FOR many of us, the idea of being a pilot is about as glamorous as it gets – but what is it actually like? Is all that globe-hopping as magical as it seems?
We spoke to two of BA’s most experienced pilots, to find out what really goes on behind the closed cockpit door when the planes are in the sky.
It is no easy feat becoming a pilot but for British Airways‘ Training Standard Captain Andy Godwin and Senior Flight Training Manager Mark Dorman, flying feels like second nature.
The duo – who are training up wannabe pilots in the British Airways’ Speedbird Pilot Academy (applications currently open) – have answered some of the most common questions people have about flying a British Airways plane…
What’s something people always get wrong about BA planes?
“Everyone things you’d start a plane just like you would a car,” Mark told us. “But in reality, it doesn’t even have a set of keys – either to start it or even get inside.”
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“We walk down the jetty, there’s a procedure to open the door, and you just knock – there’s no ignition either.”
What do the pilots eat during a flight?
Mark told us: “We eat very similar food as passengers but we have our own crew meals loaded.
“They’re cooked in the same way, they’ll quite often look quite similar but because of what we’ve potentially done before or what we’re potentially doing after [the flight] – the amount and the timings of food can vary.”
How do you stay alert with such antisocial schedules?
Andy said: “It’s all about planning ahead. You might have a run of early trips, where you don’t even necessarily have a risk of jet lag, but you’re always thinking about your next sleep to keep your energy up.
“Because short haul can be tough on the body too – you’re working really hard with short sectors, bouncing around doing lots of briefings and lots of talking to the crew as well as passengers, so it’s important to care of little things like staying hydrated.”
What was your most memorable flight?
Mark said: “I once flew an empty plane back from the Arctic, overthe Northern Lights.
“Because there were no passengers on board we were able to switch all of the lights off.
“It meant for the flight crew and the cabin crew, the aircraft was only lit by the Northern Lights for about 20 minutes – there was a really cool, weird green glow in the plane. It was a quite surreal experience.”
He added: “One of my other favourite moments is when I realised I was flying an aeroplane – I was still a co-pilot at the time – and my friend was the captain.”
“We sort of looked at each other like we couldn’t quite believe that we’d been allowed to go flying an aeroplane together, with 140 passengers behind us.
“You sort of pinch yourself a little bit.”
What’s your favourite airport to fly into?
Andy said: “Heathrow is always pretty cool.
“You’re coming home, you get incredible views, there’s a familiarity to it, it’s busy, it’s quite challenging at times but it’s nice.”
But for overseas, both pilots agreed on one particularly special destination – if a little scary at times – is Innsbruck in Austria.
Innsbruck Airport is in a valley, with such steep mountains either side that it’s a ‘Category C’ airport, which means it requires special training.
Despite it perhaps being a more technical airport to land at, the mountains either side lend themselves to a spectacular landing and taking off experience with amazing views.
Mark said: “I feel very lucky to have been able to go and fly there.
“I guess the other places that I like, again it sounds a bit silly but places with nice views, I really like flying into Nice because it’s a really interesting approach and you get the most amazing view of the Cap d’Antibes coast around to Cannes.
“Again it’s one of those moments where you’re like, we’re actually doing this.”
What is one of the biggest misconceptions about being a BA pilot?
Andy said: “A question that we’ll quite often get is about what aeroplane we fly and why don’t we just switch to another, almost as if you’re switching between car manufacturers.
“Pilots are only licensed to fly one aircraft at a time so we couldn’t just go and fly another aircraft even though it’s broadly similar.”
“Most pilots are proud of the plane they fly and love being asked about it, the routes it does or anything that allows them to show off their knowledge.”
How can you train to be a British Airways pilot?
Currently, British Airways’ Speedbird Pilot Academy applications are open – an opportunity for wannabe pilots to join a fully-funded programme to train as a BA pilot.
With 160 places available, the scheme is in its fourth year and covers the entire £100,000 cost of pilot training, over two years.
Trainees start on the ground for six months before taking the controls of a tiny four-seater plane and eventually moving up to a two-engine aircraft.
Andy said: “In a matter of months, you’re flying something lighter than a family car.
“Within a year, you’re in something 100 times heavier…”
One of the final hurdles after training on a simulator and in smaller planes, is taking off and landing a plane with zero passengers on board.
“It’s a once-in-a-career moment,” Andy said. “You do about six take-offs and landings to get your eye in before we let you fly the real thing with passengers.
“[This is] a very significant milestone in a pilot’s career.”
All trainees who complete the scheme are guaranteed a flying role with BA upon completion.
To apply to the Speedbird Academy you need to be 18-years-old or over at the start of training, have six GCSEs grade A-C or 4-9, including Maths, English Language and a Science, be fluent in English, have a valid passport and be between 1.52metres and 1.9metres tall.
Applications to the programme close on April 23.
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