Josh
First Officer - A320
Airline Pilot Experience:
Most Recent Aircraft Type:
Training Route:
Aviation Specific Degree:
Languages:
Location:
FO/SFO, CRMI/T
Airbus
Integrated ATPL
Yes
English
UK
Additional Experience/Qualifications:
N/A
Passions, Interests and Experience:
Pilot Competencies, CRM/TEM
Why did you want to become a pilot?
I love frequent travel and growing up under the Heathrow flight path has led to flying always being a fascination of mine. I had my first flying lesson when I was 12 years old and I flew my first solo flight on the day after my 16th birthday, so since then I have never looked back and have loved every minute. Aviation is an industry I am immensely proud to be a part of as we connect friends, family and business people to every corner of the globe and we are lucky to work with some truly amazing colleagues. Growing up I always knew this would be the case.
How did you fund your training?
My parents agreed to re-mortgage our house. Student funding for the university element also contributed.
Was training a breeze or did you find it a challenge?
I had a fantastic couple of years but there were certainly some challenges along the way.
What was most challenging?
Keeping the motivation going during ATPL ground school and the feeling of nervousness before a flight test. It is natural to feel stressed before an exam or flight test which can often lead to a build-up in anxiety so I’d definitely say learning how to manage this was a challenge, particularly during the ground school phase.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the satisfaction and feeling of achievement after landing an aeroplane full of passengers, particularly into interesting airports or in difficult weather conditions. Every time you go to work you know you are going to face an array of different challenges and experiences, which is what makes our job so rewarding. Being able to work with some incredible people or spending time in places and cities I wouldn’t normally consider visiting also make the 3am alarm worthwhile. Nothing quite beats a sunrise over London, other than a sunset on approach into Heathrow!
What is most challenging about your job?
3am alarms (occasionally six days in a row)!
Which of the Pilot Competencies are of most interest to you and why?
All of them! Often we use them in day-to-day life, as well as in the flight deck, without even realising. However, Communication, Decision Making and Leadership & Teamwork stand out as particularly important to me as they can often lead to enhancing the other competencies. Effective communication leads to an increased crew situational awareness, which in turn reduces workload to free up capacity for thinking ahead and completing other relevant tasks. Essentially sharing mental models, not just inside the flight deck but outside of it too!
Additional info
I am going to be completing the CRMT Qualification course in October 2020.