Mark P - Emirates - B777
1) Tell us what made you want to become a pilot?
My Granddad took me flying when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Caught the flying bug from there and it always fascinated me. Just loved the freedom of being up in the sky. At school I never paid enough attention to the classes, was always looking in the sky during football matches. Flying was in the DNA from a young age.
2) Where did you train and describe your experience training there?
I started flying in the Air Training Corps in York, moved on to be a Gliding Instructor at 642 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) before starting the Modular course at Oxford Aviation Academy in September 2006. OAA was fantastic, started with 6 months ground school covering all 14 ATPL modules. The instructors were all brilliant. It was an immense workload though. We would regularly be studying late into the nights, 7 days a week. Weekends didn’t exist. After 6 months in Oxford we went to Phoenix for 9 weeks to do the hour building and CPL/ME. Came back to England and did the IR at Bristol Flying Centre (outsourced by OAA due to instructor shortage at Oxford). Then back to OAA for the MCC. Overall the 14 months I spent under the wing of OAA was incredible. Life changing. By far one of the hardest things I’ve put myself through (Emirates selection being number 1 and a half Ironman triathlon being number 2).
3) What aircraft did you fly during your initial training?
Initial training for me was on the PA28 when I was doing my PPL, but I had previous flying experience through the Air Training Corps and VGS which counted towards my total hours for the course at Oxford. My very first flying was on a Grob Vigilant, followed by Grob Tutor, Katana DA20, Cessna 150, PA28 Warrior, Robin 2160, Cessna 172 and then PA34 Seneca, which is what I did the CPL/ME and IR on.
4) What was your hardest part of training?
The hardest part of my training was undoubtedly the IR test. Its the pinnacle of the training. Everything you’ve learnt leads up to this one test. The flight before the IR test is called the 170A, basically a mock IR test with the CFI of the training centre. My 170A was perfect. A flight from Bristol International, joining the airway to Gloucester, NDB hold and NDB approach, go around, flying to Bristol for ILS, go around, visual circuit and land. However, my actual test was a day earlier than planned due to a scheduling error. I ended up doing a different route than expected, at short notice. The pressure and stress got to me during the NDB approach and unfortunately I partially passed the test. A week later I completed the required approach and then I was free. The hardest part for sure is the IR. I enjoyed the training immensely, however, there is so much at stake; speed, altitude, tracking, V/S, bank angles, pitch, R/T. During the IR course and indeed the test, that is the best you’ll ever be at flying and aeroplane. Fact.
5) What advice would you give to aspiring pilots
My advice to aspiring pilots would be - be resilient. If this is something that you really want to do, or if somebody tells you it can’t be done, or is too expensive, or doesn’t guarantee a job at the end of it, heed my advice, BE RESILIENT. I wasn’t the brightest student in the class; 9 C’s and 1 D in my GCSEs are testament to that. However, flying doesn’t require A* pupils. It requires determination, passion, forward thinking, logic and above all, resilience.
6) What has been your best moment in the air?
My best moment in the air is hard to choose. I’ve had so many moments where you think ‘nothing will top that.’ One of them would be taking my Granddad flying, in the very same Cessna 150 that he took me flying in, from the same airfield when I was a kid. It was a moment that some people don’t get to repay. I think he enjoyed it even more than I did. I’ve flown family a couple of times with Ryanair and Emirates, I’ve flown celebrities, seen shooting stars and The Milky Way clearer than anyone could imagine. However, the first solo when I was 16 is still the best moment. Late afternoon in November 2002, RW22 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Grob Vigilant T1. Amazing feeling when I was downwind looking at the runway, making sure my tracking was right, and noticing the empty seat next to me. Something you don’t forget.
7) What is your favourite destination to fly to?
Favourite destination is Seattle. The home of Boeing. I was lucky enough to spend 6 weeks there when I joined Emirates to do the 777 type rating at the Boeing training facility in Kent, around 30 mins outside the city. For me, Seattle has everything, the flight from Dubai is always pleasant and exciting, and there is always something to do in the city. Great food, great beer, culture, scenery, national parks. I always bid for it, sometimes I get it, sometimes not. One of the best things about Seattle is the people. I always go to Pike Place Market the morning before we fly back, so I can buy my fish, fruit and vegetables. I normally spend a bit of time talking to the fish mongers about anything and everything. The same with the fruit and veg guys. They both get a lot of crew buying from them, so appreciate the business and always have time for us.
8) What is the biggest misconception that people have about your job?
The biggest misconception people have about being a pilot usually goes like this, “Oh all you guys do is push buttons, drink coffee and look out the window.” Whilst it is true that we do that, generally people don’t realise how much planning and preparation goes into a single flight, let alone the years of training to get into that seat. For myself, preparing for a flight starts the day before. Checking the previous day’s flight plan, flight aware app for the routing actually flown, ironing a shirt, shining the shoes, making sure my bag is packed. As soon as the shirt is on, I’m in work mode. Everything I do is a calculated decision, which continues until the shirt is off at home of destination. During the flight, right from the moment we push back and start the engines, we are thinking about a thousand different things; monitoring engine indications during the start, listening to ATC, understanding the flow of traffic and where we might fit into it, thinking about the cabin and whether it will be ready when we reach the holding point, speed limits during taxi, weather considerations. I could go on all day. The best way to summarise it, imagine a swan swimming on a pond, it looks graceful, sometimes even uneventful. However, beneath the surface of the water, the swan’s legs are paddling frantically to balance and maintain the forward motion.
9) Was there something you wish you did prior to starting your flight training that would be beneficial for aspiring pilots to do?
If I could have done one thing before I started my flying training, I would have done something completely unrelated to flying. I think I would have liked to travel, or even live and work in a foreign country for a year. This would have allowed me to learn a foreign language more easily than staying at home. English is the main language spoken when we fly and when we speak to ATC. However, having the ability to speak a second or even third language makes someone even more marketable and likely to be selected for that all important first job in the aviation industry. Anything that makes you stand out from the crowd a little bit will be useful. Also, the ability to have that language in your back pocket may come in handy one day, if you find yourself in another country and nobody speaks English. Trust me, its happened. So to the aspiring pilots, if you’re 15, 16 to into your 30’s or older, before you embark on a journey that will push you to your breaking point, leave you in debt for upwards of £100k and living in shared flats with noodles for dinner - go out there, do something totally different from flying. Experience things you won’t have time to do once that first contract is signed with the airlines. Life is short. Life as an airline pilot goes quickly. Embrace the little things, take opportunities when they come along, and above all, never forget your roots, your friends and your family.