How it Started

Strangely I started this flying blog around 2012 when I began working in Air Med Ops. Blog writing was an initiative driven by Physics charity The Ogden Trust in response to winning their BLOGden Prize. 

I thought the monetary award would pay for a flight, the first generation(!) iPad prize would improve my flight planning and the blog would get me noticed and therefore get me a job! In fact, the blog helped me most in evaluating my actions, my flights and ultimately improve everything I was doing and how I was applying myself. As a result, I was able to finish the modular course with all first time high mark passes.

In order to make this 'revived' blog a little more fun that just offering current pilot advice, I've decided to also include some of my draft posts back from those days when I was struggling to keep two jobs going with flying and studying alongside.

When I first started this blog this (below) was what I wrote as my mission. Thankfully I don't think much has changed and the goals of the blog and Linkedin group will remain much the same.

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Steph, summer 2012:
"I want to fly, and I’ve wanted to fly since I was old enough to realise it might be a realistic future career. My journey from private pilot to commercial pilot is a challenging one that requires copious amounts of energy and enthusiasm.

My blog will be an insight for school pupils, university students and young professionals alike who have a desire to achieve, who want to do something exciting and have an aim that they aspire to, despite not knowing how to go about it.

I hope to give you in insight into how I manage two jobs to fund what is currently just an expensive hobby. I would like my passion for extensive volunteering and extra-curricular activities to inspire others. To inspire particularly those in my generation, to want to get involved too not just for their CV; but to make a lifelong difference to the community they live and work in.

The challenges facing a young professional, learning to juggle life and employment with your hopes and dreams can get messy and complicated but with a strong support network of friends and family and with a lot of motivation I will prove that anything is possible."