Learn to be a HIGH FLYER
Do you dream of becoming a pilot? A new exhibition proves it’s easier than you think...
IT’S a fine, clear day in Dublin as we fly over Malahide estuary and take an easy right turn to line up with the runway at Dublin Airport. Myself and my co-pilot Mick Mellet check our altitude, speed and direction are correct before beginning our descent.
It’s been a very smooth flight so as we get closer to the ground, all I have to do is keep a tiny little square lined up with the crosshairs on the main display in front of me. I soon discover this looks more simple than it is and once we turn off the autopilot, that little square starts to get away from me very quickly indeed.
‘50ft, 40ft, 30 ft, 20ft...’ the computer tells me, right before an alarm goes off and we bump down hard in the grass to the left of the runway. Well, it is my first time landing a jumbo jet.
Thankfully, neither myself and Mick nor any passengers were injured in this ‘slight’ detour, as we’re actually in a flight simulator and not a real aircraft. Two minutes later, I’m back over Malahide again and beginning what becomes a much more passable descent, this time over Dublin at night.
Then, just to make sure I can land in what seems to be an increasingly common sight in our skies, we make our third attempt in driving snow. Bang on the centre line. ‘You’re a natural,’ Mick tells me.
MAYBE this could be a new career move? I’d certainly be welcomed — in a time of growing calls for equality in workforces around the world, just 3% of the world’s pilots are female. What makes this even more shocking is that there is a global shortage of trained pilots, with more than 630,000 more expected to be needed over the next 20 years.
The cost of achieving a pilot’s licence is one of the reasons the career remains prohibitive for many, but with new initiatives being created all the time to facilitate loans and bursaries, it’s definitely becoming a more attractive prospect.
Mick works for Simtech Aviation, an incredible facility beside Dublin Airport. Home to a number of vast, impressive simulators, it provides training for budding pilots and also offers flight experiences for anyone who has a love of flying.
If you’ve ever wondered exactly what’s going on behind that cockpit door, this is your chance to find out.
Simtech will also be part of the Pilot Careers Live exhibition at Croke Park this weekend, which will also feature an Aerospace Careers Zone to showcase other related careers, such as air traffic control, engineers and airport operations.
For those of you who fancy taking to the skies, seeing the world — or just wearing that very fancy uniform — this is your chance to see if you’d be suited to the role. Just, eh, keep off the grass.
PILOT Careers Live takes place at Croke Park Conference Centre in Dublin on Saturday, March 24, 10am-4pm, tickets €7.50, visit pilotcareernews.com/ live/dublin. Visit simtech.ie for more on Simtech Aviation, including flight experiences