Mandy Hickson has continually fought to reach her goals and is a role model for anyone pursuing a career in the armed forces. At the age of 17, Mandy was awarded an RAF scholarship which gave her the opportunity to fly planes well before she started driving on land. Although Mandy showed immense promise in the skies, she failed to pass the computer-based test for future RAF pilots. Despite this major setback, Mandy used her persuasive and determined nature to encourage the RAF to take her on as a test case, ultimately saving her career in the skies. Since then, Mandy has become the only female pilot in the Frontline Tornado Squadron and the second female to ever fly a Tornado GR4. Over the course of her flying career, Mandy has navigated some of the most hostile environments, including operating in a 'No Fly' zone, completing 45 missions and three tours of duty by the end of her RAF career.
After an impressive 17 years of service, Mandy moved into a volunteer reservist role for the RAF before retiring in 2019. Mandy has since dedicated her time as a freelance consultant for TAG Aviation and a freelance Crew Resource Management Facilitator for Global Air Training. Mandy has also been a Civil Aviation Authority Accredited Human Factors Facilitator, a role in which she used her aviation expertise of strategic risk-taking and remaining calm under immense pressure to inspire audiences in corporate boardrooms.
Mandy is also the founder and Co-Director of Inspiring Women for Work. Inspiring Women for Work was created as a means of empowering women to have more confidence, feel more motivated and develop a more focused mindset alongside helping them in their professional lives. Mandy formulated courses that help to enhance women's confidence in both personal and professional settings and top tips on interview techniques and CV writing. In recognition of championing women's achievements, voices and purpose, Mandy was awarded the 2025 Champion of Women Award at the Business Veterans Awards. A captivating motivational speaker, Mandy engages with her audience through highly interesting personal stories of how persevering leads to success. Recently, Mandy has also authored An Officer, Not a Gentleman- in which she shares her inspirational journey as a female pilot in the Royal Air Force. Mandy was most recently shortlisted as a finalist in the Inspiration of the Year category at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards
Now working as a performance coach for Sandstone Communications, Mandy shares her stories from her service in the Royal Air Force, all of which will have your heart racing. Commended for her enthusiastic presenting style, Mandy eagerly shares her story of overcoming setbacks and handling pressure no matter the circumstance. Audiences lucky enough to witness Mandy speak won’t just be privileged to hear her witty anecdotes but can also learn from her first-hand life advice too. Having formerly spoken for the likes of the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Co-operative Group and M&G Investments, Mandy is a seasoned speaker and covers topics such as empowering effective teams, goal setting, ultimate focus, maintaining momentum and nurturing self-confidence.
We sat down with Mandy and discussed her new book, working with an all-male squadron and what it's like to fly a fighter jet on the front line. Read our interview with Mandy or watch our exclusive Q&A with Mandy Hickson, conducted by our Senior Content Executive, Megan Lupton.
Most recently, Many Hickson was inducted into the Top Speakers to Book for International Women's Day, in recognition of his incredible achievements throughout the RAF.
