Noemi Kral – “Strive to feel, think and do, so as to bring something good to all”
Noemi is an airport expert at Slot Consulting Ltd., in Budapest
What were you dreaming of becoming when you were a kid?
I hope this is not too disappointing but it was not aviation at all… I was reading books from Gerard Durrell and was fascinated by the way he described the world of plants and animals. Later in secondary school I was attracted to tourism and the work of tourist guides but there were still no aircraft on the horizon.
What moved you to become part of the aviation family?
You might say it was a coincidence really. When I was looking for a University to continue my studies after secondary school, I found a description of air traffic control and this sounded really interesting. Subsequently I enrolled at the Budapest Technical University and some time later also took up hang gliding. The flying world was becoming more interesting every day…
What were the most significant sideways jumps in your professional life?
Well, not many really. My professional life is not that long yet… After the university, I was a ramp agent at Ferihegy Airport. Ramp agents there have more
responsibilities than at other places, for example we made and signed the load sheets so the work was not simply being around the aircraft while it was being turned round.
The birth of my daughter was not an aviation event but in importance it is on the top of course.
My current job as an airport expert is very different again… No jumps, more like small steps but mainly in the same direction.
What were the most significant events that influenced your professional life?
I started working on my PhD and in the process met Mr. Roland Guraly, the Research Director of Slot Consulting. He convinced me to come and work for them.
Was there a person who had a profound influence on your professional life?
I can’t pinpoint a single person… But my professors at the university all left their mark on my thinking and how I see things.
Was there a company which had a profound influence on your professional life?
Not really… that is something still to come I guess.
Was there a “Darth Vader” in your life that you needed to conquer?
No, luckily not!
If you had a second chance, would you try to avoid aviation as a career?
I would certainly not try to avoid aviation. I like it and would probably want to be part of it second time round also.
Would you recommend aviation as a career to young people to-day?
In a small country like Hungary the possibilities are limited especially in view of the fact that there is only one major airport. But in spite of all that, aviation is a field with perspectives and if one feels the attraction, they should certainly try it. If you want to become a pilot, well, you will need a lot of money and even more endurance…
What personal traits should young people develop first and foremost?
I do not think a career in aviation really needs special qualities. You need the kind of things also required in other disciplines… you must have perseverance, attention to detail, things without which it is tough to survive in other areas also.
What was the funniest, aviation related situation you can recall having been in?
I think the story of how I met my husband would qualify… Although we have had parallel flight paths with each other for several years (he even lived not so far from us) we never noticed each other until we both went to Slovakia to participate in the open hang gliding championship, the Podbrezova cup… At first he thought that I was Finish… then he misunderstood my name and thought I was another guy’s wife… To cut a long story short, it wasn’t until a year later that all “obstacles” evaporated and our romance could finally take-off.
In conclusion?
What can I say? I got into aviation by chance but I have no regrets. I like what I am doing. I find it all very interesting and I am trying to make true the words of Sandor Weores (one of my favorite Hungarian poets) in his poem Mirrors Facing Mirrors: “With all the rest just suggestions, there is only one command: strive to feel, think and do, so as to bring something good to all”.
