About the Author

“When barely three or four years old, I used to lie flat on the soft grass and shut my eyes tight. I dreamed that I could miraculously lift off the ground and fly. Nobody could convince me otherwise.”- Liz Mariner

Over the course of more than forty years as a flight instructor, chief flight instructor, and founder of two flight schools, Liz Mariner has known firsthand, and met, the urgent need for improved Aviation English proficiency. Liz has two lifelong passions: she loves to fly, and she loves to teach. Liz began her flight training at Parafield Airport, South Australia, in 1961, and in 1965 became the first female flight instructor trained completely in that country. She earned both the Royal Society of Arts Certificate (University of Cambridge) to Teach English as a Foreign Language to Adults and the Australian Centre for Languages Certificate in Adult TESOL. Applying the ESL teaching methods she learned to the aviation environment, Liz pioneered effective new methods of airborne and ground instruction. Through many years of refining, Liz became an authority in teaching the language of aviation, gaining renown for both her method and her ability. Liz subsequently chaired an Australian government civil aviation safety review program to establish effective and measurable English language standards for pilots. She was formally recognized by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority for “excellence in instruction” and for her outstanding contribution to aviation safety. She also became the first designated UK radiotelephony examiner in Australia.

Today, Liz operates her own aviation consultancy. Increasingly in demand, she has designed and facilitated Aviation English courses for many of the world’s major airlines, ranging from ab initio training to commercial pilot license training, instrument rating training, and conversion and simulator training for advanced aircraft. She is frequently invited by airline management to assess the English language proficiency of prospective airline cadets as part of the selection process. Liz also regularly delivers aviation theory courses to foreign students in the subjects required for an Australian commercial pilot license.

Liz is regularly sought after by today’s leaders in the aviation industry, but she is equally appreciated by her many devoted students throughout the world. A passionate student of languages herself (having studied French, Bahasa Indonesia, Latin, German, Japanese, and Mandarin), Liz is inspired and motivated by students eager to learn. She is a gifted, dynamic, and dedicated teacher whose lively and engaging style has made the task of learning to fly, and learning to fly using a new language, both achievable and enjoyable. AE Link is proud to offer the aviation industry the Mariner Method of Aviation English learning, Cleared for Takeoff: Aviation English Made Easy. Flight institutions around the world are taking advantage of Liz Mariner’s proven work.