Igorot CAPT. AMORELLE M. MARTINEZ has become the first female chief pilot in Asia. A proud Igorota from Bokod, Benguet. She was a former Philippine Air Force N-22 Nomad turboprop pilot of the 220th Airlift Wing.
Captain Martinez is a product of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) where she earned her degree in BS Management and military officer rank.
After earning her military officer rank, she joined the Philippine Air Force and later was qualified to take the Military Pilot Training (MPT) as a student pilot officer at the Philippine Air Force Flying School (PAFFS).
As a student officer in the PAFFS, she first flew the Cessna T-41D Mescalero, a military version of the popular Cessna 172. After earning some flying time and soloing the Mescalero, she was allowed to continue her flying training, but this time with the fastest and agile SF260 Marchetti aircraft. With all the hardship and prayers, she earned the coveted military pilot wings at the most prestigious flying school in the country, the PAFFS.
After earning the coveted military pilot wings, she joined the 220th Airlift Wing family where she flew with the Tamaraws, flying the GAF N-22 Nomad twin-engine light cargo transport military aircraft.
Capt. Martinez left the military service after serving the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as an air force pilot respectively and joined the Air Philippines Corporation (now commercially known as PAL Express) in 2011.
Capt. Martinez was also the first PALex Captain of the year in the 2017 STAR Awards of the PAL Group. She is an Airbus A320/321 Captain and has logged a total of 9,678 flying hours and still growing.
She was appointed Chief Pilot for the PALex Airbus fleet making her the very first female Chief Pilot in Asia. Capt Martinez was chosen for the role to oversee all pilots, ground personnel, and flight attendants. The duties include scheduling flights, coordinating aircraft maintenance, and ensuring the department meets all local and federal regulations.
The primary hub of Philippine Airlines is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila. It also operates three secondary hubs: Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Cebu; Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Davao; and Clark International Airport which covers portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport Zone in the province of Pampanga. Its subsidiary PAL Express operates only regional routes while PAL operates both domestic (Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Kalibo, Manila, and Zamboanga) and international routes.
Leonides V. Peña shared photos of himself with Capt. Amore Martinez captioned, "With the first female CHIEF PILOT in ASIA, Capt. Amore Martinez✔️".
Peña is the AVP/Director of the Philippine Airlines Inflight Services and Training Department.
Philippine Airlines or 'PAL' is the national carrier of the Philippines. The airline flies to more than 40 international destinations across Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania, as well as several destinations within the Philippines.
The airline's origins date back to 1935, when it flew under the name Philippine Aerial Taxi Company, offering passenger and cargo flights to islands within the Philippines. In 1941, the airline rebranded to Philippine Airlines and flew its inaugural service the same year with a flight from Manila to Baguio.
After WWII, the airline officially became the flag carrier of the Philippines and shortly after expanded its route network and became Asia's first airline to fly across the specific ocean when it launched flights to destinations within the US.
Philippine Airlines went private again when the government sold the majority of its stake in the airline in the early 1990s. However, before the decade was finished, the airline became the official flag carrier for the airline again and has remained the national carrier to this day.
Source: Pinoy Aviators
