Helicopter pilot Rachael Leeson won Whirly Girls agricultural scholarship

A desire to fly from a young age led Victorian Rachael Leeson to flying a helicopter, and now has her sights set on becoming an ag pilot.

“I’ve always wanted a career that’s a bit challenging, a bit risky, something rewarding.”

That’s the sentiment that has seen Geelong-raised Rachael Leeson go from a young air force cadet to a helicopter pilot.

The 28-year-old’s aviation career began five years ago in Mansfield, with Rachael now working in the Northern Territory doing controlled burnings, and returning back to Victoria’s High Country during bushfire season.

Rachael Leeson has been flying for two years, and is currently based in the NT.

“I initially got offered a ground crew position with Paton Air Helicopters, and then after a few years they offered me a traineeship in wanting to fly,” Rachael said.

Seven exams and 105 flying hours later Rachael obtained her helicopter pilot’s licence and has been flying for two years, but now has the ultimate goal of obtaining her Ag Rating (an endorsement that allows her to perform aerial application activities, such as spraying and top-dressing) and becoming an ag pilot.

“Eventually I would like to go back to Victoria and settle into Ag Rating. But it’s a fair bit of money in Australia, so I’m saving up and my ultimate goal is to be an ag pilot,” she said.

Rachael won a scholarship that will see her travel to Florida to train in ag spraying. Picture: Supplied

“I should hopefully be (doing fires in Victoria) in the next few years … but you just have to have legal minimums with government contracts so I’m up here working my hours up so I can fly for governments down there.”

Rachael was one of 20 women last year to receive a scholarship from Whirly Girls, an international organisation dedicated to advancing women in helicopter aviation, and will be travelling to Florida at the end of September to train.

“It’s for a week, with about 10 hours of flight-time, low-level flying with ag spraying, so it will definitely help back over her for my ag rating.”