Episode 023 - Ellie Carter
Engineering Success interviews Ellie Carter a Pilot and STEM Ambassador. Ellie has always wanted to be a pilot from a very young age. The physics and mathematics of flying always fascinated Ellie. When Ellie was eight she became fascinated with high altitude flight and an aircraft called the U-2. The science of flying at such altitudes was intriguing and she was fortunate enough to meet the aircraft and her crews which propelled her towards her dream. Ellie became the youngest female solo pilot when she took a day off school to solo gliders on her 14th birthday. She followed this up by soloing powered aircraft three days after her 16th birthday, due to storm Diana preventing her from flying on her birthday. Ellie collected her PPL on her 17th birthday. Since then Ellie has added various ratings including her tail wheel rating which allows her to fly a 1943 Piper L4 Grasshopper which served in D-Day! Ellie most memorable aviation moments to date include flying to Belgium, which won her an international aviatrix award, and having an engine failure after take-off resulting in a Mayday and a forced landing into some long grass. Ellie is currently studying her A levels along with an EMC in carbon neutral propulsion. Her ambition is a career in aviation and is hoping to study Aeronautics and Astronautics, which have been her ambition since she was 10 years old. Ellie is a speaker for many organisations such as Farnborough Airshow and Youth Education and Support as well as doing regular interviews and podcasts along with going into schools to encourage more girls to consider careers in STEM and aviation.