As a young girl gazing at the sky, Allegra Nash dreamt of piloting aircraft bearing the iconic Qantas Flying Kangaroo. Today, that childhood fantasy has become her reality, with roles now reversed as her father looks upward to spot the plane his daughter commands.
From Childhood Dreams to Cockpit Reality
First Officer Allegra Nash has completed a remarkable journey from watching Qantas planes overhead to now piloting them herself. The 22-year-old Sydney-based aviator recalls how her aviation passion ignited during a school project for International Women's Day, where she toured the Qantas air base and experienced a flight simulator.
"I 100 per cent knew then that becoming a pilot was option A for me," Allegra remembers. Her father now enjoys the unique pastime of sitting on their family trampoline, watching for her flights as their home sits beneath one of Sydney's flight paths.
Making History in the Skies
Allegra graduated from the Qantas Group Pilot Academy in Toowoomba, Queensland, and represents the new generation of female pilots being developed by the national carrier. Earlier this year, she participated in historic aviation moments, joining one of more than 50 flights operated entirely by women in the lead-up to International Women's Day 2025.
These landmark flights involved comprehensive female leadership across more than 250 female pilots, cabin crew, engineers, airport and operations centre team members spanning Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar. The women-operated flights covered more than 20 routes across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Qantas Academy: Forging Future Aviation Leaders
Allegra's path to the cockpit wasn't without challenges, having entered the Queensland academy during Covid border restrictions. "There were a couple of hurdles to get across the border during Covid but we got there in the end," she reflects.
The Qantas Group Pilot Academy, operated through Flight Training Adelaide (FTA), provides world-class, customised pilot training focused on developing future airline captains rather than simply training students to obtain licences. The academy features significant investment in next-generation aircraft and simulators.
"Being part of the program offers an accelerated pathway into the group, which is really exciting," Allegra explains. "That means that as a cadet with low hours I can join QantasLink which is an opportunity you don't really get anywhere else."
The academy maintains a competitive entry process and emphasizes community building. Allegra notes the value of relationships formed during training: "The best part about the course is the friendships you make, the relationships you have with the instructors and all the ground staff and all your peers as well."
Graduates receive invitations to attend a Qantas Group Accelerate Assessment Centre and, if successful, become eligible for pilot positions with QantasLink, Jetstar or Network Aviation Australia. The academy's scholarship program aims to remove entry barriers and enhance diversity in the pilot population, particularly encouraging women and First Nations people.
Reflecting on Qantas' national significance, Allegra shares: "Qantas embodies what it means to be Australian. We use it to get everywhere, to see your family, to see your friends, to go on holidays – it's a huge part of our life in Australia."
She particularly values connecting regional communities: "I love it when we have kids on our flights and they're flying off to see their extended families, so it's great to know we are connecting families in that way."
