Future Pilot Profile.

Something a little different today, over the past month or so, a young aviator has been quietly training every day here at Lydd. Seeing as it his last day with us was on Saturday, I leapt on the opportunity to ask him a few questions after his 'qualifying cross country' in G-EOMI (the last major milestone before the final skills test of a PPL)

Nic has been training with us at Lydd since mid June and has managed to complete all of the ground exams and training up until his qualifying cross country in a very short time, going solo in just over 11 hours. 

Here are Mr Nicola Avitabile's answers to my questions about his Six Week Intensive PPL Course.

Firstly, I asked Nic to tell us a little bit about himself. 

"I was born in Singapore in 1998, with Italian parents. We soon moved to Bangkok and then to Hong Kong. I've been living in Hong Hong since 2002 and that's what I now call my home. At around the age of 11 i figured out that flying was for me and when I turned 16 I flew over here to the UK to commence my PPL training, with the support of my parents."

And then what made him want to learn to fly.

First Solo

"I believe it all started with a video game I had bought, 'Flight Simulator'. I started off with just a mouse and keyboard and after 3 years, I had a full simulator set up in my house. I then went off to gain some work experience with various different aviation related businesses which only made me fall more in love with planes. I recently got myself a job at a simulator centre and after 6 months of working, whilst also attending school, I've decided its time to start my career."


What his dream job would be and why. 

"I can think of nothing more I'd rather do than be an Airline Pilot with 'Cathay Pacific.' Not only do you get to fly hundreds of people around the world, but I reckon the pride an airline pilot has for getting their passengers safely from point A to point B is beyond what any other job can offer."


As I mentioned, Nic has taken most of his PPL with Lydd Aero Club during his school holidays, as a young man of only 16, travelling this far on his own must have been enough of a worry, without the added stress of learning to fly. Therefore I asked him what the biggest challenges he faced while learning to fly were. 

"I reckon the most challenging part of the flying has been the multi-tasking that comes with the navigational aspects. I found that having to talk on the radio, maintain the correct heading and altitude, while also keeping track of where you are on the chart, is highly demanding. But, as time went by and my hours built, I gained much more confidence and figured out that there is a lot to be said for the phrase 'Navigate, Aviate, Communicate'"

Departing Runway 21

Now that Nic's time with us has come to an end I was curious to know where he would go next after leaving Lydd, and what highlights he will take away with him.  

"The next step for me is to finish my high school diploma. On top of that i still have my Skills Test to look forward to back here at Lydd in October. But, once that's done, I will be applying for a variety of different cadet programmes, first and foremost will be the Cathay cadet program. As for the highlights I have really enjoyed; Meeting everyone at the Club and talking with such a lovely bunch of fellow aviation enthusiasts.
Doing my first landing,
Taking off ahead of an Airbus on long final at Southend.
Steep turns took my breath away!
The motivational speeches and advice given to me by the senior staff.
 Rob's constant quizzing about planes.
And my qualifying cross country flight."




 I also asked Nic if he had any advice of his own that he would be able to pass on to other young people who were or are undergoing flying training. 

A Pilot's Selfie

"The best advice I is first off, get a simulator. It's not exactly the best for practical skills but the technical knowledge you can gain is a great start. Secondly, inform yourself. It is vital to know what the requirements are to become a pilot and what type of routes there are to get a job. Finally if you can get a few hours of flying experience,  if you intend to apply for a cadet program, it will really highlight your interest."





Finally, I asked if Nic had any other comments he'd like to share and his reply was; 

"I would just like to thank everyone at the club for their constant help and commitment on helping me work towards my PPL. It is truly, highly appreciated and my time here has been an unforgettable experience."


Personally, I would also like to thank Nic for keeping my days interesting, I'd also like to wish him the very very best of luck with his school diploma and look forward to seeing him again in October! 

If you would like to follow Nic in his aviation training, click on the links below to his instagram and YouTube channel. 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/321MrBest

Instagram - https://instagram.com/nictheitalian/