Tseno - B737-800
1) Tell us what made you want to become a pilot?
I can remember the first time my grandfather (who was the main engineer of the 3rd biggest airline of the time ``BALKAN``), brought me to the airport. The huge hangar, the hot concrete, the strong smell of kerosine was the ambient atmosphere I will never forget and how these conditions spun my head around towards the aviation love once and for all.
2) Where did you train and describe your experience training there?
Although I originally come from Bulgaria, a small country in eastern Europe, I decide to take a huge step towards my career not only professionally, but personally by moving to Berlin, Germany; where I did my flight training in ``VPS Verkehrspilotenschule Berlin``. It was quite challenging to face the bureaucracy alone and with the help of nobody, but this was eventually what made me grow up faster and led to the successful graduation of the flight school exactly 2 years later. It was not the perfect school, but I don’t believe there is a perfect one. The drawbacks… well I was able to utilise them in my advantage. About the good things, there were a lot more and I just needed to follow the guidelines to benefit from the full potential from them.
3) What aircraft did you fly during your initial training?
I flew on C152, C172, BE33 and DA42. All different aircraft with different background anddiverse ages. I loved them all.
4) What was your hardest part of training?
The hardest part was the beginning. The countless hours of theory in German, that I had to translate from German to English and then from English to Bulgarian to eventually understand the meaning of the topic I was reading. Was it all necessary, probably NOT. But I did it and now I feel much more self confident in both my flying and social skills.
5) What advice would you give to aspiring pilot?
The biggest clichés: Study hard and when you think you do, study ten time more harder. Never stop learning new things. This will be your job in the future. Every 6 months someone will assess your knowledge and test your up to date characteristics. The more you do for yourself every day, the better place at the leaderboard you will have later in your life.
6) What has been your best moment in the air?
Every single one of them. Good weather, bad weather, strict flight instructors, solo flights. If you're passionate about it, you will find you enjoy every single second of it.
7) What is your favourite destination to fly to?
My favourite destination from the time in my flight school was Berlin Schoenefeld SXF Airport. Doing approaches between the 'big guys' and being part of the congested German airspace, as well as cruising over the beautifully lit night Berlin was always filling my veins with adrenaline.
8) What is the biggest misconception that people have about your job?
That it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a family, because you are that weirdo that never comes back home…. Well surprise, most of the short haul companies nowadays will get you back home at the end of the working day, so it's like a fancy office job, a 5 star one!
9) Was there something you wish you did prior to starting your flight training that would be beneficial for aspiring pilots to do?
Yeah, start it even sooner. If you have doubts, get your medical checks, go to airport, look at the aircraft and if you get goose bumps from only watching them while the other people don’t even notice these mighty birds, count to try and go for the BEST job in the world!!!