JUST a decade after taking to the skies as a teenage air cadet, Kate McWilliams has proved she is a real high flier — by becoming the world’s youngest commercial pilot at the age of 26.

    The 26-year-old, a rising star of budget airline easyJet’s crew, has been promoted from first officer to captain, a feat usually achieved by much older pilots.

    And a spokesman said they believe McWilliams is the youngest commercial airline captain in the world.

    After taking up flying in the air cadets aged 13, McWilliams made her first solo flight aged 16 and went on to train as a pilot on her 19th birthday.

    She said she gets quizzed about her age by cabin crew and passengers almost every day and most are “impressed” to learn she has fast-tracked her way to the cockpit.

    McWilliams said, “Personally I don’t think my age matters. I’ve been through the same training and passed the same command course as every other captain so I’ve proven myself capable regardless of my age.

    “I do now get asked how old I am on an almost daily basis which didn’t used to happen when I was a first officer.

    “Usually that question comes from the cabin crew but sometimes passengers ask too.

    “When I tell them I’m 26, most people are pleasantly surprised and impressed with my achievement at such a young age.”

    She is also one of the few women to be promoted beyond the rank of first officer.

    Just 5 percent of commercial pilots are female and last year easyJet announced an initiative to double the proportion of female new entrants to 12 percent over two years.

    McWilliams said the lack of female role models made her “never even thought it could be an option” to become a commercial pilot.

    And she felt she had no one to “ask for advice” in order to pursue her dreams.

    Determined to succeed, she was flying loop-the-loops at 15 and made her first solo flight at 16. She joined a training program at CTC Aviation in Southampton on her 19th birthday.

    In May 2011 she joined easyJet as a first officer and recently took up the rank of captain after passing the airline’s command course.

    Originally from Carlisle, she is now based in Reigate, Surrey, and works from Gatwick Airport.

    She flies Airbus A319 and A320 planes to around 100 destinations, including as Reykjavik, Tel Aviv and Marrakesh.

    “With Gatwick having such an extensive route network my roster is very varied so I rarely fly to the same place twice in the same month.

    “That keeps things interesting. I love being a commercial pilot for easyJet, and I am proud that I have now achieved my ambition of becoming a captain.”

    (SD-Agencies)