Slot Restrictions – A Beginner’s Guide

If I could sum up July in just one word, I would choose “slotty”. Slot restrictions because of the Air Canada Rouge incident at Gatwick (where thankfully the aeroplane landed safely), slot restrictions due to storms over Europe, and almost daily slot restrictions due to capacity at Gatwick. You’ve probably been travelling as a passenger…


Question: “How Do You Avoid Weather During The Descent?”

The simple answer to this question is that we use a combination of the weather radar and the Mk.1 Eyeball, but the reality is a bit more complicated. All of BA’s aircraft are fitted with weather radar systems, which are mounted in the radome on the nose of the aircraft. The system sweeps left and…


ATPL Question: Conversion Angles And Departure

Waypoint 1: 60°S 030°W Waypoint 2: 60°S 020°W What will be the approximate latitude shown on the display unit of an inertial navigation system at longitude 025°W? Let’s start with a really quick primer for anyone not already up to speed with General Navigation. Because the Earth is roughly spherical (geeky fact – it’s an…


Question: “Which A-Levels or Degree should I choose if I want to become an airline pilot?”

It’s been a long time since my last post, but I get asked this question countless times at every recruitment event I attend, so thought it might be worth writing about. Let’s start with a disclaimer – this is just my personal advice. Have a read by all means, but at the end of the…


Question: “What Is An Autopilot?”

I’ve had a few questions about Autopilots recently, so I thought I’d write a bit about what they do (and don’t do), how they’re used, and hopefully dispel a few myths along the way! I’ve included quite a bit of information here, so I hope I’ve not made it too complicated. There seems to be…


Question: “Would you recommend an aspiring pilot to gain a PPL before going to a flying school for the ATPL?”

This is a good question, and one I can’t give a definitive answer to! Some experience of flying is absolutely essential before embarking on your journey to becoming a professional pilot. It gives you examples to draw from in a sponsored scheme or flight school interview, and more importantly, enables you to check you’ll enjoy…


What Can I Expect Training For A CPL/MEIR?

As a supplement to my previous post, I thought I’d write something about the training path to a Commercial Pilot’s Licence with Multi-Engine Instrument Rating and Frozen ATPL Credit (often referred to as a Frozen ATPL). A couple of things – firstly, I had a PPL and around 150 flying hours before starting any commercial…


Question: “What advice would you give a 14 year old trying to pursue his dream to be an airline pilot?”

I’ve been asked questions like this a few times now, so I thought I’d try and jot down some notes in case anyone else is interested. Remember, this is just my personal opinion, but my advice boils down to three key items… 1. Know about the job Can you answer the question “why do you…


First Post! A Maths Problem

I recently received an email from a friend of mine who was trying to solve a maths problem he’d encountered preparing for pilot aptitude testing. The problem was along the lines of this… “A rectangle has a ratio of 5:4. If the perimeter of the rectangle is 48cm, what is the length of the shortest…


Send Your Question!

Welcome to my Blog! My aim is to try and give a true idea of what life is like as an airline pilot, and to cover some of the experiences I’ve had along the way. If you have a question you’d like me to answer you can use the Send Your Question link at the top of…