Flying high: How Ireland’s only female aerobatic pilot is breaking barriers and defying gravity

Laura Russell, Ireland’s first female aerobatic stunt pilot, is inspiring a new generation while soaring through the skies

Laura Russell, Ireland's first female aerobatic stunt pilot, preparing for the Las Vegas World Advanced Championships in November, 2023.

While many women enjoy bonding with their mothers on Sunday spins and the odd afternoon tea date, Cork aerobatic stunt pilot Laura Russell has other ideas.

And fortunately - unlike some Irish mammies - her mother Mary Russell is not impartial to the occasional extreme sport day out. Getting to experience spins and loops while thousands of feet in the air is just one of the perks of having Ireland’s first and only female aerobatic stunt pilot as your daughter.