Meet 27-year-old, Ronise Caliz; she is Tropic Air’s only female pilot and Belize’s second female pilot since San Pedrana, Florita Ancona was the first Belizean female pilot to fly with the airline. Ambergris Today met with Ronise Caliz and chatted with her about her experience on being a female pilot and working for Belize’s largest and most experienced airline – Tropic Air.
Ronise Caliz hails from the lovely town of Punta Gorda, Belize, and it had always been a dream of hers to become a pilot. Ronise shared with us that as a little girl her uncle, who is a BDF pilot, would always tell her and her siblings to come out and watch as he would do a fly-by. Since then Ronise knew she wanted to be a pilot!
After studying in Daytona Beach, Florida, Ronise came back to Belize and started building up her turbine hours at Tropic Air in July of 2011. She then started her official training with the company in August of this year and was employed in September 2012.
Ronise Caliz – Captain of a 172-Cessna Aircraft
“At first it was pretty scary, being that I am a female and to most being a pilot is a male thing,” commented Ronise to Ambergris Today. “However it all worked out pretty well for me; everyone was very welcoming here at Tropic and they helped and taught me everything I needed to know.”
Ronise is now a captain and flies a 172-Cessna (a four seat single engine aircraft). When asked what the best part of being a pilot is, Ronise stated that she enjoys being at different places all in one day and that she gets to see the beauty of our country from a birds’ perspective.
Congratulations to Ronise on achieving her goal of becoming a pilot! So be on the look-out, you never know if the next flight you book with Tropic Air, Ronise might be your pilot and take you to your destination!
