From Student to a Commercial Pilot

What to do before getting into the right school?

When I was convinced that the dream of becoming a pilot was the right thing to do, I started my research and preparation - which school to choose, what do I need to have before applying. In my country, there were three larger schools and two of them were close to where I lived. But as I had no family or friends in aviation, I had no idea where to go. I went for some intro days at each school and had some great talks of what was needed. The first thing I did was to pass the entry courses and then I had to pass my medical exam. When all of that was done, I just had to wait.

I still remember the day it all started. I went to the airport and got into the airside. There was a lot of information taught, we got our uniforms and then it really began. I guess it was around one or two weeks just before I was settled because everything was so exciting.

The school began and I was actually kind of surprised at how many theoretical courses you need as a pilot. Like a lot of other people, I just could not wait to get out and fly. Luckily, I did not have to wait for more than two days before I got up flying for the first time as a student. Furthermore, I only had ten flight lessons before I got released for my first solo flight. That’s another day I will never forget.

My release happened in the evening after a few flights with my instructor. When I took off, it was quite normal. But just right before I reached the final approach, the runway was lit up because it got darker. It felt so crazy on this huge runway with all those lights and it was just me and my small aircraft. I got down safely and I was as excited as my first day at school. 

After that, it was a steep learning curve and lots of flight hours. I was looking forward to flying the twin aircraft on the instruments.

Another chapter started on the bigger aircraft and I had to fly to several different countries nearby. There were so many experiences! When it is all done in school, another new adventure starts when you get your first job. Everyday is something special in this office.