Let me introduce you to the Helipod girls, Annelie Pompe and Catrin Nilsson – a pair of inspiring and articulate Swedish women who push the boundaries of life in pretty much all its adventurous forms.
On an average day, Annelie is a helicopter pilot, free diver, mountain climber, and speaker, while Catrin is a CFO and pilot at one of Sweden’s leading heli service providers. In 2022, the pair started a podcast, Helipod, to share their passion and experiences, with the hopes of introducing upcoming talent to the industry and inspiring those who were starting out – or anyone just wanting a fresh perspective. Bronni Bowen chats with them about flying, broadcasting, and living life to the fullest.
Bronni: Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your ‘why’ – what got you into the air?
Catrin: I had a sort of ‘life crisis’ in 2019-20 when we all worked from home during the pandemic. I was unhappy and wanted to make a change in my life. Aviation has been an interest since I was a kid, but I never acted on it until now. I felt that now I had the time, money, and life experience to do something about it.
Once I made the mental decision, everything else was easy; to make it more challenging, I decided to learn to fly a helicopter instead of fixed-wing. I started with the Private license but continued with ATPLs soon after.
I have always pushed the boundaries and challenged myself. For example, I started doing triathlons to get rid of my fear of water and riding a road bike at an elite level to see how much my body could handle. Becoming a helicopter pilot matched my way of living very well, and I love every minute of it. I’ve never stopped being afraid of water, though, unfortunately!
Annelie: I have spent a lot of time in the Himalayas, working as a mountain guide and doing high-altitude expeditions. Helicopters play an important role in mountaineering and rescues, and every time I sit in a helicopter, I have the feeling, ‘This is what I want to do.’
When Covid arrived, I lost all my jobs and finally had the time to do the study. I love the feeling of freedom of being in the air!
Bronni: How did you get going in the industry – what was your training experience like? How did you find it overall?
Catrin: Annelie and I got to know each other on our PPL course. We both went to Flygteoriskolan in Västerås, Sweden, and immediately became friends. We both wanted to continue on to commercial and moved to Västerås for ATPL studies – again at Flygteoriskolan. We lived together during those six months; we talked and breathed helicopters. It was, perhaps, one of the best times in our lives.
The theory was difficult; we paused a lot of interests in our lives at that time, and it was probably the only ‘workout’ that we continued with as normal. We both believe that we are most happy when we are active and prioritize sports and workouts.
Annelie: Going back to school was very different from my active lifestyle. Sitting still for most of the day was hard! But we had some great teachers who made it interesting, as well as great classmates.
Catrin: I got one piece of advice before the ATPL theory started: ‘Pause all relationships, friends, and family, and don’t sign up for any other activities. You will not have the time.’ I neglected that advice… ‘I have studied before; this is not a problem,’ was my attitude before school started. But I had no idea how hard it would be! I have never studied this hard for anything, and several times, I doubted I would ever make it. Sharing the apartment with Annelie and studying together – that really helped me keep my focus.
Bronni: You started a podcast together in 2022, Helipod. It’s all in Swedish, so, unfortunately, I can’t listen to it (laughs), but can you tell me about it? What prompted you to start it, and what did you hope to achieve?
Annelie: While studying for ATPL, we wanted to hear more about helicopters – the theory and the industry – but we had a hard time finding something that was on our level. We figured more people might be missing a helicopter podcast, so we created one! It was tough to find the time between studies, but we made it fun and interesting, and it was worth doing just to learn how it was done.
Catrin: One of the reasons we have the podcast is that we want to make the aviation industry more available and accessible to people. My experience is that the threshold to get into the community feels high, for reasons I can’t explain. I have never worked in an industry with such intelligent, social, and interesting people. What if I never had this opportunity to be a part of it? What if I lived my entire life without knowing this existed?
I hope our podcast can open a door to this wonderful world for others. If we can explain as much as possible regarding helicopters to them, we believe that more amazing people will join us.
Bronni: Can you run through some things you had to learn in order to start the podcast? Did you have any nerves? What did you find the most challenging or surprising aspect of it all so far?
Catrin: Annelie is a professional speaker and does this for a living, really; she has been a guest on – I don’t know how many – radio programs, pods, and TV shows. She was the one pushing for the podcast idea in the beginning – the starter motor, you could say. She knew what tech to buy and how to set up the studio… for her, it was not a big thing.
For me, on the other hand, it was so stressful! I had to work with my stress and feelings of inadequacy – maybe you can call it performance anxiety. But Annelie is the best; she kept reminding me that ‘we only do things we want to do – so if this is not fun, we stop doing it.’ We kept on with the podcast (laughs).
Bronni: Since the podcast is in Swedish, many of my readers won’t be able to listen in either – but I’m curious to know more about what you’re doing in the space. What are one or two of your personal favourite or most listened-to episodes to date?
Catrin: When it was time to start with the flying lessons for PPL, Annelie and I chose different helicopters to learn how to fly – Annelie went with the Robinson R22, and I went with the Bell 206 Jetranger. We both did a lot of investigation and talking to people before we made our decisions. I don’t know if those determinations really mattered in the long run, but we both fell in love with our brand and type. We created one episode comparing the R44 and Jetranger, all the pros and cons, and it was the most fun I have ever had! There is a photo of us standing with the helis when we recorded the episode; I love that picture.
Annelie: I love big helicopters! The sound they make and the respect they garner is incomparable. A lot of people don’t understand the incredible engineering behind them. My favourite was the episode when we talked about the biggest helicopters in history. We mix topics: daily-use, general knowledge subjects – for example, handling stress and sleep advice – to help you be the best pilot you can be, alongside really nerdy episodes, for example, the world’s biggest helicopters.
Catrin: Yes, and then we flag the episode with ‘Nerd alert!’ to warn people only semi-interested in helicopters! (laughs)
Bronni: What kind of people have you interviewed or spoken with on the podcast so far, and what can listeners expect to learn more about in the near future?
Annelie: Before we record an episode, we learn as much as we can about the topic. We are new in this business, and there is so much we still don’t know. Having great people to ask and talk to has been a key to good episodes, but we all need to be honest about the fact that we don’t know everything. The listeners can follow us from the first episode, ‘The Pilot,’ where we knew nothing, up to today – now we are pilots!
Catrin: One upcoming episode is about the different jobs you can have as a helicopter pilot. Since Annelie and I are approaching the job market in different ways, that will be an intriguing topic to discuss.
Bronni: Amazing. So much great information for young people, in particular, to have access to. I remember looking for precisely this kind of thing when I was starting out in the industry as well. You’re really helping to fill an information gap.
Aside from the podcast, where are you currently positioned in the industry? What do your best days look like?
Catrin: I am now working at HeliAir Sweden AB as a pilot and CFO. I had a finance degree already, and with the pilot license added to my resume, mine was a unique set of skills. Luckily, this company had the CFO position vacant, and the fact that I can also work as a pilot is the best solution for me.
My best day is an early morning with coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal. I am not a ‘real’ helicopter pilot in that way – I still eat breakfast and big meals! Most of the pilots I meet drink coffee the whole day and eat what they find in their pockets.
I am actually – what could you say? – a double-pilot. I also ride a tandem bike with a blind girl, and the position at the front of a tandem bike is known as a pilot, too. We have our goals set on the Paralympics in Paris 2024. Cross your fingers for us!
Annelie: Helicopter-wise, I’m hour-building to do an FI(H) course within a few months. I’ve already been offered a job to teach, so that’s great! Other than that, I have a business as a professional adventurer, guiding trips, doing motivational talks, writing books, and working with sponsors.
The best days involve time in nature. I love to wake up early with a cup of coffee before a training session, preferably running with my dog. None of my days are alike after that, and I love it! I love the outdoors and spend as much time as I can there – in the air, on the ground, or in the ocean, as well as working with and encouraging people to follow their dreams.
Bronni: You are both incredibly inspiring women who go above and beyond in so many ways. What your one or two mantras are for approaching life; do you have sayings that you repeat to yourselves to keep yourselves going? What are your core values, in your own words?
Annelie: Mantras and core values – that is fun! One favourite is, ‘When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.’ And another, which I use every day: ‘Don’t limit yourself.’
Catrin: True, Annelie, not even the sky is your limit anymore!
I often think about how I want people to remember me, and one word that often comes to mind is brave. For example, if someone in the future asks me how I solved a certain problem, I hope my answer can be that I was brave and, therefore, did this or that. Or, if I have a problem, I find the solution by thinking about how a brave person would solve it.
Bronni: It’s actually amazing to look back at what you’ve both accomplished in just a few years! So, what about the future? What are your plans?
Catrin: My goal when I started the ATPL was flying the helicopter ambulance, but now I am not so sure. My driving force is helping others and society, which can also be achieved through firefighting or other aerial work. I am open and curious about what I will be good at and what type of jobs I might get.
In the meantime, one of the best things as a pilot is the joy and happiness it gives when you fly people. I love explaining the helicopter to someone who is interested in mechanics or guiding someone above a city or area they like or have a relationship with.
Annelie: My dream is to fly a helicopter in the Himalayas! But I have realized it will take some years and lots of experience in the air to get there. I want to add flight instructor to my list of fun jobs soon and teach more people how to fly this lovely machine!
HO | Issue #150
Bronni Bowen 