“It was my father who held my hand as I stepped into the exciting world of aviation,” Rosita Smeenk recalls fondly. “Growing up in East Africa, he would often take me to small dusty airstrips, heavy with the smell of Jet A1, where we would observe turboprop Cessna Caravans take off on their journeys across the mighty African sky.”
Rosita has countless memories of flights together in her dad’s Cessna 182, the standard ritual being that he would stack three pillows on the right-hand seat, picking her up to place her on this magnificent throne. “I could barely see over the instrument panel, but I had already fallen in love with the freedom of flight.”
Rosita’s formative years were filled with adventure, each experience adding a layer to her growing fascination with the skies. “Soaring above the rugged landscape of East Africa, with its vast savannas, dense jungles, and sweeping deserts, became the backdrop to my dreams. The idea of being a bush pilot – navigating the wild, untamed terrain, helping communities, and taking on the unique challenges that come with flying in such environments – gradually transformed a distant dream into a clear purpose.”
Rosita was set on fixed-wing until her 15th birthday, when she experienced a helicopter flight with her friend’s dad in an R44. “We flew tree-top height over shimmering lagoons and landed on a pristine beach, the rotor blades gently stirring the sand as we touched down. Helicopter flying opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of aviation, one that fixed-wing flying simply couldn’t touch. The scope of freedom was beyond anything I had previously imagined – able to land practically anywhere, navigating effortlessly over country that would be otherwise inaccessible by plane. I also realized that, in the long run, helicopter flying offered far more diverse and exciting job opportunities. From search and rescue missions in remote areas to sling loading heavy equipment, conducting medevacs in life-or-death situations, and darting wildlife in conservation efforts, the possibilities seemed endless.”
Tormented by the ideals of such a life, many pilots advised Rosita that it could be trickier to land a job as a helicopter pilot, especially as a rookie. On top of that, helicopter training was much more expensive than fixed-wing, so the consensus was to master fixed-wing flying first.
Rosita began flying gliders at 15, and by the time she finished high school, she felt ready to embark on the challenge of going commercial. In 2016, she flew to South Africa to earn her PPL(A), marking the official start of her aviation career. “After that, I had the chance to build hours dropping skydivers in the Netherlands. I went on to obtain my commercial license there, and just a week after passing my flight test, I landed my first job as a scenic pilot.” She picked up a few odd jobs along the way, dropping skydivers in the Caribbean and ferrying planes all over Europe.
When COVID hit, flying opportunities became scarce, so Rosita channeled time into creating YouTube videos using footage from her flying adventures. What started as a hobby quickly turned into something huge – her videos gained traction, and her following grew to 122k subscribers. Before she knew it, she was being invited to collaborate with top aviation brands and companies, and doing some incredible flying in exciting locations.
“But the cherry on top came when I was offered a private sponsorship to pursue my helicopter training. A wonderful couple from the United States, who were inspired by my story, generously stepped in to help fuel my passion. My love for helicopters was reignited, and I finally had the opportunity to pursue a long-awaited dream.”
Rosita, aka Pilot Bambi, avidly documented her helicopter training journey on YouTube, where her first solo video has since surpassed 2 million views. “That incredible scholarship was extended to cover my commercial helicopter training, and I’m proud to say that I passed my commercial helicopter skills test in early 2024.”
Fresh out of flight training, Rosita faced the daunting task of acquiring that first job in the helicopter industry. “As I was transitioning from fixed-wing to helicopter flying, I was granted dispensation on a large chunk of my flight hours, which meant I only had 145 hours of helicopter time when I began applying for jobs. Who would hire someone with so little experience? My 1500 hours of fixed-wing flying felt almost redundant, and I was again living the experience of a novice, fresh-out-of-flight-school pilot. I knew I’d have to start from square one and build up from there, but I was desperate for a job, and opportunities didn’t materialize as I had hoped.”
Around that time, in early 2024, Rosita stumbled across a listing for a fixed-wing position in Chad with a conservation organization called African Parks. “Although it wasn’t a heli role, it was a dream come true to be a bush pilot in Africa, and I couldn’t pass it up. I spent six months there, flying wildlife anti-poaching patrols, logistics flights, and medevacs. It was truly the best six months of my life, and it gave me my first true taste of the bush pilot life.”
Her time in Chad reaffirmed a heart set on a future in Africa, but to make that a reality, Rosita would have to take steps to build the experience necessary to qualify for helicopter roles there.
Returning to Europe with a pretty severe case of malaria, which left her weak and in need of time to recover, Rosita was fortunate enough to secure a position in the Netherlands as a scenic helicopter pilot for Prince Helicopters. She has now renewed her R44 rating and will soon be learning to fly the Hughes 300 and Enstrom 480. “While I’ve been flying turbine aircraft for about two years, I’m especially looking forward to flying a turbine helicopter.”
The contrast between Rosita’s two dream worlds is striking – the Netherlands, with its flat landscapes, perfectly manicured farmlands, and charming, centuries-old villages, and Africa, with its wild and varied personalities. “Spending so much time abroad has been unreal, but I’ve also realized how much I appreciate having a base in the Netherlands, close to my family and loved ones.” She hopes to build strong relationships here, expand her experience in more advanced, fully equipped platforms, earn new ratings, and learn as much as she can from the pilots who have come before her. “I’m also not completely letting go of fixed-wing, and I can see a future where I combine both types of flying in my career.”
As Rosita says, the only constant – in life and aviation – is change. “No matter how much you plan and try to carve a linear career path, life always has a way of throwing unexpected challenges and opportunities your way. The twists and turns I’ve taken to get to where I am today have shaped me in ways I wouldn’t change for the world.”
“What excites me is that I can never be entirely sure of where I’ll be in five years; I’m perfectly okay with that. My boyfriend also flies and is currently training to become an airline pilot. It’s fun to share that common passion, so we’ll continue going on flying trips together – maybe even filming videos for YouTube along the way.”
“I know that Africa will always call to me, and living the life of a bush pilot flying helicopters will always be my ultimate goal. Who knows what incredible opportunities might be around the corner? I’m excited to experience it all!”
First published in HeliOps Magazine Issue 155
Bronni Bowen 