A civil servant at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, the 30-year-old, born in Rodez and living in Ile-de-France, is also a talented sportswoman, champion of France in her discipline.
Her older brother Gilles was passionate about aviation and he started flying at Les Ailes ruthénoises when she was 10 years old. “I helped him learn his phraseology by playing the role of controller and I spent a good part of my adolescence with him at the flying club, which was a bit like our second home. He also represented the Ruthenian club at the Aerial tour of France for young pilots in 2002“Isabelle Vayssié remembers very well her first steps in the clouds.
Born on July 24, 1986 in Rodez, she traveled extensively through the department as the family moved, but she lived a lot in Ruffepeyre, a hamlet in the town of Mayran. “I loved flying with my brother but I was pretty quickly drawn to the other side of the mic.“, she continues. As soon as she finished college, she had in mind to join the national school of civil aviation. “I did my preparation in Toulouse, at the Déodat high school in Séverac, in the physics, chemistry and engineering sciences sector, then physics and engineering sciences, solely for this purpose“, specifies Isabelle Vayssié.
She then passed, in 2006, the two competitions giving access to air traffic control: air navigation control engineer, and senior technician in civil aviation studies and operations. She was admitted to both but declared medically unfit for the Icna because “too much myopia“. “In the end, it was “a blessing in disguise“, recognizes Isabelle Vayssié. The TSEEAC corps is very versatile and offers a wide variety of positions“.
Including, for example, the one she joined in 2009 at Roissy airport. According to her own expression, the official at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation “airplane whisperer“. She is thus in charge of the traffic watch for Terminal 2, which has around 200 parking positions. Or rather was because, for a year, she has been seconded to training. “The idea had been floating around in my head for a long time and I had already applied once. It is the result of a personal wish combined with an opportunity, she rejoices. I’m happy because I’ve been up there for twelve years“.
Work in Rodez? “I could”
Isabelle Vayssié continues to return home, often twice a year, in summer and at Christmas. She then put her suitcases in Salles-Curan, with her maternal grandmother. “This is the rallying point“, she smiles. She then becomes more serious when it comes to talking about the trip: “It’s an expedition!“. She did not cut the cord, however: “I claim my Aveyron origins, I am very attached to my Rouergate roots. For the people here, in the suburbs of Paris, I am a stranger. My accent betrays me!“. However, there is no question for her of being sectarian: “I don’t attach great importance to it. I prefer openness, tolerance“. And to conclude on this question of belonging: “I’ve adapted to life here, but I’m not from the Ile-de-France region. I arrived in 2008 and I was supposed to stay for five years… I stopped making plans for the comet!“.
But, she has not forgotten that she projected herself during the summer of 2017: “In the medium term, I would like to do air traffic control in a small area in the south of France“. She confirms: “I will not spend my whole life in Ile-de-France. Airfield control really appeals to me. Rodez? I could. I also like Carcassonne“. But, for the moment, she is having a hard time in Gagny (93), with work at home and 1,600 m2 of land to maintain, and has not made a request for take-off at the tower of control.
Isabelle Vayssié has also been an accomplished sportswoman since she was very young. She thus tasted dance, classical and jazz, in Rignac, Millau and Rodez, even devoting herself to ballroom dancing for a year. Curious, she discovered badminton in UNSS. But it was for archery that she hit the nail on the head! “I don’t know where it comes from, especially since the virus was not circulating in the family“, always wonders the interested party. Perhaps a carnival at school where she was disguised as an Indian…
Be that as it may, she took a license, as a teenager, in the archery section of the Stade Rodez omnisports, dear to the late Albert Pascal, until she was just aiming for the baccalaureate test. Member then of Chelles, of Bondy, then today of Neuilly-sur-Marne, she can be proud of a very fine collection of medals, including a title of French champion in field shooting won in 2017 in Loudéac. And five participations in international competitions (9th in Marrakech and Luxembourg).
After her bronze medal at the Coupe de France at 70 meters in Coutances, Normandy, in August 2019, Isabelle Vayssié put away her arrows. “I dropped the bow!, she confirms. I no longer had the flame“. But, she was not a woman to sit idly by. So she threw herself into… figure skating! She hasn’t forgotten: “I passed the ice rink every day and this discipline had always tempted me. I then looked to see if there were courses for adult beginners. I had a good surprise and I don’t regret“.
On the other hand, because of the health crisis, she had to be satisfied, at the beginning, with a few rare training sessions, but the situation has improved since the start of the school year. “The pleasure is there!, she rejoices. The sensations are different but very pleasant. As I started from scratch, I can only progress… For now, I’m taking care of the technique. We will see later for the artistic!“. She should therefore not defend the colors of France at the Winter Olympics, in Beijing, from February 4 to 20, 2022.
