How it all started

Wow okay, so where to begin 🤔

Back in August 2019, my family all chipped in for a trial flight for my 21st Birthday. Something I had never considered trying. A month later I was sitting inside a PA28, my first light aircraft experience, my uncle sat in the back and my instructor to my left. Ready to go we lined up on the runway, ATC cleared us for take-off and off we went. The sensation of accelerating down the runway sent a rush of emotions through my body and I found myself smiling like Cheshire Cat.

An hour later, after flying along the south coast of England and trying to take in every second we were cleared to land. I remember feeling slightly nervous but that was swamped by the pure enjoyment. After we got out of the aircraft I was so overwhelmed by the experience that I could barely speak, no words could explain what I had just felt. Sounds dramatic but honestly, it was as if I'd just found something that I had been waiting a long time for. Needless to say, my head was still in the clouds...I don't think it's ever really returned!

First Flight at Brighton City Airport

It was this day that I knew I had to pursue this further, all I knew at that moment was I need to get back up there ASAP. So I paid for another trial flight that day. At the time I was saving for a mortgage and was in the position to buy very soon, something I had worked hard to save for years. Well, that went out the window, I spent hours researching about a Private Pilot Licence and made the decision to spend all my savings on getting it. Sorry mum, I won't be moving out anytime soon.

I started at a flight school in Shoreham, Brighton City Airport. Beautiful airfield and has a real community feeling. I was in my element...then covid hit. I used the time to study for the exams ready to sit them once restrictions had been lifted. My withdrawal symptoms drove me crazy, I was watching countless aviation-related YouTube videos, trying to find any information on how I could make this my career and calling commercial pilot schools for any information or ways I could get the funding to start.

Shoreham views

I don't come from a privileged family so commercial training seemed impossible to us. Sadly I didn't have £100k knocking about, barely even had a few thousand now due to my PPL training. BUT... I knew, like everything I've achieved already in life, if I want it enough, I CAN make it possible.

Finally, after many phone calls with schools, there was one school in particular that stood out to me. They invited me to an open day and understood I didn't currently have the funds for the course. Mum and I set off and a few hours later we were sat watching a welcome presentation introducing 'Day in the life of a student commercial pilot'. By the end of the presentation I had to hold back the tears, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do, every part of me was agreeing, I just knew it would be one hell of a journey financially.

I spent that day trying to take in as much as I could and speaking to as much of the staff as possible to work out how on earth we could do this. They could see how passionate, dedicated and motivated I was to join their school, I remember mum even getting emotional saying "I feel like this is your family, we will do whatever we can to make this happen". So we did.

Open Day (Start of the huge battle to get back here )

It was quite honestly the biggest rollercoaster, the ultimate test as I now see it, there was so much that I had to go through (struggles with Finances, Medical Licence, Family, Work to name a few) to get in but I'll leave that for another post!😅

In June 2021 I moved to Oxford and boarded the start of my ATPL journey. That was a day in itself, accepting the fact we had finally got here. I am starting a commercial training school.

Dreams do come true if you make them!

Ashleigh x