TARA Pearson is flying high in a profession which is predominantly perceived to be a man's world.

While female pilots are still in the minority rather than the majority, it appears more women are beginning to take Tara's lead.

Monarch, the airline she works for, encourages applications from both men and women for any of its positions. Five per cent of the company's pilots are female.

"The ratio of female to male pilots, I suspect, is still probably quite low, though more girls are coming into the career so it may be very different in 10 years' time. Not that it matters, you just do the job to the best of your ability," says Tara.

And she says she's used to the quips about women drivers! "The parking jokes are always from men and sometimes are genuinely funny, although that may be because I definitely park the aircraft better than I park my car! One comment, which I will always remember, was from a 94-year-old lady on a flight to Alicante. Having discovered I was the Captain she asked the Cabin Manager if women were being made Captains because women are cheaper! I guess if you are 94 you've seen a lot of change in the world."

Tara's enthusiasm to fly stems from a family trip abroad. "I became interested in flying when my parents took me on holiday to Benidorm, this was probably during the mid 70s," says the 51-year-old Captain, who works out of Leeds Bradford Airport.

"I was both fascinated and terrified all at the same time but the whole experience at the airport was amazing."

Tara says while she always longed for a career in aviation, she wasn't sure which area to pursue.

She contemplated becoming an air traffic controller. "But from the moment I had my first flight in a small two seater aircraft I knew it was something I really wanted to do. I didn't really have any thoughts of flying big shiny jets, I just wanted to fly.

"I loved flying from day one and decided it was the career for me," says Tara.

After obtaining a commercial pilots licence and a flying instructors rating, Tara spent the next few years as a flying instructor at Clacton Aero Club in Essex, a small grass strip right on the coast.

"I loved every minute! I spent the days flying and in the evenings went to work in a call centre, selling insurance three evenings a week and spent two other evenings working for a homeless charity."

Eventually Tara had saved sufficient money to achieve an Instrument Rating; a prerequisite for any airline job - and decided to seek employment with an airline,

Initially she flew the Shorts 3-60 for Loganair in Scotland before moving to Manchester on the British Aerospace ATP.

"After four amazing months flying round the Highlands and islands I got transferred to Manchester on another turboprop the Bae ATP. Eighteen months later I joined Monarch on the A320....17 years later I'm still here!

"It's been incredible really and I feel very privileged to have achieved so much."

The A320 which Tara flies is a 174 passenger aircraft operating a four cabin crew. "This is the aircraft I now fly pretty much all the time being based at Leeds Bradford Airport," she explains.

She only flies a small selection of routes out of Leeds Bradford Airport. "But crossing the Alps in winter is still a beautiful sight."

Although Tara spends her working days flying through the skies, transporting passengers on their travels, she looks forward to her holidays and the opportunity to travel to her favourite destinations.

"I love Normandy and for a few days of winter sun Sharm El Sheik."

When Tara isn't flying through the clouds, which she says can be a beautiful experience - she spends her time relaxing at the 220 year old farmhouse on a pennine hillside just above Hebden Bridge which she shares with her husband, Dave, and their menagerie of animals.

"We have one dog, two cats, six chickens and a large variety of wildlife."

And there may be plans to expand...."I am doing some research into pigs and goats, watch this space for additions to the household," says Tara.

Her advice to anyone wanting to follow her footsteps into a career in aviation is be prepared to compromise.

"Flying is an amazing career but, as with any job or career that requires you do work anytime over the 24 hour period, you must be willing to compromise. Be kind to yourself, there will be times when you will miss your child's school play, your partner's Birthday etc. A nine to five job it is not, but the view from the office window is pretty good!" adds Tara.