One of only 10 female fighter pilots in the UK, the 32 year-old RAF Flight Lieutenant, is on course to steal the show with death-defying daredevil stunts as the first woman ever to join the famous RAF Hawk display team.
Jules says that flying her Hawk T1 with the world-renowned stunt team is a dream come true. "Flying combat missions was massively rewarding and what I joined the military for in the first place," she says. "The job satisfaction I got from that was fantastic so when I returned to the UK I wanted another challenge. That's why I put my name forward for the Hawk aerial display team. I love performing in the display team and I never get scared. We work within very strict rules and regulations which means we push the planes to the limit."
Only a select few will ever make it as a fighter pilot. You need to be fitter and more robust than a Formula 1 driver to cope with the extreme G-forces which the Hawk T1 will produce at its top speed of Mach 1.2, or roughly 396m/s.
The rigorous training which Jules was subjected to included successful completion of an Advanced Flying Training course and later the Tactical Weapons Phase, as well as medical checks and lengthy aptitude tests.
Jules is no stranger to being in the limelight. In October 2008, she was posted onto the Tornado GR4 alongside her weapons systems officer, Squadron Leader Nikki Thomas to make the first all-female Tornado crew. Jules has since completed tours of Iraq and Afghanistan supporting UK Operations acting as 'eyes in the sky' for those fighting on the ground, a role requiring fast thinking and multitasking and is often described as the most arduous of roles within the RAF.
Across the armed forces only nine per cent of personnel are women and less than a third of these serve in combat roles. This makes the five per cent of fast jets flown by women a hugely impressive figure.
Alongside her flying commitments, Jules is also a keen equestrian enthusiast and has represented the RAF on many riding occasions, with her most recent achievement being part of the winning team at Royal Windsor Horse Show in front of Her Majesty, The Queen.
