Jo Salter

Jo Salter, born Joanna Mary Salter in Bournemouth in 1968, is a former Royal Air Force pilot who became Britain's first female fast jet pilot. She joined the RAF at eighteen intending to be an engineering officer, then trained as a pilot once the British government opened jet flying to women in 1992. She was awarded her wings in April 1992, finished fast jet training at RAF Brawdy, and in August 1994 joined 617 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth flying the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft. The RAF declared her combat ready in February 1995, and she flew from Turkey and Saudi Arabia on patrols protecting the no-fly zone over Iraq. She left the RAF in 2000 after maternity leave, went into IT infrastructure work, later became an inspirational speaker and in 2016 joined PwC. She was appointed MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to aviation and received an honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University.