Chinyere Kalu: The First Female Pilot In Nigeria

Last Updated on February 23, 2023 by Spynaija

Nigeria is blessed with some of the best brains in the world. There is literally no booming sector around the world you won’t find at least a Nigerian actively contributing in one way or another to see the growth of such a section, even the female genders are not left behind, today, we will be presenting to you the first female pilot in Nigeria, her biography and career.

The First Female Pilot In Nigeria: Chinyere Kalu, (MFR) is the first woman to fly an aircraft in Nigeria and also the first female commercial pilot in Nigeria, Captain Chinyere Kalu was born in 1970.

Mrs. Chinyere Kalu is from Ukwa East in Abia State, Eastern Nigeria, Chinyere is married to Mr. Kalu Okoli, Their marriage is blessed with three wonderful children: two daughters and a son.

Mrs. Chinyere grew up under the care of her mother immediately after the separation of her parents. She grew up in a very supportive family. She decided to begin her career in aviation because of her adventurous aunt, her mum’s elder sister (who had so much influence in the family) her aunt who was well-known in the village for being the first person to travel to the United Kingdom.

Her aunt who had travelled around the world saw nothing wrong in her dream and gave her the go-ahead. She had her primary school education at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Yaba, Lagos State. she was trained as a private and commercial pilot in 1978 at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria under SP.12 Batch.

Below is an overview of her education and training:

Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) Course, Bolivia Aviation, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Aircraft Accident Investigation and Prevention Course, Federal Aviation Administration, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
Flight Instructor’s Rating, Civil Aviation Authority, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL/IR), NCAT, Zaria.
Postgraduate Diploma, Transport Management, and Logistics, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria.
Airborne Collision Avoidance/T-CAS Training for Air Traffic Controllers Course.
Pilots Human Performance and Limitations/Crew Resources Management/Human Factors Course.

She received her license as a commercial pilot on May 20, 1981, from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.

Mrs. Chinyere Kalu was appointed the Rector and Chief instructor of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in October 2011 by President Goodluck E. Jonathan. Captain Samuel Caulcrick succeeded her in February 2014.

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