[isaacridge07]

Dear sir/ma’am

Hi, my name is Isaac. I am 17 years old and I live in Birmingham. I am wanting a career as a pilot and this is a journey that I have already started. The reason why I am writing to you today is to tell you a bit about myself, my aviation journey so far and ask for some bits of advice.

I have always wanted to be a pilot. I have been interested in aviation ever since I can remember. As a child, I was regularly taken to Birmingham airport to watch planes; this is something I still do and undertake plane spotting at Norwich airport whilst we are on holiday. I really started researching the world of aviation and being a pilot over the first covid-19 lockdown. I was originally drawn into the world of aviation through helicopters wanting to be an RAF helicopter pilot or an Offshore Oil and Gas pilot flying the AW139 from Norwich. As I researched deeper, I discovered fixed wing aviation and this really was the basis of where my aviation journey truly started. I discovered that I could start flying lessons from 14 so armed with this information, I got myself a paper round in September 2020. Originally this was a saturday only round but quickly grew within four weeks to a daily round. Having this paper round meant I could start flight training and did so in June 2021. Ever since then, I have been having flying lessons with Coventry Aeroplane Club flying PA28’s. I am currently in training for my LAPL because this is what having a paper round could allow me to do. My paper round which I have been doing everyday for four years now has been the basis of my funding for flying lessons. Only recently in 2023 I gained a second job working on a farm and both simultaneously have enabled me to continue flying. I am now very close to completing my LAPL and I hope to be completed in November 2024. Apart from my physical flight training, I have taken other opportunities to widen my career knowledge of a pilot. This has been done through my time as an air cadet by taking the opportunity to fly Grob Tutors as part of our air experience flights but also have been given the opportunity to fly as a passenger in an RAF Chinook as part of a muster day at RAF benson. I have also been able to experience offshore helicopter operations with two different companies being Bristow Helicopters in Norwich and NHV at Blackpool. Bristow was an afternoon spent with them during the Easter holidays of 2023 and NHV was my school's work experience week from the 1st to the 5th of July 2024. Furthermore, I spent two weeks in cambodia courtesy of school form the 14th to the 28th of June 2024, during this time, I took the opportunity to meet eleven pilots with seven being Emirates and four being Tui, speak to cabin crew about working for Emirates and living in Dubai, being toured around an A380 in flight by our captain whilst also being invited by 2 captains to go to the cockpit on the ground and the aircraft in question was an A380-800 and a B777-300ER. On the 11th of July 2023, at school we had an unexpected visitor consisting of the air ambulance landing on the school site and I was given the opportunity to spend some time with the crew of the helicopter talking about my personal aviation journey, their journey, talked about the role as an air ambulance pilot whilst also taking about next steps and how he was able to help me. Whilst I have focused on the job itself, I have taken opportunities to discuss commercial flight training as in my opinion, starting early allowed me to get on academies radar so they know who I am, what I do and what I am about. I arranged a day in October half term 2023 to visit Leading Edge Aviation at Oxford Kidlington Airport with my dad to talk to aviation experts first hand, speak to students, see their aeroplanes and see how days run first hand.

Currently, I am still in full time education. I am in year 13 at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School’s Sixth form, this is the school where I undertook my secondary education. From year 11, I came away with 9 GCSEs ranging from grade 9 to 3 in English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Food technology, Music, Religious studies and Geography. In sixth form, I am currently studying PE, Geography, Criminology A levels as well as doing the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). As part of my schooling journey, I have obtained Bronze and Silver duke of edinburgh award and I am on my way to obtaining my Gold award.

To get to where I am, I have faced a multitude of different challenges. Some of these challenges are a lack of funding-this has been my biggest struggle just like many others, breaking my leg, dreadful weather, aircraft availability and still being in education full time restricting my ability to focus on flying. But just like many others, my biggest struggle has been the cost. I have been working on a farm for almost two years and I have been doing a paper round everyday for the last 4 years to pay for my flight training. There are many other challenges I have faced however I think these are the most pressing challenges.

The reason I am contacting you is because I would like to find out more information about a career as a pilot from those already in the industry but also those flying for a specific airline so I can learn about working with a specific company. It is also a request for advice on what I should do next post year 13 other than working on getting my licence. I am considering the RAF which I have applied for but I am a bit unsure on the amount of flying I would get to do. And finally, a rather cheeky question which is why I have saved this to the end. As a company, is there any help you are able to offer me whether it be visiting you, help paying for my flight training or more?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading this and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to contact me via email isaacridge07@gmail.com,

Kind regards

Isaac

Just a side note, if I could fly any aeroplane (‘s), it would be the B787-9 or the B777-300er or the A321 or A350