Communication
Tom
Senior First Officer - A320
Airline Pilot Experience:
Most Recent Aircraft Type:
Training Route:
Aviation Specific Degree:
Languages:
Location:
FO/SFO
Airbus
Integrated ATPL
No
English
UK
Additional Experience/Qualifications:
MHFA, EMCC
Passions, Interests and Experience:
Wellbeing, Pilot Competencies, Aviation Talent, Transferable Skills, Mentoring, Coaching, Aviation Training, Evidence Based Training, Competency Based Training, CRM/TEM, Sleep/Fatigue
Why did you want to become a pilot?
For me, I have always been interested in travel since I was a child, however the point where I turned my eyes skywards for the first meaningful time was when I was 12 years old. As a child, I was a promising cricket player and I was fortunate enough to travel to India on a cricket tour. From this point onwards, I became fascinated in travelling to as many destinations as possible and the method of travelling between them all. After arriving back home, I bought my first airline magazine, started researching the career and never looked back.
How did you fund your training?
Was training a breeze or did you find it a challenge?
Training was hugely challenging, however, as it was the beginning of my dream career, I made sure that I always put all my effort into the course to be successful. Furthermore, because all the training is focused on becoming a successful pilot, I always found myself enjoying all the challenges that training presented.
What was most challenging?
Personally, I found the theoretical knowledge training the most challenging stage with the long days of endless new information to learn and the seemingly endless nights of revision becoming your whole life for several months. However, with all that work, comes the day you know you have passed all required exams and that with the completion of flight training, you will be a qualified Commercial Airline Pilot.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
There are two aspects of my job that I particularly enjoy. Firstly, I genuinely believe that we are lucky enough to have one of the best ‘office’ windows in the world. It truly is a view that I will never get bored of. Secondly, I have always had a passion for Customer Service and enhancing Customer experiences, therefore I always enjoy inviting people into the flight deck or getting the opportunity to talk to anyone away from the cockpit and hopefully positively impact their experiences with my airline.
What is most challenging about your job?
The Aviation industry is constantly evolving and as a professional Pilot, it is my job to continue to be knowledgeable and to make sure that all aviation laws, operating procedures and flying skills are applied in the best and most effective way possible.
Which Pilot Competencies are of most interest to you and why?
Additional info
I have mentored a small number of people who are currently beginning the journey to the flight deck, with 2 of them currently in training. Considering I have only been in the industry a few years, I have limited experience to pass on, but I personally see this as an advantage as I potentially view things in a slightly different way to my peers. Furthermore, as I completed training only a few years ago, my experiences of training are still fresh in my mind, meaning I can comfortably talk about all the challenges that new pilots face when they enter the industry as well as my experience as an A320-rated First Officer.