
Charles
A320 Captain
Most recent base: Singapore
Current location: Bucharest
Most recent airline: Jetstar Asia
Previous airlines: Wizzair
Additional role/s: Ground Instructor
Do you speak any other languages? English, Dutch, German
Airline training route: Integrated ATPL
ATO attended: Dutch Flight Academy 2002-2004
Why did you want to become a pilot?
Long-term life dream. I travelled a lot as a kid and that had me hooked on becoming connected with Aviation. I lived in The Netherlands and my parents would visit my mother’s family in Malaysia and Singapore every year, so we flew once and sometimes twice per year.
How did you fund your training? By bank loan
Was training a breeze or did you find it a challenge?
It was a breeze for me because I had huge motivation and it is very exciting, however it was also a challenge because of the high study workload.
What was most challenging? The fact that I had to still do the morse code exam
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Working with a lot of people in this dynamic environment. Working in Europe taught me a lot and coming to S.E. Asia working in that part of the world plus Japan and Australia taught me even more.
What is most challenging about your job?
Mitigating the quick weather changes in S.E. Asia. Some airports do not give you accurate information. However, experience is key here.
Which Pilot Competencies are of most interest to you?
I love leadership and teamwork, problem solving and decision making. Most of all, I just love flying.