Pilot Careers Live welcomed 300 aspiring pilots to Berlin on Saturday 1 October at the Maritim ProArte Hotel Berlin, with back-to-back seminars full of advice for aspiring pilots.
This was the first time the event had visited Berlin, following in the footsteps of two successful shows in Frankfurt, and brought together flight training schools, universities and associations from around the world, to provide a window into a pilot profession, allowing aspiring pilots to see whether it’s a career for them.
Vereinigung Cockpit, the German pilots’ association, kicked off the day’s seminar proceedings, delivering the message that, for anyone considering the career, it’s important to consider a ‘Plan B.’ Sebastian, an airline pilot with the VC team, explained, “The training organisations today are all here offering guidance, but they’re also talking about their own schools; we’re here to talk about the profession itself and make sure that people have real information. By all means, follow your dream if you have the passion, but make sure you have a plan B.”
“Be open minded about the profession,” Sebastian explained. “Don’t be too focused on just the dream and ask all the right questions. Lots of schools are beginning to partner with universities and schools, which we see as s good thing, because a degree gives you a plan B.”
Björn, another VC pilot present on the day, explained that the issue of finances cannot be understated for aspiring pilots at the moment. “If it really is your dream, ask: how much money do I need? How much is the training? Calculate the extra money you might need, as if you can’t find a job at the end of training, which is the situation for many European pilots right now, you’ll need to be able to stay afloat.”
Michael Mueller of ATTCcom, who offered advice for pilots on preparing for selection and an overview of opportunities within the industry, said the audience was “highly motivated.” A careers team from RyanAir was also present at the show, reaching out to future pilots, talking visitors through the airline’s assessment process and highlighting future opportunities. More than 300 aircraft are currently on order for the airline, expanding its fleet to 546 aircraft, and from 2019 to 2024, the airline will receive 200 Boeing max deliveries.
Thomas Karger, who was at the exhibition as a coach with Young Pilots, explained how the YP initiative aims to give aspiring pilots the career guidance early on in their decision-making process. “We aim to give people advice from 14 onwards, we’re non-profit and we don’t ask people if they’re sure whether they want to be a pilot – we tell them how and we let them decide.” Young Pilots has been at work since 2003 and has 50+ members across different airline cockpits, on hand to offer guidance to the next generation. “We’d love some more members, of course we would and we hope to reach even more people at the next event. We want people to know that this is a great career, but we want them to be informed too.”
The next Pilot Careers Live event lands at London Heathrow on 5 November, followed by a day in Rome on 19 November. For more information and tickets to either event, visit pilotcareernews.com/live
The PCL team thanks all contributors to the seminar programme:
- Vereinigung Cockpit
- Cpt. Erhard Walther, CEO, Interpersonal
- Joerg Oberhofer, AeronautX, and Matthias Schwarz, Vimana
- Kay Wachtelborn, Boeing 737 pilot and instructor, Sky4U Aviation Services
- Michael Müller, Airline Test Training Center
- Ryanair
For a full list of exhibitors at PCL Berlin, please visit: pilotcareernews.com/live/berlin/
