When Julia flies, she usually brings something homemade: vegetables, quinoa, something filling that can easily be eaten with a spoon. A SWISS chocolate is always part of the meal. “It’s the combination that does it,” she says with a laugh. Since January 2026, Julia has been flying for SWISS. After completing her training and introductory flights, she is now flying as a First Officer. Even now, the reality of her job still feels surreal at times. “I’m slowly starting to have those moments when I think: I’ve actually made it to where I always wanted to be.”

Choosing flights over birthday presents
Julia knew from an early age that she wanted to become a pilot. Her father spent more than thirty years in the cockpit, and when she was around ten years old, she joined him on a trip for the first time. “That’s when I knew: this is what I want to do.”

Later, she accompanied him on long-haul flights around the world. As soon as his schedule was published, she would start figuring out which trips she could join during school holidays. “My parents would ask me whether I wanted a birthday present or another flight with my dad. I always chose the flight.”

Those experiences exposed her not only to sunrises above the clouds and faraway destinations, but also to the less glamorous aspects of the profession: long duty days, irregular schedules, and significant responsibility. Her father loved flying but never pressured her to follow in his footsteps. “There was no pressure. Still, or perhaps because of that, I always knew this was what I wanted to do.”

In January 2026, her father retired, and in the very same month Julia joined SWISS. The two never had the chance to share a cockpit flight together. It was, as the family called it, “a flying handover.” His final flight nevertheless became a special family moment: he flew it alongside Julia’s fiancé, who is also a pilot. Now, Julia hopes to welcome her father aboard one of her own flights as a passenger. “That would bring everything full circle.”

“That’s where I want to be”
Julia’s path to the cockpit was anything but direct. After high school, she studied International Management and later completed a master’s degree. Yet the dream of flying never faded. In 2022, she began pilot training in Bremen.

“It was probably the most intense and demanding two years of my life, but also the most rewarding.” She graduated in January 2025. When it came time to apply for jobs, she already knew exactly where she wanted to go. “SWISS was my dream airline.”

Her decision was not only influenced by the airline’s proximity to her hometown near Stuttgart. What mattered most were the people she encountered during training. At one information event, she heard a SWISS pilot talk about his career. His enthusiasm left a lasting impression. “I immediately thought: that’s where I want to be. One day, I want to talk about my work the way he does.”

Becoming the role model she never had
Julia wants to share her passion for aviation and inspire more young women to pursue a career as a pilot. She does this through internal initiatives as well as her work as a content creator outside the company. Ironically, being in the spotlight comes naturally neither to her nor to her personality. “I’m not particularly extroverted. Even today, it sometimes feels strange to film or photograph myself.”

The reason she chose to share her experiences online stems from her own journey. Growing up, Julia did not know a single female pilot. Through her father she gained insight into aviation, but almost exclusively from a male perspective.

In eighth grade, she asked him to put her in touch with a woman pilot. It took some time before he happened to fly with one. Julia asked every question she could think of: What was the hardest part of training? Did she ever regret her career choice? “Back then, it was almost the only way for me to hear a female pilot’s perspective.”

The same determination to seek answers, challenge assumptions, and drive change still shapes her today. In 2024, she co-founded the podcast Cockpit Diaries with her colleague Anna. Through social media under @julies.diaries, she shares honest insights into her profession. “I want people to see that there’s just a normal human being sitting in the cockpit. Maybe someone will think: if she can do it, maybe I can too.”

She intentionally showcases not just extraordinary moments, but everyday life as well. “If I’m funny, I’m funny. If I’m boring, then sometimes I’m boring too,” she says.

The messages that mean the most to her are those from young women who first considered pilot training because of her podcast or social media posts. Some of them are now pilots themselves. “Those are by far the most rewarding messages I receive.”

High standards, especially for herself
Julia feels completely at ease as a woman in the cockpit. “For me, what matters is that the person beside me is professional, regardless of who they are. My colleagues feel the same way.” Pilots complete the same training and are measured by the same standards. She is not looking for special treatment. “We want the same benchmark, the same expectations, and the same responsibility.”

Outside the industry, however, stereotypes persist. Questions about whether women are technically capable, physically strong enough, or too emotional for the cockpit continue to surface. On social media, she occasionally encounters comments from people who claim they would not fly with a female pilot. She blocks hateful messages but engages with constructive criticism.

The greatest pressure during training came not from others, but from herself. “I’m usually my own toughest critic.” Self-reflection is essential in aviation, she says, but so is the ability to learn from mistakes without being excessively hard on oneself. Today, she relies primarily on feedback from instructors and colleagues.

You don’t need to be a physics genius
Julia is also eager to challenge another common misconception: you do not need to excel at physics to become a pilot. By her own admission, she was never particularly strong in physics or exceptional in mathematics at school. Yet during flight training, the more technical subjects became some of her favorites. “The difference was that I was genuinely interested in the topics and understood why I needed them.”

A basic technical understanding is important, she says, but no one is expected to know every aircraft system before training begins. “You enter flight school as an ordinary person and leave as a pilot.” Interest, discipline, and a willingness to learn matter far more than perfect grades.

Finding balance on the ground
After a flight, Julia deliberately seeks balance away from the intense focus required in the cockpit. At home—whether in her shared apartment in Kloten or with her fiancé in Stuttgart—she enjoys spending time with her dog, reading books, and being outdoors. Sometimes a walk helps; sometimes all she needs is peace and quiet. “You have to learn to listen to your own needs.”

Although her flying career has only just begun, Julia already has new ambitions. One realistic dream is to take her fiancé Pascal on one of her flights, just as she once accompanied him. Long term, she hopes to fly the Airbus A350. “Many pilots rave about how modern and ergonomic the cockpit is, and how pleasant the comparatively quiet environment feels.” Her father also spent his entire career flying Airbus aircraft.

Until then, she plans to gain experience, learn from colleagues, and enjoy life as a newly qualified pilot. She wants to discover destinations she had little chance to explore during training, admire the Alps from above, and perhaps one day find the courage to speak Swiss German herself.

Most of all, she hopes never to lose her enthusiasm. “I wish for myself and all my colleagues that we never forget how special this profession truly is.”