Bert Goes Flying

This website was originally started to keep my friends and family updated with my efforts to become a commercial airline pilot, primarily through my initial training the USA.

I started out on 1st July 2004, when I gave up my career as a Sales Manager for Tilda Rice, selling to Tesco and Sainsburys, and started my training for a Private Pilots licence in Florida. I went on to complete my professional licenses at Oxford Aviation Training in the UK which I finished in September 2005.

Having spent six months writing to every airline I could find on the internet, I managed to secure a job with EasyJet, flying the Boeing 737-700 series.

The diary pages are now somewhat out of date, although I will keep any news posted on this main front page. There are still plenty of photographs from my early training, and will keep posting any new pictures as I take them. My thoughts about pilot training still stand if anyone is considering emabrking on the long road to a frozen ATPL!

You can download a short video of my base training in Copenhagen if you are interested by clicking here:

Base Training in the 737

Latest News:
I am now about 6 weeks into my line training, and flying the 737-700 is amazing. Eating a fry up at 40,000 over the alps is one of the best feelings in the world! It is taking some time to do the base traing, as easyjet are recruiting so many, but I should be a fully fledged line pilot by mid-September. So far I have flown to Barcelona, Nice, Malaga, Athens, Paris, Berlin, Belfast, and Faro. We brought Steven Gerrard back from Nice a few weeks ago! Tomorrow I am going to Athens for the second time, which is one of the longest flights we do at around 3.5 hours! I will be moving to Belfast for only two months now, as my transfer has come through back to Luton in November, so I will be able to settle down finally and get back to a normal life after over two years of training. I have added a few pictures, but it is difficult to get many whilst training....that will change once I start flying on the line in a few weeks!	Added 12th August 2006
I am now two weeks into being employed again! Although I am still training. I flew the 737-700 simulator for the first time yesterday. I also have my initial roster, and my first flight will be on the 29th of June from Liverpool to Barcelona, which will be really nice! Also found out that I am to be based in Belfast, which was a bit of a surprise!	Added 2nd June 2006
We had an amazing couple of days in Copenhagen flying a 737-500 for the first time. We flew from Copenhagen to Aarhus in our empty aeroplane, then the four of us had to each complete 6 landings. It was really surreal, and I can't beleieve someone is really going to pay me do it for a living! There are some pictures on the photos pages of the trip. I now start with easyJet on Monday, and have four weeks of induction training and courses before I get set on the passengers!	Added 5th May 2006
I have managed to get myself a job with EasyJet, flying a Boeing 737! I finished all the three week groundschool last week, and am now spending my days at Heathrow in the simulator. I will have the 737 rating at the end of April, and then start with EasyJet on the 22nd May. The final part of the training is flying circuits at Copenhagen in Denmark. I will be based out of Luton, and flying to destinations all over the UK and Europe. Check out their website on my LINKS page. I am still in the holding pool for BA Citiexpress (now called Connect), but have not heard anything, as is the case for many others.	Added 10th April 2006
Today I successfully completed a simulator check ride with British Airways Citiexpress, following my interview on Monday. I am now in the holding pool waiting until they need me!	Added 17th December 2005
Its now five weeks since I finished my Multi Crew and Jet Orientation on a Boeing 737 Simulator at Oxford, and I now have a frozen Airline Transport Pilots License in my hands! I'm occupying my time with job hunting on a daily basis and have one interview so far!	Added 6th November 2005
I've finished! I now have a JAA CPL and MEIR! Just a couple more weeks to get my MCC and I'll be on the job market!	Added 8th September 2005
More pictures and a couple of short video's added. Should be licensed now within about two weeks.	Added 23rd August 2005
Two weeks into the Instrument rating, and things are coming together. Finalising my CV ready for jobs now! Couple more pics added	Added 29th July 2005
I now have my Commercial Pilots license and Multi Engine Class Rating. One more photo added!	Added 19th July 2005
Photo's from the latest trips over to Wales, Worcester & Bristol now added	Added 25th May 2005
I now have all of the ATPL exams passed, with a 93% average, so I can now start enjoying the flying again! Now into the CPL at Oxford. New photo's uploaded and even some diaries!	Added 17th May 2005
School is finished!! Passed all the school final exams, and now revising for the JAA exams in April, which I'm taking at Gatwick. Then off to Florida for some sunshine and a bit more flying!	Added 23rd March 2005
Nearly finished, and back in the skies in the UK!	Added 7th March 2005
Back to the books for the next round, due to finish in April.	Added 24th January 2005
Results in for the first seven exams - 93% average	Added 11th January 2005
First round of JAA exams after 13 weeks of studying!	Added 4th January 2005
Started at Oxford Aviation for the JAA ATPL ground school. Six months of studying and exams.	Added 27th September 2004
Having completed a solo whistle stop tour of the USA, back to the UK for the real work.	Added 9th September 2004
Captain Hugh Richards Got my American (FAA) and European (JAA) private pilots license.	Added 11th August 2004
Bert just wants to fly! Left Tilda and headed for Naples, Florida to learn how to fly!	Added 6th July 2004