Ask a pilot: how do you become a pilot?

Illustrations: Telegramme

Ever wondered what it really takes to become a pilot? Whether you’re planning your own aviation career or simply curious, here’s a clear view from the cockpit.

Background and beginnings

What first sparked your interest in flying? Was there a defining moment or influence?
As a child I was obsessed with flying. My family and I would take an annual holiday to Lanzarote and that’s where it all started. I was very lucky that, on one flight home from Lanzarote, the crew took me up on to the flight deck of the L1011 and I was obsessed from that moment onwards. This was the 1990s, in a very different, pre-2001 era of aviation. Being able to see the pilots operating the aircraft in flight lit a spark. I didn't want to go back to my seat, I just wanted to sit and watch the pilots. With the dawn of aviation-based computer games, my passion was accelerated, and I knew this was what I wanted to do!

What was your route into aviation?
I never went to university, as there was no course I wanted to do – I wanted to be on an aircraft (preferably flying it but, in the absence of that, I would become cabin crew). I learned so much from my fellow colleagues… life lessons that no lecturer could teach (and I had the best time).

Eventually (when finances allowed), I went to flying school in Oxford. I went on a recommendation from other British Airways pilots and never looked back. It was a Frozen ATPL course, which basically took me from ‘zero to hero’ in 20 months of hard work and fun.

What was the hardest part of training, and how did you push through?
Without a doubt, ground school was gruelling for me as they were quite long days. I would start at 8.30am, finish at 4.30pm, go home for food and return to the school until 10.30pm to do more work. A lot of the subjects were relatively new to me, and I struggled to understand some of the terms and equations. But after sitting down with instructors and fellow course mates, I got my head round it and passed my exams.

There were a few things that got me through my flight training, too – my close friend Gen, who I’ve known for nearly 20 years. We were on the course together, we lived together and we would revise together most nights… I still remember her trying to explain advection fog to me at 11pm.

The goal of being a pilot was an incredibly strong motivator in terms of pushing through, especially when you’re on an airfield for ground school and there are aircraft departing every five minutes. As painful as ground school seemed, nothing would be as painful as going back to my parents in North Yorkshire with my tail between my legs and no licence!

Any myths about pilot training you’d love to bust?
I’m not saying everyone has what it takes to be an airline pilot, but you don’t have to be as clever as some may have you believe. I’m certainly no Einstein. I dropped out of A-level Physics in week one as I thought, “This is absolute gibberish and way too hard for me!” Pilot training academies have aptitude tests. If you’re interested in a career as a pilot, book yourself on one to see if you have what it takes.

Skills and mindset

What personal qualities do you think make a great pilot – and which ones surprised you?
Although not one of the nine ICAO Pilot Competencies, humility is, in my eyes, a superpower. It is invaluable in any industry, but especially in aviation. We spend our careers defined by the seat in which we sit when flying the aircraft, and although one of us holds ultimate authority, we both share responsibility for our customers.

At British Airways, we are fortunate to have some of the industry’s leading commanders, people who lead with humility. They recognise that the team extends far beyond the two people sat on the flight deck; they are eager to learn, whatever their age, rank or experience, and they inspire learning in others. They remain grounded at 40,000 feet, and they share successful outcomes across the whole team.

In commercial aviation, we are all cogs in a vast machine, and it’s important to appreciate that without one another, there would be no successes to celebrate or reflect upon.

What’s one skill you didn’t expect to need but now couldn’t live without?
There are so many. The job has changed me so much (hopefully for the better). Communication is something I used to see as another word for talking, and I’m naturally good at it (at least my teachers used to say I was), but I never appreciated how important and significant non-verbal communication was.

The skill I use the most in everyday life is a decision-making model called T-DODAR. It stands for time, diagnose, options, decide, action and review and we use it on the flight deck to generate a safe outcome for most problems. It adds structure and guides you through any kind of process, which is really useful, as the issue you’re facing could be littered with complexity.

Career and lifestyle

What’s the best part of being a pilot? And the toughest?
The best part has to be flying the aircraft – it’s incredibly rewarding, especially when you make a particularly soft landing. There are so many great things in life, and flying has to be up there in the top five.

The downsides of the job are being awake and out of sync with your natural body clock, also known in my book as 4am, and, as I’m a long-haul pilot, that often happens on the return to London during a night flight. As your life is controlled by your roster, there are times when you miss out on social events with friends and family. Ultimately, though, the best parts definitely outweigh the downsides, including being able to take friends and family on trips.

How do you balance your work and personal life?
I personally think that the work life balance in our role is great. We get lots of time to do other things, spend time at home, and as a long-haul pilot we often have time in another country to see the world and relax. Junior pilots have a higher chance of working weekends, and having time off at home mid-week, when our friends and family may be working. I plan ahead as much as I can, to ensure I have lots of time with loved ones and I don’t miss any family events.

The beauty of our role is that when we land back from a trip, our work is over. No emails or phone calls to answer and very little admin to do, which leaves us able to focus on our home life. I recently flew with a captain who said that it was a great job to have as a mother, because when she landed from a trip, she was able to focus on her children and not balance the needs of her work. 

Advice and reflections

If someone reading this wants to become a pilot, what’s your no-nonsense advice?
You get one life so, if you can afford it, take the bull by the horns and apply to a flying school. You’ll need to work hard, but it is worth it and you’ll reap the rewards for the rest of your career. It’s also well worth exploring sponsored routes, such as the British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy scheme, which can provide a structured pathway and financial support into the profession. As they say, you regret the things you didn’t do in life, not the things you did.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known before starting this journey?
Some airlines are seniority based, so the quicker you join them, the quicker you’ll rise up the ranks and get trips to the places you want to go to. As I get older, I’m starting to realise that one life is not enough. If I wanted to fulfil all the dreams I have, I’d need nine lives! If it is possible, the most important thing to do is to join your airline of choice sooner rather than later.

Got an aviation question you’d like to ask pilot Al? Email theclub@cedarcom.co.uk and we’ll try to answer it in a future column