Daniela Bergamin has been working for Rega for eight years and loves her job. “I love the combination of aviation, medicine and working in a small, professional team, as well as the feeling that you’re doing something good.” Why did Daniela want to become a pilot? “I have a competition with the children's book character Globi to thank for that”, she says. At the age of 11, she drew an aeroplane with great attention to detail, even though she had never flown before. She won the competition and had the opportunity to fly from Basel to Zurich with Swissair. All on her own, without her parents accompanying her. It was this unforgettable experience that gave her the bug for flying.
Before joining Rega, Daniela Bergamin gained a wealth of experience. After training in the business sector and working in Valencia for two years, she began her career in aviation. Alongside her job as a flight attendant, she obtained her private pilot licence. This was followed by her professional pilot licence and finally her airline pilot licence. “I used my spare time to gain flying experience and achieve the prescribed number of flying hours”, says Basel-born Daniela. The first time she sat in the cockpit of a Rega jet was a dream come true. “My job enables me to help people in distress”, gushes the mother of two.
It requires a huge amount of spontaneity and flexibility. The crew members only find out the evening before if and when they’ll be out on mission the next day, where they’re headed and how long for. Daniela Bergamin is thankful to be able to rely on the support of her family and a flexible home environment. “Each year the Rega crews fly to over 400 airfields around the world”, says the pilot. “You won’t find a more varied job in aviation. We encounter new airports, people and cultures on a daily basis and experience a lot of gratitude and appreciation.”
Daniela Bergamin particularly likes flying to smaller, more remote airfields, for example in the North: “There the runways are often incorporated into beautiful natural landscapes. These airfields are interesting in terms of aeronautics, too. The topography, weather, restricted runway length and significant lack of instrument flight rules make our job very exciting.” Which destination is Daniela Bergamin particularly fond of? “Bolzano. The flight from Switzerland over the breathtaking Alpine panorama is quite the experience.”
