MANDY HICKSON
Mandy Hickson is a former RAF fast jet pilot and one of the first women to fly the Tornado GR4 on the front line, flying operational missions over Iraq. She is now a keynote speaker on leadership, teamwork, and resilience under pressure, and is the author of the bestselling memoir An Officer, Not a Gentleman. "My passion is to inspire the next generation to believe that there are no limits when you work hard and follow your dreams," she says.
Craig Hickson is a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who flew anti-submarine and search-and-rescue missions before becoming a commercial airline captain and examiner. Growing up with severe dyslexia, Craig left school with no qualifications but found his confidence and purpose through the Royal Navy — as he puts it, "Born in Petersfield, made in the Royal Navy." Of writing the book, he says: "I had to break my own barriers, and it has been cathartic to document my journey."
Mandy and Craig are husband and wife, and together they bring two very different flying careers — one in the sky, one at sea — into a single shared story.
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An Officer And Her Gentleman
Two aviators, two cockpits, one journey.
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A follow-up to Mandy Hickson's bestselling memoir An Officer, Not a Gentleman, this dual memoir by husband and wife Mandy and Craig Hickson takes readers through fast jet cockpits and carrier decks, revealing what it means to live and love in some of the world's most demanding environments.
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Mandy, one of the first women to fly fast jets on the RAF front line, is candid about her early setbacks — including failing all her initial pilot tests — and how she fought her way back to earn her place on the front line. Craig's story runs in parallel: severely dyslexic and struggling to read confidently into adulthood, he left school without qualifications, only to find his purpose and confidence in the Royal Navy.
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Structured like a flight, from take-off to landing, An Officer and Her Gentleman explores decision-making under pressure, leadership, teamwork, and the humour that carried them both through turbulence — in the skies, at sea, and in life. As Craig reflects, "My wish is that people can see that there are paths for all of us if we are willing to dig in and accept support from great people."
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