Pilots walking in their crisp uniforms always attract attention and people gaze at them in wide-eyed fascination. It’s more so if the pilot is a woman. One such lady aviator is Maria Pettersson, who’s not only an airline pilot but is also a lifestyle blogger, who’s recently become a mother. Her globetrotting exploits, life as a pilot, and experiences as a new mom have made her an internet sensation.
Maria grew up in a small village near Gothenburg, Sweden. When the bug to become a flyer bit her, she researched for the flight schools on Google, made phone calls, and visited them on recruitment days. She eventually got enrolled in South Sweden Flight Academy at Svedala, Sweden and Svensk Pilotutbildning (SPU), Säve, Sweden. She was 24 then. Today, she pilots Boeing 737NG.
Flying for Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline, this 32-year-old Swedish commercial pilot came to public notice when she started her Instagram page after relocating to Palermo in the Italian island of Sicily, where now she lives with her husband and her baby, Alice. She started posting her experiences on her page that ranged from flying, adventures, yoga on the beach, and much else. However, it was her experiences as a young mother that really impressed her fans.
Becoming a new mom added a new dimension to Maria’s globetrotting exploits and other adventures. And it wasn’t just the adorable pics of the little bundle of joy, but her invaluable tips and tricks to overcome the challenges posed by the infant that caught the attention of viewers, especially young mothers and wannabes.
For example, her advice to all new moms is to use GroEgg, an egg-shaped lamp that not only illuminates the room in dim light but also indicates the temperature. The idea is to aim for yellow light that indicates the temperature between 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. She also advises sleeping in a separate bedroom from hubby, so that both don’t get exhausted by the irregular timings of the infant. She also roots for breastfeeding and a rocking chair for the baby.
Maria enjoys a following of over 540,000 fans on Instagram alone.
Maria Pettersson