At our recent Rotary gathering, we were privileged to hear from Silva Mcleod, trailblazing pilot, storyteller, and author of Island Girl To Airline Pilot. Silva’s journey is one of courage, heartbreak, resilience, and deep humanity — from losing her brother due to lack of medical services in Tonga, to breaking barriers in the aviation industry, and now empowering others through storytelling and leadership.
She reminded us that life can change at any age — from becoming a pilot in her 30s, flying for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, to becoming one of the first Tongan women to captain a 777. Her message? “Life doesn’t end when your wings are clipped — you just learn to fly a different way.”
We thank Silva for her inspiration and for reminding us all that it's never too late to follow your dreams.
"Silva Mcleod: Flying Against the Wind"
From a woven mat in Tonga to the captain's seat of a 777, Silva Mcleod’s journey is one of unshakeable determination, love, and a refusal to be told "no."
At a recent Rotary club night, we were honoured to hear the incredible life story of Silva Mcleod — a Tongan-born Australian who defied cultural expectations, systemic barriers, and personal tragedy to become one of the very few women from the Pacific to fly long-haul international jets.
Silva's life began on a remote island in Tonga — "no shoes, cooking on the ground, and watching planes fly overhead, wondering how white people made them fly." That curiosity became a fantasy, and then, with encouragement from her late husband, a reality.
When tragedy struck her family in the 1980s — her younger brother becoming paraplegic — she reached out to Rotary for help. Though the systems of aid failed her brother, Silva never forgot the intent behind Rotary’s work in Tonga. That experience would later resonate even deeper as she took to the skies, flying with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, airlifting premature babies and critically ill patients — many from communities like the one she came from.
After years as a nurse’s aide and mother of two, her husband’s battle with cancer prompted her to revisit her dream. He bought her an introductory flying lesson for her birthday, and the rest is history. From private flights to commercial pilot certifications, Silva’s rise through the aviation world included flying for AeroPelican, Virgin, and ultimately landing her dream job — flying the Boeing 777 across the world.
Her story also speaks to the ongoing challenge of women in aviation. From dismissive male instructors ("If women were meant to fly, the sky would be pink") to being the only woman of colour in a cockpit, Silva met each barrier with grace and perseverance.
When COVID-19 hit, she lost her beloved husband — and then her job. But in typical Silva fashion, she didn’t stop. She self-studied, became a licensed real estate agent, and now runs her own business.
She closed her talk with a message to us all, especially to women and young people: "When life clips your wings, find a different way to fly."
Silva Mcleod is proof that love, loss, and purpose can co-exist — and that sometimes, the best chapters in life come after heartbreak.
Her memoir Island Girl To Airline Pilot is available to purchase directly. from Amazon.
