ANY Gloucester local catching a Qantas Airbus 330 out of Sydney to Tokyo, Manilla, Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangalore might recognise the familiar voice of Second Officer Karly Hawkins.
Both of Karly’s parents grew up in Gloucester, and although Karly was born in Newcastle in 1993, the family moved back to this area when she was seven-years-old.
Her Dad holds a pilot’s licence, and for a time flew with the Gloucester Aero Club.
However, Karly’s interest in aviation began on her first flight from Newcastle to Melbourne as a young child.
She became more intrigued about pursuing an aviation career in her mid-teens.
Karly started school at Irrawang Public School in Raymond Terrace, then attending Stroud Road Public School from Year 2 to Year 6, before completing her schooling at Gloucester High School in 2011.
Unsurprisingly for someone destined for a career as a commercial pilot, Karly’s best subjects at school were mathematics and science.
After her graduation, Karly enrolled in the Bachelor of Aviation (Flying) course at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), graduating in 2016.
She then completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science degree at Melbourne’s Swinburne University.
Karly gained her Commercial Pilot Licence in 2014 after a year of flight training at Bankstown Airport. which she undertook during her university studies.
She obtained her first job in aviation in 2017 as a First Officer with Sunstate Airlines, flying Dash 8-400s from Brisbane.
She then became a Dash 8 Captain in 2022.
Karly joined Qantas as an international pilot in 2024, initially flying out of Melbourne.
“I’m very much enjoying getting to explore different parts of the world regularly,” she said.
“Outside of work I’m a full-time dog parent to two French Bulldogs.
“I also play soccer and do a dance sport called Physical Culture – I participated in both as a kid in Gloucester.
“I return to Gloucester several times a year to visit my parents and sister who all still live in the area.”
By John WATTS
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