By Mark McConville
MEET the blonde bombshell pilot who has shot to Instagram fame by documenting her working life and passion for yoga.
Commercial Airline Pilot Maria Fagerström has amassed 238,000 followers on her Instagram account by posting images of herself operating the controls in preparation for take-off, selfies inside the cockpit or hanging out with her equally stunning friends.
The 25-year-old Swedish beauty, who posts under the handle @mariathepilot, also shares her passion for yoga with her followers and posts pictures showing off impressive yoga moves in a variety of exotic locations including the beach, sea-side rocks and a well-kept lawn with palm trees in the background.
Maria, from Lund in Sweden but now based in the Canary Islands, started posting her pictures to the social media site after being convinced by her pilot friends.
“My favourite thing about social media is that it connects you with people all over, making this huge world of ours seem a little bit smaller,” she said.
“I’ve had a love for aviation and photography for as long as I can remember, and with Instagram I’m able to combine my two favourite hobbies sharing all my adventures with the rest of the world,” she explained.
“A little over a year ago, I decided to change my Instagram profile from private to open and I never thought I would get so many supportive and positive people following me.
“It’s absolutely crazy and I love it. Together we have created this little community with positive vibes only and it gives me so much joy.
“The moment when you’re on the runway, just about to take off. That feeling when you’re about to accelerate 75 tonnes of aircraft to 250 km/h in 30 seconds, that will always put a smile on my face.”
Maria, who has been flying commercially for two years, was inspired to become a pilot by her dad who is a captain on an Airbus 320 and used to take her sisters and her on his flights with him.
She explained yoga gives her a calm that acts as a countermeasure to the pressure and stress of being a pilot.
“For almost 20 years my dad has flown long haul across the world, always taking me and my three sisters with him on his travels,” she added.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to see the world from such a young age, I fell in love with aviation and the world.
“I take my yoga mat with me everywhere I go. I think it’s important to find time for yourself, even if it’s only for five minutes of your day.
“Doing yoga creates this calm inside of me and my favourite part is after you finish your practice you now see everything with different eyes, life is then a little less stressful.”
