James Parry - British Airways - A319/20/21
- First Officer
- Apr 6, 2017
- 4 min read
1) Tell us what made you want to become a pilot?
My very first flight as a passenger was at the age of 5, to Palma, Mallorca on a Caledonian L-1011 TriStar. I'd say pretty much from the moment I arrived at the airport that morning and saw the tails of the aircraft from the roads nearby I'd decided aviation was something I was interested in. Naturally, the most exciting part of aviation is flying the plane, so that's where I wanted to be.
2) What aircraft did you fly your initial training?
Being an MPL course, I flew less hours in live aircraft than a regular CPL course, and compensated for that with more time in simulators. Aircraft wise, we first flew the Cessna 182, 4-seat single engine piston for 45 hours - this took us to the equivalent of PPL standard single pilot. From there, we took a break from the Cessna to fly the Zlin 242L, a side-by-side, twin seat, single engine piston aerobatic trainer. We flew this for 5 hours concentrating on Upset Prevention and Recovery training, an essential part of the MPL which evolved from the Air France 334 accident, and allowed us to practice recovery from unusual attitudes and manoeuvres as well as having some fun flying aerobatics.We then returned to the Cessna for another 40 hours, flying multi-pilot procedures where our instructors acted as co-pilots. This introduced more instrument-based flying and navigation.To complete our aircraft flying, we moved on to the Piper PA-34 Seneca for 5 hours. This introduced us to multi-engine procedures, and simulated engine failures.
3) What advice would you give to aspiring pilots?
Do your research - weigh-up all the training options with relevance to you. What works for some may not work for you.Be around aviation - for example, join the Air Cadets as me and many of my peers did. It gets you closer to aviation for free, and gives you the opportunity to speak with other like-minded individuals.Have a back-up plan - the aviation industry is heavily cyclical, and tends to be a leader on both the peak and trough ends of the spectrum (can you tell I studied Economics?!). So make sure that if for whatever reason you find yourself at the bottom of a peak start of a trough, you're able to keep earning and learning in another profession. I went to university but have never formally used my degree. I also have a background in vehicle detailing and DJing which allowed me to earn money whilst I wasn't flying.
4) What was your hardest part of your training?
For me it was the sheer volume of knowledge you were expected to gain over the ground school period, which at Oxford at the time was the 14 ATPL exams over a 6 month period, something I'd never want to have to do again, especially over the Winter months. Once out of that phase though, there was never a lack of motivation to push on.
5) What is your favourite destination to fly to?
Tough question! There's so many to choose from on short haul, and having operated to nearly 120 airports I'm spoilt for choice but picking just one I'd have to say Nice Côte d'Azur, France. It's not without its challenges, but whether approaching from the West on to Runway 04L passing over Cannes or the East on to Runway 22R taking in Monaco in the distance and overflying the bay of the town itself, it's definitely my favourite.
6) Was there something you wish you did prior to starting your flight training, that would be beneficial for aspiring pilots to do ?
Probably not. The quicker you start the process to flight training the earlier you'll be ready for a job with an airline. Some talk about life experience, but a well-rounded individual will pick that up naturally. If becoming a pilot is your goal, keep focussed, do well in your studies and hopefully the hard work and economy will align with good job prosperity. I was 26 when I began flying commercial airliners, some are as young as 20.
7) Where did you train, and describe your experience training there?
I trained at Oxford Aviation Academy in Kidlington, Oxford - just prior to its changeover to CAE. I was part of the first intake of easyJet MPL Cadets which started Training in October 2011, completing in April 2013.My training experience was great. CAE were very professional, supportive and approachable. Knowing I was part of a cadet scheme and that as long as I met the requirements of the course and airline that I would have a flying job at the end was of great reassurance. It also helped keep me motivated through what were a tough 18 months of intense learning and training. I had a 1:400 scale model of easyJet's G-EZUI "The Carrot" on my desk, another thing spurring me on!
8) What has been your best moment in the air?
I think for me it has to be landing a jet aeroplane for the first time. I did this whilst base training with my first employer, easyJet, at Liverpool airport - which just happens to be my home city. We were training at Doncaster and not scheduled to be landing in Liverpool, and for operational reasons the aircraft was required at Liverpool shortly after I'd hopped in to the First Officer's seat for the very first time. So very luckily, I ended up flying a mini sector from DSA to LPL making a visual approach to runway 27 over the city for my first landing, a moment I'll never forget after visiting Liverpool airport many times as a child with my uncle spotting!
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