Nathan Rilstone
Nathan successfully completed the AirlineReady® APS MCC at VA Airline Training in July 2023 and was recruited by British Airways to join their Airbus A320 fleet
Nathan is the A320 simulator during his time at VA Airline Training in 2023
What inspired you to pursue a career as a commercial pilot?
I grew up in Cornwall, quite far removed from commercial aviation, but I used to hear the sonic boom of Concorde as it transitioned to supersonic flight over the Bristol Channel, which initially piqued my interest. In 1999 I was invited onto the flight deck whilst mid-Atlantic on a BA flight with my family and from that point onwards I was hooked on aviation. My bedroom walls were adorned with posters of aircraft and I joined the Air Cadets as soon as I could, at age 13. The Air Cadets provided so many opportunities to go flying in Grob Tutors and Viking Gliders, and even getting winched out of a Mk5 SeaKing Helicopter at RNAS Culdrose.
What did you do before starting pilot training?
I desperately wanted to be a pilot but I floundered in school and college, not having the confidence, self-belief or drive to fulfil my ambition. I dropped out of college on 3 separate occasions and ended up with no qualifications other than my GCSEs, where I had managed to scrape C grades across the board. I worked as a lifeguard for a few years and then in 2009, at age 19, I went to the local Armed Forces Careers Office as my friend was joining the Royal Navy. I ended up being talked into applying, and 7 months later I was marched through the gates of HMS Raleigh to embark on a career as an Aircraft Engineering Technician. I really enjoyed engineering training and went on to work as a mechanical engineer on SeaKing Mk7s at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, spending some time deployed on Aircraft Carriers and in the Middle East. I thrived in this environment and my confidence grew, and in 2013 I was successful in my application to become a military Pilot. My elation in this success was short-lived, as I failed the medical... to be a pilot in the military you have to fit in the most restrictive aircraft type across all 3 services and my legs were (and still are!) 40mm too long. With this career avenue now closed to me, I completed Officer training but as an Air Traffic Control Officer, which I have done for the last 10 years. Initially, this was at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, the home of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and for the last 5 years, it has been at the National Air Traffic Control Centre in Swanwick, Hampshire. It has been great to work in this environment and understand the complex intricacies that underpin safe aviation in the UK. I transferred to the RAF in 2021 so that I could stay at Swanwick and finish my flying training.
Which training route did you choose to follow, and why?
In 2017 I had an epiphany that I didn't want to spend the rest of my career as an Air Traffic Controller when my childhood ambition was to be a Pilot. It was an empowering moment to realise that ultimately the only person who held the key to making that ambition a reality was me and that if I really wanted it I could achieve it. I was living in Devon at the time and in 2018 I went for a trial flight with Aviation South West at Exeter Airport. 6 months and 45 hours later I had my PPL!
I embarked on my ATPL(A) exams with Bristol Groundschool, which was a tedious slog (especially for a college dropout!) but I ended up completing my exams 11 months later with first-time passes and a 93% average.
I went to Florida in 2019 and achieved 75hrs of hours building in 3 weeks and have some unforgettable memories of flying over there. I loved it so much that I went back in Mar 2020 and did another 25 hours in 1 week... little did I know at the time that this would be the last time I flew for a couple of years because of COVID-19.
By Nov 22 I was living in Hampshire and started training for my SEIR at Euro Flight Training (EFT), Lee on Solent, in between working full-time and having a young family. At the time EFT had just got their UK and EASA ATO approval and I was fortunate enough to be one of their first students. They have a brand new Diamond DA40 and DA42 simulator which meant I was able to complete 25 hours of my SEIR in the sim, helping to keep the costs down slightly. I completed my UK CAA and EASA Skills Test in March 2023. Next was UPRT and a Night Rating, which was done at BAA in Cambridge, then EFT pulled out all the stops to get me through the rest of my training, and by June I was the proud owner of a UK and EASA CPL/ME/IR, just in time for my APS MCC at VA in Cambridge.
What challenges did you face before or during training?
For me, the monotony of the ATPL(A) subjects was difficult to overcome, especially because I found it very difficult to translate a lot of what was in the exams to the reality of being a Pilot. Fortunately, the flying kept me sane and helped me to make sense of some of the subjects. My experience as an Air Traffic Controller also helped.
The Covid pandemic wrought havoc on the entire aviation industry and there were plenty of times when I felt like all the training I had done up to that point had been a waste of time and money. Because this was a self-investment and I was brutally aware of how much it had cost so far, I think this spurred me on to ensure that I completed the training. I would be lying though if I pretended that I didn't have massive anxiety about being able to find a flying job, especially with my 12-month notice at work being submitted and having a wife and two young children to think of!
Navigating the post-Brexit regulatory changes also proved to be a difficulty. Fortunately, my ATPL exams were sat with an EASA authority, and the CAA were in a transitionary period where they accepted EASA exams for the issue of a CAA licence. As my training was completed at dual approved ATOs (EFT and VA), I have a UK and EASA frozen ATPL.
What were the highlights of your time in training?
For me, a real highlight was the APS MCC at VA Airline Training (I'm not being paid to write this, honest). This was the first moment in my training so far where it all seemed to click together and the point that all the other bits of the flying training journey were leading to. When I embarked on flying training, my end goal was always to be an airline pilot, so to be sitting in an A320 simulator and doing it was hugely satisfying. I didn't know it at the time but it also built a great foundation for my Type Rating.
I also thoroughly enjoyed my time hour building in Florida... it's really hard to describe how epic it was to someone who hasn't done it but if you're considering options for hour-building I can highly recommend it!
How did the competencies you developed during your APS MCC help you afterwards?
The competencies I learned at VA are now etched into my brain as they are the bedrock of safe aviation in the UK. Whilst I had used these competencies throughout my military career and daily as an Air Traffic Controller, it was great to see them broken down and start to understand the opportunities for developing them. I have used them to help me with airline assessments and every day on my Type Rating, they are invaluable.
What have been the highlights since you started airline flying?
I haven't actually flown yet! I completed my Type Rating last week, a year to the day since completing my Single Engine IR. Base training is scheduled to happen in a couple of weeks, which I am really excited to get stuck into; putting into practice the endless hours of theory and sim sessions. After that, I will be on the line and fulfilling my childhood ambition of being an airline pilot. Sometimes it can be difficult to maintain objectivity when in the thick of flight training- it really can be hard going and the mental and physical toll of completing it, especially whilst juggling another career and family commitments can be exhausting. I feel very relieved to have been successful in my job hunt and I do not doubt that the military foundation and excellent training I received from EFT and VA played a huge part in that success. For me, a huge highlight will be flying for the Flag Carrier of the UK. As a former member of the Armed Forces, this generates huge pride.
What advice would you give to someone about to start APS MCC training?
Months before the APS MCC, I started going through the course documents and SOPs. Having spare capacity is such a huge advantage in aviation. Every flow, limitation or scan which can be committed to memory helps to free up capacity. The APS MCC at VA is a perfect lead-in for a Type Rating, so bear in mind that the SOPs you are learning will be utilised in the future. This should help you, not just to learn them but also to retain them.