WAI On Air Podcast

Meet Natalee Johnston, the first female pilot in the Royal Australian Navy. Natalee grew up on a farm in Western Australia and joined the Navy at 17. In 1998, after completing her undergraduate studies and military flight training, she became the Royal Australian Navy's first female pilot — and the only one for eight years. Over a 24-year naval career, she served as a helicopter instructor, operations manager, flight commander, squadron leader, and safety professional, flying aircraft from the Sea King to the fly-by-wire MRH-90 Taipan. Today, Natalee operates her business, Skilful Decisions, from the New South Wales South Coast. She serves as a board director of the National Safety Council Australia and a local government councillor, holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a Postgraduate Certificate in Accident Investigation, a Diploma in Lead Auditing, and a master's in business. Her message to anyone who doesn't see someone like themselves in the career they dream of: if you can't see it, why not be it? Natalee speaks candidly about imposter syndrome — not as something you defeat, but something you learn to live with — and about pivoting from the security of the military into aviation safety and self-employment. She shares what real partnership looks like for two pilots raising a family and why she wishes she'd found WAI sooner. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

Meet Sasha Johnson, Vice President of Corporate Safety at United. Sasha oversees a remarkably broad safety portfolio at United — worldwide aviation safety, ground safety, quality assurance, medical, workers' compensation, managed care, business continuity, family assistance, and emergency operations. Before stepping into this role, Sasha spent five years as United's managing director of international regulatory and policy. Prior to joining United in 2015, she built a career in Washington, D.C., including as chief of staff at the FAA and as assistant to the secretary, director of public affairs, and press secretary at the DOT — work that put her in crisis management alongside the FAA Administrator and the DOT Secretary. Before her time in government, Sasha spent more than a decade in broadcast journalism at CNN, including covering campaigns and elections as a senior producer. A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Sasha brings a rare combination of journalism, government, and airline experience to one of the industry's most demanding safety roles. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

Meet Nicole Battjes, owner of Rainbow Helicopters, the largest air tour company in Oahu, Hawaii. Nicole founded Rainbow Helicopters in 2011 at just 27 years old, starting with herself and a single helicopter. Today, the multi-island Part 135 air carrier has grown into a thriving multi-million-dollar company with 55 team members and a fleet of 10 helicopters. With more than 13 years of industry and commercial flight experience, Nicole has flown over 5,000 tours and logged more than 3,500 flight hours — serving as Rainbow's chief pilot from 2017-2022, the only woman to hold that position in the Hawaiian helicopter community at the time, before stepping into her current role. Beyond the cockpit, Nicole has led the vertical aviation community at the highest level, serving as the 2023-2024 board chair for Vertical Aviation International (VAI) previously the Helicopter Association International (HAI) — becoming, in a first for the association's 75-year history, chair while 7 months pregnant, and assuming her duties just two weeks after the birth of her second son. She was recognized in 2023 with Pacific Business News' 40 Under 40 and the National Business Aviation Association's 40 Under 40 awards, and Rainbow's community-first culture — including its relief efforts for mothers and babies after the Lahaina fires — has earned honors including the National Aeronautic Association's Public Benefit Flying Award. A longtime WAI member since 2002, Nicole has built a company where women are represented in every facet of the business, and she's made it a mission to help other mothers stay at the forefront of their careers while raising families. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

Meet Alex Marren, retired senior airline and transportation executive, most recently chief operating officer of Air New Zealand. Alex brings more than 35 years of success across the aviation, automotive, travel, and transportation industries. As COO at Air New Zealand, she led a team of 9,000 aviation professionals, driving safety, service, and transformation through technology and process. Earlier in her career, she rose through leadership ranks at United Airlines — including senior vice president of Network Operations and United Express, where she oversaw more than 3,500 daily flights across 250 cities on a $6B annual budget — before leading Rent-a Car Operations for The Hertz Corporation and later serving as president of ABM Aviation. A Harvard College graduate, Alex has also devoted years to nonprofit board service, including with the American Red Cross and Alliant Credit Union, and has been a longtime sponsor and advocate for AWESOME, an organization advancing women's excellence in supply chain, operations, and transportation. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast

WAI On Air Podcast – Season 2 Episode 17 , “Changing the Equation” is live! 🎙️✈️ Meet Nelda Lee, a trailblazing flight test engineer with 45 years at McDonnell Douglas and The Boeing Company. Nelda was responsible for flight and ground test engineering on all four military aircraft manufactured in St. Louis — the F-15 Eagle, AV-8 Harrier, T-45 Goshawk, and F/A-18 Hornet — and served as the Level 2 Manager for Test & Evaluation personnel based in St. Louis and at military test sites in China Lake, California; Patuxent River, Maryland; and Eglin AFB, Florida. In 1980, she logged 1.5 hours of flight time in the F-15 Eagle herself — a career highlight and a rare, remarkable experience for a woman in aerospace at that time. Nelda holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University, where she was the second woman ever to earn the degree, and an MA in Management and Human Resources Development from Webster University. She retired from Boeing in 2014 after 45 years. Aviation remains both a passion and a pastime for Nelda. She's a licensed commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine, and helicopter ratings, and a longtime leader across the aviation community: a member of The Ninety-Nines (and former Governor of the nine-state North Central Section), currently serving on the board of trustees for the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, Whirly-Girl member 247 and former International President of The Whirly-Girls, and charter member 15 of Women in Aviation International, on whose Board of Directors she has served. 🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 📲 Follow us on Spotify: WAI On Air Podcast #WomeninAviationInternational #IamWAI #WeAreWAI #Aviation #Aerospace #WAITogether #WAIOnAir #WAIPodcast #AviationPodcast