On my way to becoming a Flight Instructor

My name is Marc Lüchinger and I am from Switzerland. Since I was a child, I’ve had a passion for aviation. I grew up next to a small airfield in the alps and my grandfather was flying for the Swiss Army. Every time a plane flies over our house, my dad is the first one looking at the sky. So perhaps I can say, I have it in my blood.

At the age of 16, I began the selection of becoming a Swiss military pilot. With no doubt, I wanted to become a pilot but unfortunately, after spending months in training, I had troubles with my spine and that was the end of my army career. I didn’t want to give up my dream so I began my ATPL at the age of 20. After three years of studying, I was hired by Helvetic Airways. 

I completed my three months Embraer E190 type rating in Frankfurt, Germany with an experienced captain. We were a team. You know with the PPL, you fly by yourself, you do all the checklist work, but in a multi crew cockpit, you fly together as a team. It was cool to learn how this Crew Resource Management actually works. In September 2018, I had my first flight with the Embraer 190 for Helvetic Airlines to Bordeaux, France.

Helvetic Airlines is a wet lease partner of SWISS. Our homebase is located in the heart of Switzerland, Zurich Airport. We have a fleet of Embraer E190 and E290. The E290 is a real game changer. Flying one of the most fuel-efficient and state of the art airplanes is real fun. The fuel burn is nearly reduced by 25% with the Pratt and Whitney engines.

Flying over Europe can also be challenging with so many special airports. Personally, I love flying to London City Airport. With an approach over the city and a descent angle of 5.5 degrees to the runway, it is really cool. To fly this kind of approach, the crew and the airplane has to be certified.

During this global pandemic, I have started a course for becoming a Flight Instructor. Flying a Cessna or a Piper around the alps with those scenic views is one of my favourite things to do on a Sunday afternoon. In the near future, I will be able to teach my passion.