Jack Lawson - Flybe - Embraer 175/195
1) Tell us what made you want to become a pilot?
I wanted to become an airline pilot from a very early age. I was very lucky as a child, that I got to go on holiday a couple of times a year, and every time we went away I was in awe of all the aircraft that we used to go on. I always liked the idea of getting paid to go from a wet and cold England to a hot sunny destination every day. As a family we also used to spend quite a few days at the weekends going to airport viewing galleries. One of the earliest memories I have as a kid was on the top of a carpark at Heathrow watching (or more like hearing) Concorde take off – I am so glad I got to witness it whilst it was still flying.
2) What aircraft did you fly your initial training?
The basic flying out in New Zealand was done in a DA20 katana aircraft. It was a great aircraft to fly in and was almost like a glider, although it did get a bit hot in the cockpit in the summer! We then moved on to the C172 and DA42 to do our final CPL flights and IR. Before I started at CTC, I flew the Cessna 152 and gained about 60 hours over the course of 4 years, getting a bit of taste of flying.
3) What was your hardest part of your training?
The hardest part for me was the ATPL exams. Whilst I did well in the exams, there was so much information to take in, and sitting in a classroom 5 days a week for 6 months didn’t seem like the fun I had signed up for. The flight training was difficult, but it was so much fun and what I had always dreamed of.
4) What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?
There are 2 things for me. The first is that they think that the plane takes-off and lands on its own every time. Whilst some aircraft can land themselves, we do not have that, and every flight we do, is manually flown departure and landing. The other thing is that they think we get to stay in the destinations we fly to. Whilst you can get some night stops, depending on the airline and airport you are based at, I am lucky to get 30-40 minutes at our destinations before we are making the flight back to the UK.
5) What advice would you give to aspiring pilots?
Go for it!! For anyone considering being a pilot for a career, do it if you can. I understand that there is a big financial commitment to do it (I am paying off a massive debt now), but look out for airline sponsored schemes – they are starting to appear. If you can’t do it yet, a lot of people do it as a second career and save up the pennies first. But if you can do it now, it is the best time to join the industry; there are so many jobs and opportunities across the industry at the moment.
6) What is your favourite destination to fly to?
I love going to Faro in Portugal. I have only recently started to fly there out of Doncaster, but it is a place I have been to a couple of times on holiday and a place I can remember flying into when I was really young. It has always been hot and sunny every time I have been there too!!
7) Where did you train, and describe your experience training there?
I trained at CTC Aviation down in Southampton. I always had planned on going to Oxford Aviation Academy, but my Dad convinced me to go to an open day at CTC and within half an hour of being there, I knew it was the place I wanted to train at – they had so many partner airlines and a great track record for job placements.The training was very intense but also very enjoyable. I spent 6 months in Southampton doing the 14 ATPL ground school exams, before going to Hamilton in New Zealand, where I spent 8 months doing my basic training, flying all over the country which was fantastic, to get my Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL). Once this was done, I returned back to the UK and spent 2 months in Bournemouth to complete the IR (Instrument Rating) training. Once this was done, we spent about 4 weeks back in Southampton to do the Multi-Crew and Jet Orientation course, known as AQC at CTC.
8) What has been your best moment in the air?
For me, it was on the Vulcan’s last day of flying. As I was flying the arrival into East Midlands Airport last year, the Vulcan was making a flyby over the airport on its last tour of the UK before it got grounded. To hear it on the radio, and see it in the distance was fantastic, it felt like being part of history. Although it did put pressure on me to make a good landing – there were thousands, and I mean thousands, of spectators at the airport as I made our approach.
9) Was there something you wish you did prior to starting your flight training, that would be beneficial for aspiring pilots to do ?
For me, I wish I went to university before starting my flight training. I went to CTC straight after completing my A-levels and whilst going to university isn't necessary, I feel like I missed out on the university lifestyle, and also a degree which may help in the future when I look to do other roles (such as management) in the airlines.