Sharjah: Nada Al Shamsi, 32, is literally aiming for the sky. A trailblazer in the true sense of term, she is Sharjah Police’s first female police pilot.
Al Shamsi, said: “Emiratis are probably the luckiest citizens to be part of this great nation. Our leaders are way ahead in their vision in support of gender equality. Thanks to Major General Saif Ziri Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police and his support, women in Sharjah Police are not only supported but offered all sorts of opportunities and access in the workplace, together with a stimulating environment to thrive. For this, I’m grateful and proud to be one of Sharjah police staff.”
Al Shamsi also praised her family role and how they supported her throughout her life. Recalling her training days, she said: “ It was equally a physical and mental challenge and having to adjust my body to flying at different times of the day.” Al Shamsi said that she faces many challenges but she overcame all of them. “Many of my instructors were actually tough with me because they wanted to make sure all the grades I got were well-earned.”
Al Shamsi’s course was split into two phases — ground school training and flying, which includes solo and dual flying. “Women can be whatever they want to be, that’s what I think my example shows. All women should follow a career path that inspires and makes them happy.” She currently flies Sharjah Police aircraft A6-XRK.
“I’m proud and extremely grateful to be serving my country being part of Sharjah Police. This is a very rewarding role where I get to help the community and have a job that I love.” She hopes her story inspires “all young females still searching for a path and show them there is still space for women in serving our country”.
Al Shamsi became a member in Al Jazirah Aviation Club in November 1, 2018 and she obtained her pilot’s licence on November 11, 2019.
“My favourite moments are during take off and landing. Having all the high-end technology is great for things like navigation and troubleshooting, but when it comes to the take offs and landings, I like to have a hands-on manual approach. I am doing constant checks on things like fuel, time, navigation and also just checking that all the instruments are functioning correctly. As you fly more regularly you get used to the long hours as well, at first I thought it would be really difficult, but it’s really normal for me now.”
“Flying is so exciting,” she shares. “When you’re flying alone, you feel in charge. It was a beautiful experience.
Poetess
In addition to her work in Sharjah Police, Al Shamsi is also a well-known poetess and participated in number of events. She is an employee in the Media and Public Relations Department of the Sharjah Police General Headquarters and presented the morning traffic broadcasts in English on the emirate’s police social media platform. She is also a member of the Emirates Poets Forum and a member of the Al Jazirah Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah.
She is the first to obtain a pilot’s licence from the female component of the Sharjah Police General Command, and she also participated in the shows of the Al Jazirah Aviation show for Light Aircraft in 2020.
She holds a Master in Strategy and Leadership Management and a Diploma in International Leadership Development from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNITAR in Switzerland, and an LSA pilot license approved by the General Civil Aviation Authority.
