Whether you're fascinated by flight attendants or frequent fliers racking up air miles, there's a certain intrigue — and element of glamour — to life in the sky.

And while you may assume a job like an airline pilot might involve a lifetime of training, for Kate McWilliams, who became the world's youngest female commercial airline pilot at the age of 26, this certainly wasn't the case.

As part of a Netflights.com project to celebrate the women in aviation who defy gender stereotypes, Business Insider caught up with McWilliams to hear about how she landed her job — and what spending so much time in the cockpit is really like.

From 4 a.m. starts and stunning views to discounted travel, scroll down for a peek at the life of easyJet airline captain Kate McWilliams.