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 This is the story of someone, who, one day decided they wanted to become an airline pilot, and did so. After their first lesson aged 40, they followed a well-worn path at Shoreham, from private pilot to instructor and ultimately the right hand seat on the flight deck of an airliner. More potential airline pilots pass through Shoreham Airport than probably any other airfield in the country. Sky Leisure Aviation has the facilities to flight-train someone with no experience right through to holding a commercial licence that would enable them to apply for an airline pilots job.
Its’s not cheap and takes a fair amount of dedication, but the pilots who train with us come from all walks of life. Sky Leisure is part of the Redair Group that also has bases at Redhill and Blackbushe Airfields.
Shaun’s route to the cockpit of an airliner.
In March I started a new job with BA Connect, flying the Dash8-300. Amidst the happiness of securing a job with an airline, I have to admit to a great deal of sadness in leaving Sky Leisure. I’m sure I don’t need to say any more about the excellent and happy atmosphere, and the quality, humour and friendship the people (including the members, of course!)
I had been teaching at Sky Leisure for about 3 years (…and I never meant to become an instructor – honestly!) As a parting shot, I thought it might be useful if I gave a short summary of my flying career to date. I hope this will encourage some of you (even those on the “greyer” side of the drag curve!) to continue with your flying and set some ambitious goals, and to reassure you that perseverance and sheer bloody-mindedness do pay off in the end.
 Despite my youthful looks, I am now 46, but took my first flying lesson when I was 40, in March 2000. I had a vague idea that I wanted to fly for a living, but not possibly until I was 50-ish when I could retire from real work and potter around in a bizjet or something similar. I then had a wakeup call from a career consultant who told me to get off my backside and get a move on if I wanted to fly professionally – so a new plan was hatched.
I completed my PPL (Private Pilot Licence) December 2000, (mainly at Redhill, but at Shoreham when it was very wet!) Along the way I picked up a class 1 medical (get it early folks – that initial hearing test won’t get any easier!), then started studying for the ATPL(Airline Transport Pilot Licence) exams in the same month. (Distance learning, with Oxford – I was in the classroom on a revision course on 9-11). Meanwhile I continued with the day job (IT sales) and started to build some hours towards the magic 150 to qualify to start the CPL, including gaining my Night Qualification.
In 2001 I decided that being in IT sales was killing me faster than my landings were, so I dumped the job in favour of contracting as a management consultant/interim manager. In actual fact that gave me more flexibility to study for the ATPLs, (mainly on the train to Victoria) – and I passed the first 8 papers in October 2001. More hour building, contracting and studying (on the train) followed, and I eventually gave up work fully in May 2002 to concentrate on flying and commercial training full time. The last 6 ATPL exams were passed in June 2002, followed by a couple of weeks in Florida, hour building (very enjoyable), and the famous Redhill flyout to Santander in Spain. August 2002 saw me at Stapleford to start the CPL (Commercial Pilot Licence) course, which I completed in 3 weeks (lucky with weather!), then on to the multi and IR (Instrument Rating) training. The CPL and multi were fun, and whilst hard work, were not too difficult to master. The IR, whilst again thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating, was, however, another story! It was particularly tough because I had not done an IMC rating, and had only ever flown a 180 degree instrument turn during PPL training. I was warned when I embarked on the whole commercial flying escapade, that I would need lots of determination, and it was the IR and the bad winter weather which taught me just what determination really is!
Eventually I scraped through the IR in March 2003, and had a look in my (now cavernous and echoing) wallet….. I had intended to enrol on an MCC (Multi Crew Co-operation) course following the IR, but felt that the vacuous job market and even more vacuous wallet would make the MCC a poor investment. So I took a deep breath and embarked on the Flight Instructor course with Martyn and Dorothy at Sky Leisure – and the rest, as they say, is history – they haven’t been able to get rid of me since!
The instructor course was stimulating, fun and probably the best flying course I’ve ever done. I was fortunate enough to be asked to start work at Sky Leisure shortly after qualifying as an instructor, becoming a full-timer in May 2003.
At Sky Leisure I have been given every opportunity to develop my skills, both as an instructor and as a pilot. I added CPL, multi, IMC and IR teaching to my portfolio, and was added to the Redair AOC as a charter pilot
In summary, the last 3 years have been the happiest of my entire working life – thank you to all at Sky Leisure and Redair, and to all of the students and members with whom I have flown.
If I may offer some advice to any members willing to listen – please do take every opportunity to continue with and develop your flying, whether to convert onto another type, onto the Piper Arrow, perhaps an IMC rating and a Night Qualification. I would certainly recommend that you consider a multi-engine rating, even if you don’t intend to use it a great deal in anger – it will sharpen up your flying in the singles and contribute to the overall objective of having lots of fun in safety. I’d even go as far as recommending the CPL to you (assuming you have time to study – perhaps an option for early retirees?) Again, even if you don’t want to fly professionally, the course will do your flying the power of good. And please do participate in the flyouts and social events, which I know that Stuart will be organising regularly.
Thanks again, and good luck to you all!!
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Shoreham Guide 
