Steven Hadley - EasyJet - A319/20
1) Tell us what made you want to become a pilot?
Since I was old enough to appreciate flying, being a pilot is the only job I have ever wanted to do, cliché I know. There really is no job like it in my opinion. The thought of getting paid to operate tonnes of machinery at great speeds was exciting enough, let alone the fact that the machinery flies. I have always been a man of physics and appreciated technology, so aircraft have always interested me very much; I believe it is one of man’s best inventions. As I grew with age and travelled more on aircraft, my love for aviation continued to grow. A trial flight at 16 then made me fall in love for the flying aspect, and from then on I was well and truly set on flying for a living.
2) What aircraft did you fly your initial training?​
Most of the cadets started their basic training in a DA28. However, being too tall to fit, I did all of my basic training and single engine work in a trusty Cessna 172! After about 100 hours on this, I moved on to the twin engine DA42, a great piece of machinery. At the end of training, I then did three hours of upset recovery in a Slingby Firefly.
3) What was your hardest part of your training?
The transition from flying in New Zealand's very open and mostly uncontrolled airspace, to flying in and around London’s tightly controlled airspace and the radio phraseology that came with it. It was a big adjustment, but a very necessary one for flying on the line day to day now!
4) What is the biggest misconception people have about your job?
​People still seem to think that we just do two flights and then retire for the day, working minimal hours per week. This is just not the case at all. We often work long days, especially throughout the summer and it is challenging to say the least. One thing that does always amuse me is when I tell people I'm a first officer, and they reply with 'oh so you just do the radio and watch?' Sometimes I reply with 'I'm not even allowed to do the radio; I just sit there and help if the captain wants me'. Of course, this is not the case. As a first officer we are very much as hands on with the aircraft as the captain. On a four sector day, we will share the workload, both doing pilot flying (PF) and pilot monitoring (PM) duties. For example, on a four sector (four take-offs and landings), one of us will do the first and the last flight and the other the middle two, unless weather or operational restrictions are in place for me, then we adjust accordingly. We perform the exact same job when we are PF or PM, however the skipper is obviously the commander of the aircraft and has certain jobs which he/she must carry out, just as I do as a first officer.
5) What advice would you give to aspiring pilots?
​I had plenty of people telling me that I wouldn't be able to become a pilot for different reasons. Don't listen to them and keep the dream alive. If you want it enough, then of course you can achieve it. It's not easy at all, but it's very much worth it.
6) What is your favourite destination to fly to?
My favourite destination is either Geneva or Bilbao. Geneva because in the winter the scenery is simply amazing. Flying the approach between the snow covered valleys is something anyone can appreciate! Bilbao because it is a fairly tricky approach, the glideslope is steeper than usual and the weather always provides some difficult conditions. Add a short runway and a displaced threshold and you have yourself a challenging and rewarding approach! I love disengaging the autopilot and hand flying the approach wherever I go, and enjoy the challenge the winter weather brings both in terms of flying skill and knowledge.
7) Where did you train, and describe your experience training there?
I trained with CTC aviation, CP116 starting in January 2014. I did the white tail program (integrated). My experience was amazing, and the training allowed me to live in New Zealand for 9 months. Whilst living there, I was able to fly over and witness some truly amazing scenery. Be it flying around volcanos, low level over the beautiful beaches or following the rivers downstream to waterfalls, it was an amazing place to fly! My training experience was very much positive. I enjoyed the training and made some very good friends along the way, whom I keep in contact with today.
8) What has been your best moment in the air?
Tricky one, I have two events which are my most memorable flying experiences. One of these was whilst in New Zealand, taking-off about one minute behind a friend and both flying to the west for some general handling practice. The sun was setting and the sky was an absolutely fantastic shade of red, illuminating the cockpit and everything else. We were talking on the air to air frequency, overhead one of the North Islands most beautiful beaches whilst putting the aircraft in some steep turns, stall practices and other handling exercises. Light aircraft flying is absolutely great, as obviously it gives us pilots a lot more freedom than flying commercially. The passengers would never appreciate a 'max rate' turn whilst eating their cheese toasty on the way to Palma! As a good instructor of mine once said, 'you don't want to spill the G&T's down the back'.Back on topic, the other event was not long ago. Flying back from PMI with the sun setting over the Pyrenees, illuminating the cockpit orange, whilst out to the right of the aircraft we had an amazing view of the 'super moon'. I’m quite fond of physics and have a keen interest in space, so seeing this rare event was great, and the view was simple incredible. With this, there are countless times where I have been doing visual approaches, manually flown, and these are always amazing moments. When looking at the runway on the approach, I always appreciate how lucky I am to be landing 60 odd tones of aircraft, at 150mph!
9) Was there something you wish you did prior to starting your flight training, that would be beneficial for aspiring pilots to do ?
Honestly, no. I always knew that I wanted to become a commercial pilot, so I came straight out of sixth form and chased that dream. Luckily for me, I got to do a lot of travelling whilst doing my training and met some great people. I am also lucky enough to be completing a degree program, the BSC Honours Degree in Professional Pilot Practices. This degree is tailor made for the training and allows pilots to qualify as a pilot as well as completing an honours degree over three years. I wouldn't have changed the way I approached my pathway in to aviation and encourage youngsters to be brave and pursue it straight from school if that's what they would rather. More information on the degree program, as well as guide on everything you need to know to become a commercial pilot s available within my ebook.