Anyone out there curious about flying? You don't have to be trying to become one — "I wanted to be a pilot as a kid" or "is it actually interesting?" are perfectly good openers. Just a chat, and it's free.
Start here if you’d rather just read something first:The Kid Who Couldn’t Even Fly Straight — how a broke kid who couldn’t hold a straight line ended up in the left seat. It’s the honest version, not the brochure one.
Type ratings on two propeller aircraft and three turbojets
And I’d like to hear about you
This part is selfish, so I’ll just say it: almost everyone around me does this job, so almost every
conversation I have is about aircraft. I’d rather hear about you — where you grew up, what your
days look like, what things are like where you are.
So it doesn’t have to be an interview. Ask me something and then tell me something.
That said — if you came here with a real question, you’ll get a real answer. I’m not going to
turn it into small talk on you.
Why this is free
I’m not trying to make money from this, so there’s no menu and no invoice.
The route into this job is badly documented, the schools are expensive, and a lot of what’s online
was written by people who never got in. I went down the road myself, and I’d rather answer a real
question than watch someone spend a year guessing.
“I’d just like to hear what it’s actually like” is a perfectly good reason to get in touch. I like
talking to people. And if any of it makes you interested in the work itself, that would honestly
make me happy.
Things you can ask
Whatever’s sitting at the top of your head right now is probably on this list. None of it is a
stupid question — I had all of them too, and nobody to ask.
Which route actually fits you, and what each one costs in real money
The medical — what it checks and what happens if something comes back marginal
English, and how good is good enough
What to do if you fail something. People do. It isn’t the end of it.
What the job is actually like on an ordinary day, which is mostly not what you’d guess
The longer answers
Some of these I’ve sat down and written out properly, so you can read first and ask second. More
of them as I get to them — if there’s one you want next, tell me and I’ll bump it up the list.
I wanted to go abroad and make life easier for my parents. Getting there meant money worries, difficult nights, and keeping up with my classmates. A few things I'd tell someone starting out.
I've landed a plane about five thousand times. Two, maybe three of those were genuinely good. This is how a kid who couldn't hold a straight line ended up in the left seat.
I can’t help with any particular company’s hiring — no introductions, no referrals, nothing about
what’s inside anyone’s selection process. Sorry about that one; it isn’t mine to give away.
And fair warning: I’m not much of a studier. If you come at me with the really technical stuff, I
might not have a good answer for you. Apologies in advance.
If you’re seriously going for it, honestly — a proper flight school is probably the better place to
ask. They do this properly. I’m just someone you can talk to.
Get in touch
A DM on Instagram or X is the fastest way. Email works too, if you’d rather take your time over it.
There’s no wrong way to open — “I don’t really know what I’m asking yet” is fine.