DEBORAH LAWRIE made history as Australia’s first female pilot for a major commercial airline. Now she’s the longest flying female pilot in the world, and the author of her new memoir Touching the Sky. Read on for a Q&A with Deborah about her amazing life.

MEET DEBORAH LAWRIE

Your life and incredible achievements have been covered on SBS Insight, and the 2025 stage show Fly Girl. When did you first decide to share your story in book form?

Over the years I have related many stories to colleagues while on the flight deck and often the response has been you should write a book. The significance of my legal battle against Ansett has received more attention in recent years for the ground-breaking case that it was not only for female pilots but for women in general. I guess I always had a feeling my story might be written one day, and I felt it was important that it should be told in my own words. I started writing a rough outline about 10 years ago, but it was not until Covid, when I had far more time on my hands, that I started the project in earnest.

What was it like writing an autobiography? Did you learn a lot about yourself by going back over your earlier life?

Reflecting was an interesting exercise, which was not so much learning more about myself, but about understanding how important my parents and grandparents had been with their encouragement, influence and support. The expression ‘it runs in the family’ comes to mind when I think of my maternal grandfather, who would have been so proud to see his granddaughter flighting for fairness and justice, just as he had done throughout his political career.

When did you first know you wanted to be a pilot?

I watched my father learning to fly from the back seat of a small aircraft when I was fourteen years old. He challenged me to follow his passion when I was sixteen and old enough to learn to fly myself. It wasn’t until I flew solo for the first time, just before I turned seventeen, when I truly understood that I wanted to be a pilot.

How much of the book covers your ground-breaking legal case against Ansett Airlines? Also, can you tell us how you felt in the moment when you won the case?

Approximately one third of the book is devoted to the ground-breaking legal case.

There were many twists and turns throughout the case and several moments when I thought I had won. However, it was not until the High Court finally handed down their decision that I felt I could claim victory. Until that day I had been in pilot training with Ansett pending the outcome of the High Court and it turned out to be a momentous day that coincided with the successful completion of my line training on the Fokker Friendship.

You have been a trailblazer for women in the airline industry, but are there any changes that you think still need to be made?

I think there are always changes that can be made, but perhaps the most significant one would be disarming ‘the boys club’ which still exists today.

What is your favourite thing about piloting, and what is your favourite thing about writing?

My favourite thing about piloting is becoming airborne, which is always so special. My favourite thing about writing is when someone else is captivated by what I have written.

Can you share your most enduring memory from your time in the skies?

I have so many, but perhaps one of the most enduring memories was the time when a terminally ill ten-year-old boy, who had been given a wish trip to visit the Ferrari factory in Italy, was invited to visit the flight deck. It was both a humbling and heart-wrenching experience and I still think of that little boy today.

Finally, as someone who has cemented their place in history for fighting back against gendered discrimination, what advice would you give to anyone who is facing adversity when seeking their dreams.

I think the most important thing is to be true to yourself. Staying positive, accept that there will be hurdles along the way and never give up. If you believe in yourself, others will too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deborah Lawrie AM was the subject of the first contested equal opportunity anti-discrimination case in Australia. After fighting Ansett Airlines for more than a year, in 1979 she won the landmark battle in the High Court and became the first female airline pilot for a major airline in Australia.

Deborah has numerous accolades, including her induction into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001, winning the Master Air Pilot award in 2017 and, in 2022, she was added to the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame. In November 2023, Sydney Airport named a flyover that connects the International and Domestic terminals in her honour. It sits over Sir Reginald Ansett Drive.

Read more about Deborah Lawrie’s book here.