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.
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British Airways pilots reveal what the job is really likeCredit: British AirwaysBritish Airways’ Training Standard Captain Andy Godwin has shared fascinating behind the scenes secretsCredit: British AirwaysSenior Flight Training Manager Mark Dorman recalled one of his most memorable flights, in an empty BA plane over the Northern LightsCredit: British Airways
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.”
“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 nextsleep 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.”
“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.”
And of course, as BA pilots they get discounts on flightsCredit: Getty
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’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.
Both pilots commented on how special but tricky Innsbruck Airport is to fly intoCredit: Getty
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.”
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.
TWZ got a personal tour of a U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter by its pilot during the Dubai Air Show in November 2025. Sikorsky has built more than 5,000 examples of the Hawk family of helicopters for 36 nations worldwide. Together they’ve racked up more than 15 million flight hours, including five million in combat.
The UH-60M Black Hawk has a maximum gross weight of 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg) and can transport 12 fully-equipped troops (seated). The variant has also been missionized for various roles, including for U.S. special forces as the MH-60M.
Whether used by the National Guard to respond to disasters, delivering humanitarian aid across Europe, supporting relief operations in the Philippines, battling wildfires in the Firehawk version, or hoisting stranded hikers, the Black Hawk is a truly versatile multi-mission helicopter.
Sikorsky’s Black Hawk modernization efforts will enable more power, greater payload and extended range while reducing fuel consumption.
Furthermore, with a digital Modular Open-System Approach and autonomy for unmanned operations in its new U-Hawk variant, the Black Hawk will be able to support fast capability integration and enhanced survivability through uncrewed battlefield operations.
Check out the full walk-around video below:
U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots
A number of UK flights with Lufthansa are included in this today, such as:
9:25am from Glasgow to Frankfurt
9:30am from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
10:20am from Birmingham to Frankfurt
11:55am from Newcastle to Frankfurt
12:45pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
1:35pm London Heathrow to Munich
3:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
4:25pm London Heathrow to Munich
5:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
5:50pm from Edinburgh to Frankfurt
5:50pm London Heathrow to Munich
6:05pm from Manchester to Frankfurt
6:20pm from Birmingham to Frankfurt
7:10pm from London Heathrow to Munich
7:30pm from London Heathrow to Frankfurt
8:25pm from London Heathrow to Munich
Pilots are also striking at Eurowings, which is a subsidiary of Lufthansa, until 11:59pm tonight.
However, only flights operated by Eurowings Germany are impacted, and not Eurowings Europe.
If you are getting a Eurowings Germany flight, here are the cancellations so far:
8:30am from Manchester to Stuttgart
12pm from London Gatwick to Cologne
12:10pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
1:40pm from Edinburgh to Cologne
2:45pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
2:50pm from London Heathrow to Hamburg
3:20pm from Manchester to Dusseldorf
3:45pm from Birmingham to Dusseldorf
5:35pm from London Heathrow to Dusseldorf
7pm from London Heathrow to Berlin
7:15pm from Edinburgh to Dusseldorf
7:25pm from London Heathrow to Hamburg
7:55pm from Manchester to Dusseldorf
8pm from London Heathrow to Stuttgart
8:05pm from Birmingham to Dusseldorf
A number of flights are also cancelled tomorrow, meaning there will be further disruption for Brits travelling to Europe.
Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) called the strike following pension disputes, saying that Lufthansa had not presented an acceptable offer, according to Reuters.
The president of Union VC, Andreas Pinheiro said: “The Cockpit union feels compelled to take this step after the employer’s side showed no real willingness to reach a solution in several collective bargaining disputes.
“Despite our deliberate decision not to take strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers have been made.”
Lufthansa commented that the union’s announcement was a “new level of escalation” and that the union’s demands are “absurd and unachievable”.
Eurowings – a subsidiary of Lufthansa – has also cancelled flights todayCredit: Alamy
The airline added: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.
“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.
“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.
“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”
If your flight is cancelled, you will be able to rebook once free of charge or have your ticket refunded.
The airline also shared that flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss and Lufthansa City Airlines will not be impacted by the strike.
Flights to the Middle East – such as to Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – have also been excluded from the strike action, due to the Iran conflict.
March 31 (UPI) — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that helicopter pilots who conducted a flyby of musician Kid Rock‘s Nashville estate over the weekend would not be punished, an abrupt reversal of the U.S. Army’s decision to suspend the Apache helicopter crews amid review of their conduct.
“@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED,” Hegseth said on X. “No punishment. No investigation.
“You’re a disgrace,” Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican House of Representative from Illinois and a retired U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard officer, said in an expletive-laced statement responding to Hegseth’s announcement, in which he called the defense secretary an “unqualified clown.”
Rock published a pair of videos to social media on Saturday showing him cheering on a pair of Apache helicopters flying by and hovering near his Nashville estate, which he has called “The Southern White House.”
“This is a level of respect that [expletive] for brains Governor of California will never know,” Rock wrote in the caption to the videos. “God bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.”
After the videos went viral, the U.S. Army announced Monday that it was conducting an administrative review of the incident.
Army spokesman Maj. Montrell Russell confirmed Tuesday that two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Ky., located about 60 miles north of Nashville, had conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted media and the public’s attention.
“The personnel involved have been suspended from flight duties while the Army reviews the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant [Federal Aviation Administration] regulations, aviation safety protocols and approval requirements,” Russell said in a statement.
Hegseth offered no explanation for the reversal, which came not long after Trump told reporters at the White House that he had not seen the video.
Asked what he thought of the crews’ suspension, Trump said, “Well, they probably shouldn’t have been doing it.”
“Yes, you’re not supposed to be playing games, right? I’d take a look at it,” he said.
“They like Kid Rock. I like Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him. I don’t know.”
Rock has long been a vocal supporter of Trump and has appeared at the White House and in a recent Health and Human Services Department promotional video where he is seen working out bare-chested with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
He has also lashed out at Trump’s critics, notably California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
On this episode of TWZ: Special Access, Jamie Hunter visited TacAir to learn about their heavily upgraded F-5AT fighters and how they replicate enemy aircraft to keep U.S. fighter aircrews sharp.
Tactical Air Support, better known as TacAir, is a Reno, Nevada-based private ‘red air’ commercial adversary support contractor that aims to efficiently simulate enemy capabilities to better prepare U.S. and allied aircrews for future conflicts. They support all branches in various training and testing events, but they’re most known for the contract they fulfill out of NAS Fallon in Nevada, where Topgun is based and where air wings spin-up for deployments.
TacAir’s fleet is made up of ex-Jordanian and Saudi F-5E/Fs airframes that have been equipped with tailored upgrades to create a “4th generation adversary platform with 3rd generation economy,” as described by the company. The latest configuration includes an AESA radar, datalink, Garmin wide-area display open architecture avionics, Scorpion helmet mounted display, and internal IRST. You can read more about TacAir and their F-5ATs here: https://www.twz.com/category/tac-air
Watch the full video here:
Private F-5 Adversary Jets Taking The Fight To Navy Fighter Pilots
In the aftermath of the collision of Air Canada flight AC8646 with a fire truck in New York, US transportation chief Sean Duffy emphasized that seat belts helped save lives
There’s some challenging airports across Europe(Image: Taro Hama/Getty)
Jetting off on holiday should be an exciting occasion, however some European holiday hotspots require landing at challenging airports. Four popular European destinations have been ranked among the most dangerous airports in the world.
While many planes take off and land safely at the airports every day, pilots need to be aware of the dangers.It could be tricky runways, weather changes or challenging terrain.
As a result, the pilots undergo specialist training to safely land at these airports. This can be done through ground training, a simulator and in the air.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ensures safety across the entire continent, with high standards at airports. The majority of airports in Europe are category A, which requires standard training.
Category B airports have “slightly out of the ordinary” features, while category C requires specialist training. Here are some of Europe’s most challenging destinations.
Innsbruck Airport, Austria
Many people head to Innsbruck to take in the stunning Austrian Alps, yet the mountains pose a challenge for pilots. It has been reported that only captains are permitted to land planes at Innsbruck Airport, which is deep in a valley.
The challenging manoeuvre to land in the valley is often made harder by low-level wind. Depending on the weather conditions, the pilot may need to make a tight turn during the approach. There’s also a limited possibility for a missed approach due to the mountains surrounding the airport.
Gibraltar International Airport, Gibraltar
Gibraltar has a rather unusual airport setup as a main road crosses the airport. Traffic is stopped around 15 times a day to let planes land and take off.
For pilots, the challenges come due to abnormal wind effects, turbulence and wind due to the famous Rock of Gibraltar. Diversions and go-arounds are common, with some flights even abandoning attempting to land.
Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, Madeira
Madeira’s runway may look rather precarious due to it being a bridge right by the water. However, it has actually helped to improve safety at the airport.
To land at the island, pilots need special training in order to be granted permission. Experienced pilots have to cross mountains and exposed coastlines before lining up perfectly with the narrow runway while often facing high winds.
Sadly, a fatal accident occurred in 1977 when 131 of the 164 people on a plane died when it fell off at the end of the runway. The accident led to the construction of the runway extension bridge.
Courchevel Airport, France
The airport in the French Alps is often ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world. It has the world’s shortest runway and is the highest tarmacked runway in Europe.
Courchevel Airport is 6,588ft (2,008m) above sea level and its runway is just 1,762 ft (537m) long. Only small aircrafts and helicopters are allowed to land there.
To add to the difficulty, the runway doesn’t have lighting systems, and the area is often battered by extreme weather conditions in the autumn and winter.
