Christopher Thompson
Christopher successfully completed the AirlineReady® APS MCC at VA Airline Training and is now flying the Embraer E190 with BA Cityflyer, based at London City Airport
Christopher is now flying Embraer E190 jets with BA Cityflyer
What inspired you to pursue a career as a commercial pilot?
I've been fascinated with aviation for as long as I can remember. I spent my early childhood living in the Middle East, meaning that I flew on airlines often early on in life, which is where my fascination with aviation came from. It took a while to work and get through my training, but I eventually made it to an airline after working as an aerial survey pilot. I'm the first member of my family to work in aviation and, where I grew up, doing what I've done is virtually unheard of.
What did you do before starting pilot training?
I always wanted to have a career in aviation in some capacity. So, after completing my degree in Aviation Technology with Pilot Studies at the University of Salford, I worked in several jobs to help fund my flight training including Barman, Hotel Receptionist, Installation Engineer, NHS Administrator and Hotel Conference and Events Administrator. All while working part-time at Ravenair Flying School as Co-ordinator.
Which training route did you choose to follow, and why?
I chose the modular route mainly for financial reasons but also because it gave me the flexibility to train at my own pace and the chance to try different organisations/instructors. I did my ground school ATPL exams via long-distance learning at Bristol Ground School, but the onset of the pandemic forced me to change my original plans of doing my advanced flight training overseas. Eventually, I completed my CPL and MEIR at Ravenair Flying School based in Liverpool. With the airline industry in ruins, I was fortunate to gain a position in the Ravenair Aerial Survey division a couple of months after finishing training, even during the pandemic. Everything happens for a reason I suppose!
What challenges did you face before or during training?
I suppose the biggest challenge is the financial burden of flight training. I gave up a lot to do the training. Relationships, holidays, living out, buying a house. All the things you see your friends/family doing, but the finances and lack of free time make it very difficult to do yourself.
During the training, I suppose being in the middle of the pandemic naturally gave me a sense of unease about what to do after flight training. I had been emailing for any potential positions in anything, either in the UK or overseas. I even emailed an island-hopping company in the Caribbean, which only had one aircraft! You never know I suppose! But even with promising talks with Ravenair management about a potential job, it wasn't a guarantee.
What were the highlights of your time in training?
The first time I felt I was doing 'real' flying was on my MEIR course. Realising you were taking off into the cloud, which you would never do with a PPL. Flying purely on instruments, smoothly and by the numbers while doing briefings for approaches for me was incredible. Piloting my first trip along airways from Liverpool down to Southend was a real highlight as it was my first time speaking to London Control alongside all the airliners.
Though I wouldn't want to do it again, I did enjoy spending the hours in the library five days a week going through the ATPL theory as I found most of the content interesting. Despite doing the work, the public library was full of nutters now and then!
How did the competencies you developed during your APS MCC help you afterwards?
The competencies learnt and developed in the training have been massively helpful as they are really what you need to demonstrate every day in an airline environment. It's not all about how well you fly an ILS; it's about seeing the whole picture and using initiative and foresight to prevent and deal with problems.
During the Type Rating, I found the Embraer very similar in its logic to the Airbus, which I did my APS MCC training on. Doing my APS MCC in a realistic airline setting gave me an understanding of the basic principles of what these aircraft are capable of and how they are operated in real life. I learned the importance of being ahead of the aircraft and present in the cockpit; essential when working in a multi-pilot environment where problems are dealt with as a team.
Into the Line Training, the competencies developed gave me a great foundation and head start in working in a real-life multi-pilot environment, considering I've come from a mostly single-pilot role previously.
What have been the highlights since you started airline flying?
I still pinch myself each time I climb into the cockpit and turn everything on. The lights, the sounds, the busy airport and the cabin environment; it is everything I thought it would be and more. London City Airport is unique and amazing to operate out of. It's still always a treat when you're coming back from down route to hear "Runway in use 09" over the ATIS. The approach over central London and Canary Wharf is surreal, either in daylight or at night. It hit me that I'd made it when a young kid came into the cockpit with his mum, just like I did when I was a kid and gave me his logbook to fill out. That was cool!
The Embraer itself is an easy and modern aircraft to fly. To me, it seems to have a similar cockpit philosophy to Airbus - but with a Concorde-style control column thrown in! The easiness helps on the long days!
What advice would you give to someone about to start APS MCC training?
Doing an APC MCC course gives you a real insight into what flying for an airline is like. It gives you a great foundation in the pilot competencies which are crucial in an airline setting. As airlines are looking for candidates to demonstrate these competencies in simulator assessments, I think these APS MCC courses are important.
The advice I would give is to choose the correct provider, such as VA, who has a lot of experience and great instructors. Put 100% effort into the course, try to understand the basic SOPs beforehand as much as you can and I would try and network with people before, during and after the course.