Joelize Franciele Friedrichs, 31, from Rio Grande do Sul, this week became the first female aerial firefighting pilot in Brazil. The aerial firefighting training and certification was conducted by Aeroterra Aviação Agrícola, and aerial firefighting and agricultural spraying company in western Bahia. Joelize will begin her career in aerial firefighting during the current fire season (which usually lasts until September).
Born in Não-Me-Toque, Joelize has been an agricultural pilot since 2012 and, last year, became the first woman to give instruction to another woman taking an agricultural pilot course in Brazil. It was at the Aeroclube de Carazinho, in the north of Rio Grande do Sul. Joelize now joins an incredibly small fraternity in Brazil as one of only nine women with a valid agricultural pilot license in the country.
See the video of Joelize Fredrichs (in Portuguese) by visiting our partners at Sindag.
