges in my more specific role as first officer can aslo be how to work with your crew and of course the captain sitting next to me. I need to be able to speak up if needed, but also to be humble and take the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues.</p>
<p><strong>What's your next career move?</strong> Since I started flying the airbus 320 quite recently I am very happy where I am for the moment. I think my next step would either be upgrade to captain on the 320 or first officer on long haul airbus 330. That might take a few years though, all depending on how our company evolves.</p>