AN attractive young lady is carving out a niche for her gender at Bermuda's International Airport. She is Sabrina Wilkinson, the island's first and only female aircraft mechanic.

She is highly qualified and is, in fact, certified by no less an authority than the Federal Aviation Authority of the US Department of Transportation.

Since her enrolment in February 2002 in the National Aviation Academy for training in aviation maintenance technology, Sabrina cascaded through a wide range of courses, with grades in the high 90s culminating in her being awarded a specialised associate's degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

All along the line at the Academy and since entering the job field, Sabrina has had constant reminders that she was functioning in "a man's world". But she's not the least bit fazed by such insinuations.

On the contrary, Sabrina has shown her male detractors better than she could tell them. For instance, in her air frame technician course, she registered a grade of 100 in aircraft landing gear systems, and likewise in aircraft position and warning systems.

She had a grade of 96 in her welding section and 98 in fuel and rain systems and 94 in communication and navigation systems. For her powerplant licence she had a grade of 99 dealing with propellers, 94 with turbine engines and 94 for engine electrical systems. For her general maintenance licence Sabrina recorded a high of 99 in materials and processes; 90 in weights and balances; 93 in aircraft drawings.

Sabrina is employed at the airport by Bermuda Aviation Services (BAS). On a daily basis she is one of the mechanics who undertake contract maintenance on big passenger planes flying in and out of the island. She exercises the onerous responsibility of giving her stamp of approval and signature that it is okay for planes in her remit to continue on their journeys.

Like any other mechanic, with wand in hand, she marshals the planes in, whether they're Lear jets or Boeing 777s. She chucks them in position, makes a visual inspection, and then boards them for the next phase which is a consultation with the captains, in the event there are any problems.

It's when she presents herself to plane captains, that she begins to get looks of incredulity from some of them. They ask if she is "legal", or whether she is old enough. Often it's not so much that she is female, but rather such a 'pint-sized' one.

She is a mere 5ft. 1in. tall, weighs just over 135lbs, and speaks with authority. One Delta captain looking at her for the first time, exclaimed: "This can't be real!"

Her response to him was: "Real for you, or for me." She then told the captain to "have a good day" and left him standing. One of the fellows took care of him. After a while, that particular captain got to like and respect Sabrina.

Some of her associates have ribbed her over their contention that when God made her He 'forgot about height.' She has never found her size to be a handicap, especially when she can compensate for it with a ladder. In fact, at her Academy, smallness proved to be a distinct advantage, as she was able to crawl inside cramped areas of planes that proved problematic to the big guys.

Sabrina does not allow herself to be considered "one of the boys". Rather, she says, she is "a team player", whether she's changing a tyre or doing sheet metal work, riveting or welding.

She maintains her femininity with her painted nails and the like. At age 27 she is the mother of a five-year-old daughter, Sabriuna, who attends Southampton Glebe School. Sabrina is the daughter of Sheila and Randolph Wilkinson of Spring Benny Road, Sandys.

He is a manager at Weir Enterprises, and Sheila is a retired civil servant. The Wilkinsons have another daughter, Sheena Thomas, an insurance broker, and a son, Randolph, Jr., who is a prison officer.

Sabrina is a graduate of Paget Primary School and Sandys Secondary School. Her first job after school was working as an airport sales agent for Continental Airlines under Judith Astwood, who put her on track for admission to the National Aviation Academy in Florida, and with the president and CEO of BAS, E. Eugene Bean.

The National Training Board and BAS sponsored her at the Academy, and she was appreciative of the personal interest taken in her by Michael Stowe of the NTB, Education Minister Terry Lister, and Raymond Packwood, vice-president and CFO of BAS.

She is a member of Women in Aviation International; and her ambition now is to pursue a degree in aviation management.