From joy-rides in a Mirage III fighter jet at age seven, to selling her home to help pay for flight lessons, to flying for Rex and eventually becoming one of the faces of Virgin Australia, Captain Michelle Huntington has had a truly astonishing journey.

She’s flown solo in a Beechcraft Bonanza from Arizona to Bankstown, been struck by lightning in mid-air, battled unruly passengers, and stared down industry sexism – but through it all, never lost her sense of adventure.

After leaving the industry during the height of COVID-19, Michelle has taken to the speaking circuit to share the lessons she’s learned, many of which also feature in her new book Lady MacGyver: Unbelievable stories with altitude.

On this special episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake sits down with Michelle to talk about her career, her book, whether there’s life after the sky – and how to keep your internal organs in their proper place at 30,000 feet.