Australian Emily Sidoti has shared her experience of residing and working in Dubai as the highest-ranking pilot on the largest passenger jet globally.
Emirates pilot Emily Sidoti has unveiled one of the fantastic perks of her job at the airline: flying her family around the globe for free, and in luxurious style.
Originally from Sydney, she relocated to Dubai in 2019 to work for Emirates. In September of last year, she was promoted to A380 Captain, the highest position for a pilot on the aircraft, making her the first Australian woman to achieve this at Emirates.
While she considers the pride of commanding the largest passenger jet in the world one of the greatest benefits of her job, she also talks about the luxurious lifestyle that comes with it.
"In Dubai, we have access to opulent beach clubs, globally renowned restaurants, iconic shopping malls, and the world’s largest water parks and theme parks," Ms. Sidoti told news.com.au about her life in the lavish city with her husband and three daughters.
"My children are also gaining a significant amount of positive life experiences by living abroad in a multicultural environment.
"My family also enjoys the privilege of traveling first and business class anywhere in the world."
Emirates is ranked among the world’s top airlines, with a first-class round-trip ticket between Dubai and Sydney costing upwards of $20,000 for one person or $40,000 for a couple.
Emily Sidoti moved to Dubai with her husband and three daughters in 2019.
Ms. Sidoti flew this route for the first time as an A380 Captain on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in the 37-year-old's career.
"As a new Captain or First Officer, we are restricted in the first six months of our new role and fly short to medium-haul flights only allowing us to consolidate and gain maximum exposure," she explained.
"Ultra Long Haul flights [like Dubai to Sydney] require four pilots to share the workload, and half the time is spent in crew rest."
Ms. Sidoti mentioned that people might be surprised to learn that pilots begin their work before even arriving at the airport.
"Before each flight, a pilot is required to spend several hours on flight preparation at home before heading to the airport," she said.
"This ensures familiarity with the route we are flying, including country rules and regulations, weather, airports, and airspace requirements and restrictions."
The family enjoys a lavish lifestyle in the city and can travel around the world for free. Picture: Supplied Ms. Sidoti’s biggest inspiration to become a pilot was her grandfather, who served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.
"After completing Year 12, I had to find a way to fund my commercial pilot license at the age of 18," she said. "After numerous rejections by bank directors, I received an unsecured loan based solely on my determination."
She then completed a full-time diploma in aviation while working in the hospitality industry.
Her first job in the industry was as a flight instructor, and before flying commercially, Ms. Sidoti piloted charter flights.
She mentioned that this work included, "flying juvenile offenders with their police escorts, urgent medical transfers between rural and city hospitals, and flying traffic reporters for one of Sydney’s top radio stations."
Since then, Ms. Sidoti, who grew up in Manly and lived along the Northern Beaches until she moved to Dubai, has had many incredible experiences, including witnessing remarkable sights out of the cockpit window.
"There are so many amazing things I have seen, to name a few; The Northern Lights, St. Elmo’s Fire, snow-capped Himalayas, shooting stars, and mesmerizing sunsets and sunrises around the world," she said.
The experienced pilot says she is still stunned by the size of the A380, even now as Captain.
"While the A380’s advanced technology makes it easier to fly in many aspects, it also presents unique challenges such as maneuvering on the ground due to its sheer size and managing complex systems during abnormal situations," she said. "I feel a great sense of pride, responsibility, and passion for operating such an iconic and impressive aircraft."
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