HOWEVER tough it might seem, it is worth taking a chance on pursing your dreams. Sarah Barry, from Grove Road, Sands, High Wycombe, did just that. At 18, she was working as an office junior. Now she's one of a handful of female airline pilots in Britain. Here she tells her story.

I left school at 16 after my O levels and worked with horses, before going to America as a nanny. When I came back, I didn't have a clue about what to do next.

I started as an office junior at a gliding club. Promotion to office manager brought more money and responsibility, but I knew it wasn't really for me.

A lot of the club's members were British Airways pilots and I used to talk to them about their work. I started to wonder if I could be an airline pilot too. I'd tried gliding, so knew I liked the freedom of being in the air.

The pilots from the gliding club were really encouraging. My friends and family were fantastic too but they must have wondered if I would see it through.

I went to America for a month to learn to fly and get my Private Pilot's Licence. The trip made me decide that I'd do anything to become an airline pilot.

I knew it wouldn't be easy because while getting a pilot's licence is expensive and time-consuming, landing a job as an airline pilot is even harder. There are few opportunities and lots of people waiting to grab them.

I refused to be deterred though and used up all my free time clocking up flying hours.

Back at the club, I quizzed the pilots about the best ways to break into the industry. Those who already knew me were helpful but there were some people who were very patronising because I was a woman trying to get into a male-dominated industry. Even now, only three per cent of pilots are female, including those who fly as a hobby. I did find it frustrating as it was their problem, not mine.

Getting my basic licence was a huge high. I felt elated, like I'd cleared the first hurdle on my way to achieving my ambition.

Then I heard about a course that trains people to fly jets. The course was really intensive, taking three-and-a-half weeks instead of three months. But it was a fast track to my goal, with a job with an airline almost guaranteed.

After three weeks training in South Africa, I went to Leisure International Airways as a first officer. It has now become Air 2000 and flies First Choice passengers.

I'm one of only three women flying an Airbus. I do the same job as a captain, in that, I fly the plane but there are two of us in case there is a problem.

I fly shorthaul around Europe out of Stansted. The Airbus takes 220 passengers and nine crew, and it's better than I ever thought it would be.

The only sexism I've had is from passengers. Once a man came up to the flight deck and said: 'Let women fly these things now, do they?' But the captain was supportive. 'Yes, just since Amelia Earheart,' he said.

When I first told my parents my plans, they assumed I meant to become part of the cabin crew.

They didn't realise how far I'd come until I arranged my rota so I could surprise them by flying them back from Madeira.

Seeing their faces when they saw me flying the Airbus was unforgettable.

Now, at 31, I'm a single, independent woman with a fantastic job who's two years away from captain.

I'm happy because I'm motivated.

It shows that if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen.

This feature was taken from the May issue of Prima magazine, on sale now.