On Your Six
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
- Posts
- 4,507
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=+1]Teenager pilot's Stansted flights[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]14.01.08[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Holidaymakers flying from Stansted Airport since October last year may have been unaware that the reassuring voice from the cockpit was that of a teenager. Ed Gardner, who turned 20 in December, is thought to be Britain's youngest commercial pilot. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He got a job at Titan Airways the day after he received his licence and within days was crewing with his father, Bob, 55, a captain.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]At the age of 19, he wasn't old enough to drive a bus, and in most countries he would have been too young to hire a car. Yet, despite his youth, he was cleared to take the controls of a Boeing 737, which holds up to 200 passengers, and for the past three months has been flying tourists off on their holidays.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Mr Gardner, from Great Dunmow, Essex, said: 'I started flying at 14 - that is the youngest you have to be to learn. I flew solo at 16 and got my private pilot's licence on my 17th birthday. My dad never pushed for me to become a pilot but as soon as I said I wanted to do it he was pleased.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He was so keen on flying he was able to pilot an aircraft before he started learning to drive a car. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]After taking his A-levels, he went to the Metropolitan University in London for his air transport pilot's licence written exams, and passed first time. He then went on to Stapleford Flight Centre for instrument rating, another pilot's training course and then Boeing 737 training.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He received his licence on October 5, and the next day he was training for his job as a first officer with the Stansted Airport based charter airline. His first job with Titan Airways was flying mail between Stansted and Exeter. The first passenger flight he piloted was to Rostock in Germany. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He said: 'I was excited but you don't really get to interact with the passengers. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]As first officer you do pretty much the same as the captain except you can't taxi on the runway. Of course, the captain is in charge overall but if they fly to Malaga, for example, you get to fly the plane back.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Mr Gardner, who has just celebrated his 20th birthday and now regularly flies to the Continent and Africa, played down his achievement at such a young age. He said: 'I think I just came along at the right time.' He added that he had not told his passengers how young he was.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Rob Giles, the 737 fleet manager for Titan Airways, said: 'It is not unheard of at 21 or 22 but most people do something else and then come to flying. Ed is a very competent pilot and ticked all the boxes. It's good getting youngsters into the company - we need some new blood.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority for 2004 and 2005 show no teenagers held a commercial pilot's licence. A spokesman for the CAA said that although some 19-year-olds may qualify to fly passenger jets, they may not be get a job until they were older.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]14.01.08[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Holidaymakers flying from Stansted Airport since October last year may have been unaware that the reassuring voice from the cockpit was that of a teenager. Ed Gardner, who turned 20 in December, is thought to be Britain's youngest commercial pilot. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He got a job at Titan Airways the day after he received his licence and within days was crewing with his father, Bob, 55, a captain.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]At the age of 19, he wasn't old enough to drive a bus, and in most countries he would have been too young to hire a car. Yet, despite his youth, he was cleared to take the controls of a Boeing 737, which holds up to 200 passengers, and for the past three months has been flying tourists off on their holidays.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Mr Gardner, from Great Dunmow, Essex, said: 'I started flying at 14 - that is the youngest you have to be to learn. I flew solo at 16 and got my private pilot's licence on my 17th birthday. My dad never pushed for me to become a pilot but as soon as I said I wanted to do it he was pleased.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He was so keen on flying he was able to pilot an aircraft before he started learning to drive a car. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]After taking his A-levels, he went to the Metropolitan University in London for his air transport pilot's licence written exams, and passed first time. He then went on to Stapleford Flight Centre for instrument rating, another pilot's training course and then Boeing 737 training.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He received his licence on October 5, and the next day he was training for his job as a first officer with the Stansted Airport based charter airline. His first job with Titan Airways was flying mail between Stansted and Exeter. The first passenger flight he piloted was to Rostock in Germany. [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]He said: 'I was excited but you don't really get to interact with the passengers. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]As first officer you do pretty much the same as the captain except you can't taxi on the runway. Of course, the captain is in charge overall but if they fly to Malaga, for example, you get to fly the plane back.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Mr Gardner, who has just celebrated his 20th birthday and now regularly flies to the Continent and Africa, played down his achievement at such a young age. He said: 'I think I just came along at the right time.' He added that he had not told his passengers how young he was.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Rob Giles, the 737 fleet manager for Titan Airways, said: 'It is not unheard of at 21 or 22 but most people do something else and then come to flying. Ed is a very competent pilot and ticked all the boxes. It's good getting youngsters into the company - we need some new blood.'[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority for 2004 and 2005 show no teenagers held a commercial pilot's licence. A spokesman for the CAA said that although some 19-year-olds may qualify to fly passenger jets, they may not be get a job until they were older.[/SIZE][/FONT]
