Jo Salter


Joanna Mary Salter was Britain's first female fast jet pilot flying the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft with 617 Squadron, she later became an inspirational speaker. In November 2016 she joined PwC as a director and Chief of Staff, responsible for digital capabilities within the People and Organisation practice.

Royal Air Force

Salter joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18 to be an Engineering Officer but she went on to train as a pilot after the British government announced that women would be allowed to fly jet aircraft in 1992. As part of her engineering training she had studied at the Royal Military College of Science.
Salter was awarded her wings on 3 Apr 1992 and at the end of 1992 she finished her fast jet training at RAF Brawdy with Dawn Hadlow, who became Britain's first RAF female flight instructor.
In August 1994 Salter joined 617 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in August 1994 as a Flight Lieutenant, and was declared combat ready by the RAF on 21 February 1995. Salter was the first woman to be an operational Tornado pilot and she later flew from both Turkey and Saudi Arabia in protection of the No-fly zone over Iraq. Whilst flying ground attack Tornados, Salter started a MBA course with the Open University in 1996, being sponsored by the MoD, she completed the course in 1999.
Following maternity leave Salter left the RAF in 2000 to become head of technical services with an IT infrastructure company.

Civilian career

Salter gives motivational talks, and trains ATC and University Air Squadron cadets at the weekend. She married Robert Ashfield in January 1998 in Broughton, Hampshire. They have two daughters.
She has written two books: Energy - 52 ways to fire up your life and become an Energy Angel and Energize.