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Maria Fagerström is a pilot and Instagram influencer from Sweden who shares her exciting life with her nearly 500,000 followers.
Her Instagram bio reads "Hi crew ���� I'm here to give YOU a bit of insight into the aviation world with a purpose to inspire & empower others. Welcome onboard!" She follows through on her promise, too, sharing travel tips, tough parts of the job, and other insider tidbits that the average passenger might not know.
Fagerström shows the glamorous side of her life, like trips to Tenerife and Greece, but she also shares challenges, like dealing with an irregular schedule and lack of sleep.
Here's how Fagerström uses Instagram to share her life as a pilot.
Fagerström told Business Insider she didn't expect to grow a huge following on Instagram, but her interest in business and entrepreneurship has grown over the past two years. Now, she tries to give her followers insight from her perspective as a woman in a male-dominated field.
Fagerström said that being a pilot is actually often relaxing in good weather, at least once the plane reaches cruising altitude. "Best part of the job must be the feeling after touching down after a tricky approach, and you’ve done a well-done job with maneuvering the aircraft all the way from start to finish," she said.
The hardest part about being a pilot, Fagerström said, is a constantly changing her schedule. For her, "a lot of coffee seems to be the answer. "
For anyone thinking about becoming a pilot, flight school is tough, Fagerström said. "You’ll most probably have to say goodbye to your social life for a year or two. But I can assure you it’s totally worth it when you get your wings."
Fagerström's boyfriend is also a pilot, which she said is "quite convenient ... I can totally recommend it. What people usually assume is that we talk about work all the time, which actually couldn’t be further away from the truth. However, it is nice to be able to talk about your day in 'aviation language' and being understood as he is in the exact same position."
As a short-haul pilot, Fagerström only has short breaks, so she doesn't see many new places on her routes. The perk, she said, is "I always get to sleep in my own bed."
Instead, Fagerström does most of her travel during her time off.
The couple recently bought a house together in Spain, where they are based.
Fagerström has been flying for nine years, and she is "counting down the months until I have the hours to start the command upgrade course to become a captain myself."
Fagerström is following in her father's footsteps — he's also a pilot.
Fagerström had some advice for aspiring pilots: "You can become skilled at anything, if that is becoming a pilot or anything you dream about achieving, you can. As long as you’re willing to put your mind, time, and effort into it."
