Jo Salter
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Joanna Mary Salter (born Aug 27, 1968 in Bournemouth) is an inspirational speaker and Britain's first female fast jet pilot flying the Panavia Tornado GR1 on No. 617 Squadron.
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[edit] RAF
She joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 to be an Engineering Officer and branch changed to pilot after the British government announced that women could start flying jets in 1992. She had studied engineering at the University of Cambridge. She was awarded her fast jet wings on Apr 3, 1992.
[edit] Combat duty
She joined 617 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in 1994 as a Flight Lieutenant, and was declared combat ready by the RAF on February 21 1995: the first woman to be an operational Tornado pilot. Whilst flying ground attack Tornados (not the ADV/F3), she started an MBA from the Open University in 1996, being sponsored by the MoD, which she completed in 2000. She flew from Kuwait, protecting the No-fly zone over Iraq. She left the RAF in 2000 after returning from maternity leave (which began in April 1998) and being unfulfilled by the offers of work she received from the RAF.
From 1994 to 2004, around 70 female RAF pilots flew fast jets.
[edit] Civilian career
She gives motivational talks, and trains ATC and University Air Squadron cadets at the weekend. She married Robert Ashfield in January 1998 in Romsey, Hampshire. They have two daughters (born July 1998 and January 2003).
[edit] See also
- Julie Gibson - the RAF's first female (Hercules) pilot.
- Helen Gardiner - first female RAF pilot (of 43 Squadron at RAF Leuchars) to intercept a Russian spy plane on September 10 1996.
