Flight Deck Wingman

40 years ago, a film made a kid believe in something impossible. Last night, I watched it again ✈️

Swipe to see how that 1986 dream actually played out, from tears as a young kid to the deck of HMS INVINCIBLE flying the Sea Harrier.

Turns out Maverick had a point. With enough stubbornness (and a lot of rejection letters along the way), the things that feel out of reach really aren’t 😊

Over 30 years, I’ve had the privilege to fly more than 60 different types of aircraft. Each one taught me something different about flying, decision making, and myself as a pilot.

Here are a few favourites from a very long list! ➡️

Here's something the aviation world quietly knows but rarely says out loud:

Behind a lot of the "passed first time!" airline assessment success stories you see celebrated online, there's been a Wingman in the background.

The airline assessment day is its own beast - evidencing competencies, group exercise dynamics, ethos integration, framework-based answers.

It's a specialist skillset, and it's the one we live and breathe.

Since 2016 we've coached over 4,000 pilots into more than 50 airlines worldwide, with a 95% success rate from clients who report back.

Our next Airline Assessment Preparation Group Course gives you a full day of interview and group ex training, practical assessment, individual feedback, free aptitude testing, a free eBook, and the option to re-observe future courses for free.

If you've got an assessment on the horizon, do what so many successful candidates have already done - quietly.

👉 https://flightdeckwingman.com/coaching/interview-group-exercise-techniques

✈️ While You Wait for the Next Stage…

For many pilot applicants, this is the hardest part of the process: the silence between submitting your application and hearing whether you’ve progressed to assessment.

But this stage isn’t empty time.

It’s an opportunity.

The candidates who perform best at airline and cadetship assessments are not the ones who start preparing after they get the invite… they’re the ones who start before it arrives.

From understanding what assessors are really looking for, to developing how you evidence competencies, this is where real progress is made.

WhatsApp us and we’ll let you know the ways that we can help! 0203 4751737 🚀

And to join our Airline Assessment Group Courses in May click here https://flightdeckwingman.com/coaching/interview-group-exercise-techniques

The pilot recruitment market is still very buoyant but whether you're an aspiring pilot or qualified pilot, effective preparation is key.

Our Airline Assessment Group Courses are statistically proven to significantly improve your chances of a successful assessment.

READ THIS >>> We never provide specific inside guidance on any selection process, so if you're after that type of guidance - look elsewhere.

AND THIS >>> However, if you're looking to develop real competence that will give you the confidence to shine during your assessment, then you've come to the right place.

Learn more and book your place at the link in comments but don't delay - limited spaces remain for May.

You can also WhatsApp us 02034751737 and the team will be there to assist.

GET YOURSELF A WINGMAN!

Last week I did something I’ve not done in 30 years!

It’s so easy to forget how much fun it was to take a light aircraft flying again - this time, one of society’s Touring Motorgliders, or ‘TMGs’.

The last time I flew solo in a single engine piston aircraft was in 1996. Since then, I’ve flown everything from the Harrier, A320, B787 and almost everything in between! ✈️

This flight reminded me of why I got into a career as a pilot in the first place - freedom, and a whole bunch of fun!

What’s the most fun flying you’ve done recently? LMK in the comments 🙂

A recent trip from LHR to HND reminded me why this route is always special. Japan in spring, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom, is something every pilot hopes to catch at least once.

Fourteen hours in the air, a very different time zone, and just enough time on the ground to take in the colours of sakura season before heading back again.

Some destinations make the long flight more than worth it, and this is definitely one of them 🌸✈️

On a recent flight back from Japan, a combination of airspace closures and the fact that flying west usually means battling headwinds led us to take an easterly route. This track carried us up into the Arctic Circle, across northern Alaska, and past the highest mountain in North America, Denali.

We also passed over some incredibly remote airfields along the Aleutian Islands during the 15-hour journey.

This route gave us this moment, the mountain surrounded by the Northern Lights, which was without doubt the most spectacular part of the entire flight ✈️🏔️