When Eyes Shine Brightly Looking at the Sky

​When curiosity toward those flying machines takes hold of you as a child, when your eyes light up at the airport as soon as you spot a plane, when you hear that unmistakable roar in the sky and instinctively raise your head to find it among the clouds  that is when you realize that aviation is not just a job, but a passion that gets under your skin.

​In the early days of aviation, piloting and repairing were one and the same. Pioneers of flight were both aviators and mechanics of their own aircraft, because knowing every bolt, every cable, and every mechanism was a matter of survival. This tradition has also included women since the 1920. During the World Wars, thousands of women worked in aircraft factories and maintenance hangars, building and repairing the planes that would soar through the skies. They were mechanics, technicians, and engineers  indispensable figures who proved that technical competence and a passion for aviation have no gender.

​Today,  tradition continues in hangars and maintenance shops around the world, where expert hands take care of every detail that allows a plane to fly safely. Among these hands are those of young women who have chosen to follow their passion, facing daily challenges and lingering prejudices, proving through action that in aircraft maintenance, brains matter more than brawn, and determination outweighs preconceptions.

​This is the story of Ionela  legally known as Arvinte Gabriela  a 25-year-old aircraft technician who turned her school-born passion into a life on the move between hangars, business jets, and different countries. It is a story of competence, sacrifice, and that extra edge that comes from attention to detail, organization, and the daily desire to prove that her place in that hangar is more than deserved.

​Interview with Ionela

​Hi Ionela, tell us who you are and what you do.

​Hi, my name is Arvinte Gabriela, I am 25 years old and I am an aircraft maintenance technician. Currently, I work as an aircraft mechanic contractor, which allows me to change countries and companies often. Right now, I am working in Switzerland with business jets in base maintenance. My day starts with a short briefing with my team where we divide the tasks to be carried out during the day. I might find myself doing inspections, removing and installing components, lubrication, tests, etc.

​How was your passion for aviation born and how did you get into this job?

​I attended the Fabio Besta Aeronautical Institute in Ragusa, which gave me a technical training base in the aviation world. The passion started there, at school. Initially, I wanted to pursue a career as an air traffic controller. Gradually, thanks to my mechanics teacher, I became passionate about the world of maintenance. After graduating, the same institute I attended proposed a maintenance training course in collaboration with the Sicily region. I decided to apply for the selections and fortunately, I was accepted. Thanks to the path of study and the institute I chose to attend, today I am an aircraft maintenance technician.

​What is it like being a woman in a predominantly male environment?

​I have been surrounded only by males since my studies and subsequently in the working world. In general, I find it easier to communicate with the male sex, so it wasn't difficult to settle into the work environment. Sometimes I have noticed a different treatment between me and my male colleagues. These can be both positive and negative aspects. People think that because we are women, we know less than men or we are physically weaker. Obviously, physical strength cannot be compared, but often in the world of maintenance, you have to use your brain more and your muscles less. Currently, I am able to settle in well with my colleagues and I always try to make myself respected and prove that we are equals.

​Have you ever experienced episodes of discrimination at work?

​I happened to be discriminated against as a woman regarding my physical strength. One episode was when a winglet installation on a B737 had to be performed and the team had to be chosen for the task, at which point a colleague commented, "Well, you can't tighten the bolts." Without replying, I asked my team leader to put me on the team and I personally tightened the bolts without much effort. Sometimes it also annoys me to have to prove to someone that I can do a certain thing even though I am a woman. Unfortunately, these discriminations will always exist and I have to live with them.

​What are the daily challenges of your job and how do you face them?

​Every day there are challenges, like jobs never done before or problems that can pop up suddenly and I have to solve them with calmness and professionalism. I perform my work to the best of my ability thanks to the foundations that every technician has: being organized, tidy, attentive, and following procedures step by step.

​How do you balance your private life and work?

​My job doesn't help me balance private life and work in the best way. I am often in different countries for work and this clearly has a decisive impact on my private life. I consciously chose the life of an aircraft mechanic contractor, so for now, I don't mind it. Thanks to my job, I can travel a lot and get to know new countries and cultures. In the future, I will decide to settle down in one country and start my family.

​What are your goals for the future?

​My future goals are to get the B1.1 license and specialize in private jets. I would like to be part of an AOG (Aircraft On Ground) team and go around the world repairing airplanes. I also hope to find a country and a company that I can call home and settle down.

​In your opinion, what do women bring to the aviation world?

​Women in the aviation world have an extra edge. First of all, a woman is very attentive to detail, organized, and keeps everything under control qualities that make a difference in maintenance. The male gender often doesn't have these qualities, especially organization and order.

​A message for girls who would like to undertake this path?

​To all the girls who want to undertake this path, I say do it and believe in yourselves because no one will do it for you. Don't be afraid of not knowing how to do things because trust me, no one knows how to do them without ever having done them and without having read the procedure. The aeronautical world is not easy, but you just need the right determination and never stop studying and learning, because the aeronautical world is a continuous cycle of study, procedures, manuals, and experience. I am happy where I have arrived today and I recommend it to every girl who has the same passion as me.

​We thank Ionela for sharing her story with us and for reminding us that passion, when authentic, overcomes every obstacle and every prejudice. Her determination to earn respect by tightening those bolts on the B737, her courage in traveling alone to different countries, and her desire to continue growing professionally are proof that the sky has no gender boundaries.

​We wish her the achievement of all her goals, the attainment of her B1.1 license, and the realization of her dream to join an AOG team. Above all, we wish her to find soon that place and that company she can call home a place that recognizes her value and where she can build the future she desires, without ever stopping to look at the sky with those same shining eyes.

​Every time a plane takes off safely, there is the silent and precious work of professionals like her people for whom those eyes that shine in front of an airplane have never dimmed, but have become expert and competent hands that make the dreams of others fly.