- She posts about the aviation world, and frequently answers her followers' questions about her job.
- Fagerstrm shared a little bit about her life with Business Insider.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
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This pilot influencer is giving her nearly 500,000 Instagram followers an inside look at the world of aviation
Maria Fagerstrm is a Swedish pilot and Instagram influencer living in Spain.
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Maria Fagerstrm 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.
Fagerstrm 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.
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Here's how Fagerstrm uses Instagram to share her life as a pilot.
Fagerstrm told Business Insider she didnt 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.
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Maria the Pilot
Fagerstrm 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 youve done a well-done job with maneuvering the aircraft all the way from start to finish," she said.
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The hardest part about being a pilot, Fagerstrm said, is a constantly changing her schedule. For her, "a lot of coffee seems to be the answer. "
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For anyone thinking about becoming a pilot, flight school is tough, Fagerstrm said. "Youll most probably have to say goodbye to your social life for a year or two. But I can assure you its totally worth it when you get your wings."
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Maria the Pilot
Fagerstrms 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 couldnt 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."
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Maria the Pilot
As a short-haul pilot, Fagerstrm only has short breaks, so she doesnt see many new places on her routes. The perk, she said, is "I always get to sleep in my own bed."
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Maria the Pilot
Instead, Fagerstrm does most of her travel during her time off.
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The couple recently bought a house together in Spain, where they are based.
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Fagerstrm 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."
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Maria the Pilot
Source: Maria the Pilot
Fagerstrm is following in her fathers footsteps hes also a pilot.
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Fagerstrm 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 youre willing to put your mind, time, and effort into it."
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See Also:
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- I spent a day following an Instagram influencer around New York City to see what her job was really like and it was way more work than I expected
- WeWork competitor Convene is still growing, and unique spaces like its 5th Ave location in New York prove it offers something different
SEE ALSO: These influencers post pictures of their Instagram-worthy tubs, but don't call them 'bathfluencers'
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