James Stevenson
James successfully completed the AirlineReady® APS MCC at VA Airline Training and is now flying the ATR 72 with West Atlantic
James is enjoying flying the ATR 72 with West Atlantic
What inspired you to pursue a career as a commercial pilot?
Becoming a commercial pilot was always a childhood dream of mine. I was the first to kick it off in my family. I hadn't come from any previous aviation background, but it always interested me. When I used to go on family holidays, my favourite part was getting there and back. I was mesmerised by aircraft, always peeping my head into the cockpit and ensuring I got the window seat to watch all the action. I always knew it was something I wanted to do for a living.
What did you do before starting pilot training?
Eager to get my teeth in, I studied aviation operations and management at college and university before I began flying, to gain more knowledge and understanding about the industry. I worked in various sectors both before and during my pilot training, ranging from car sales, customer services roles and operations within the aviation sector.
Which training route did you choose to follow, and why?
I chose the modular route to complete my pilot training. This gave me the flexibility and time to build funds, spend time with family and still have a social life. I think this is important when undertaking certain parts of the training to give yourself time to absorb material, take some time for yourself and look after your mental health. I self-funded most of my training through working and savings and obtained an interest-free family loan for the remainder of the commercial training.
What challenges did you face before or during training?
I commenced my training in 2018 and completed it over five years. I faced many challenges along the way; the biggest being COVID-19 and Brexit. These both caused a lot of complications and frustration at times. Being unable to fly and build hours during lockdown, being stuck inside studying ATPLs and unable to give yourself any downtime due to most places being closed by government restrictions. Brexit caused a lot of confusion with licencing and it took hours of research and discussions with various people to ensure I was on the right path for the licence I wanted to obtain. Flight training can be tough at times, going through ups and downs, but it's important to complete the training step by step and not overload yourself with too much at once.
What were the highlights of your time in training?
I found the training hard work at times but very rewarding. Receiving your exam results and finding out you'd met the mark, or passing your IR and CPL test, knowing all that hard work has paid off and you can move onto the next stage of your training journey. A day that always sticks in my mind is my PPL QXC. Flying a single-engine aircraft by myself, across the country on a beautiful CAVOK summer day, landing at all these different airfields, navigating airspace and speaking to ATC, is a memory I will never forget.
How did the competencies you developed during your APS MCC help you afterwards?
Learning about the core competencies that airlines expect and developing these on the APS MCC is second to none. I found myself relating to these a lot during the ATR type rating. Having already put these into practice, these helped me to perform better and develop them further within a multi-crew environment. These are key things that you will use for the whole of your career as an airline pilot.
What have been the highlights since you started airline flying?
The biggest highlight of the beginning of my career so far has been the base training. You can't beat the feeling of hand-flying a 20+ tonnes airliner through the air for the first time. It gives you a huge feeling of accomplishment and that all the training, investment and hard work has paid off, and it was worth it in the end.
What advice would you give to someone about to start APS MCC training?
For those about to commence the APS MCC course, I would say take the time to prepare beforehand. Spend time reading through the core competencies, and understand how you will adopt them, as well as the standard operating procedures. This will enable you to have a good understanding of what is expected of you before commencing the next stage of your training. Throughout my training, I found spending time and speaking to like-minded people who have been through or going through the same process very helpful, not only to gain tips and tricks on what to expect but also to support each other.