Pilot Careers Live North

On Saturday, our team attended Pilot Careers Live (PCL) North at the Concorde Conference Centre at Manchester Airport. The event brought together aspiring aviators with flight training providers, airlines and aviation organisations, offering a valuable opportunity to learn more about the pathways to becoming a pilot. Throughout the day we welcomed visitors to our stand, answered their questions about flight training routes, scholarship opportunities and career advice, and introduced them to the support network we offer through our community. Our five volunteers described the day in their own words.

Karen described what stood out for her:
“It was noticeable that most of the women stopping to speak to us at the BWPA stand were young; mostly school or university students. The vast majority want to be airline pilots and were researching the best route for them. The programme for the day had a very helpful flowchart of three different routes, but I suspect there are as many routes as there are pilots. There was excellent advice from the British Airline Pilots Association, injecting a dose of reality into the glamour and gloss of the airlines and training schools selling their courses.”

For Lisa and daughter, Annalise, the event felt like a milestone:
“PCL was where we started our aviation journey. This was our third visit to PCL and we had gone from knowing literally nothing about career paths into aviation to having the honour of representing the BWPA! So much has happened in the last two years and the BWPA has been a huge part of that. Being on the ‘other side’ was incredible as we have been so inspired by everyone’s knowledge and assistance over the past two years. We spoke to William Hulse from Skyborne, who filled in many gaps for us on the application process for their programmes including BA Speedbird and Jet2. We also spoke to Ravenair about the Commercial Pilot Licence course. Other useful conversations followed with TUI, Jet2, British Airways and Leading Edge Aviation, and stepping on board Concorde was the icing on the aviation cake!”

Maya spoke about what made the day both meaningful and memorable:
“It was a day of learning, connecting and developing. It was a joy to meet fellow BWPA members in person for the first time and speak with student pilots from Skyborne Airline Academy who I gained much insight from. Having the opportunity to step on board Concorde for the first time was also really exciting. Being back at PCL was a full circle moment for me. I first attended PCL in London in 2023 with my mother, excited to learn everything I could about becoming a pilot. Two years on and I feel grateful to be in a position where I can share my knowledge and insight with other aspiring pilots through the BWPA. I left with new contacts, fresh insight and renewed motivation, and I am grateful to have represented the BWPA at such an inspiring event!”

Claire noted the positive response from visitors:
“Such an uplifting day. Each person who came to our stand was full of excitement, enthusiasm and a passion for aviation, and was so happy to hear what BWPA has to offer. My favourite comment came from the very first visitor, who said: “I’m so pleased that you are here, providing a safe space.” As a career changer, she was relieved to discover that she was not alone in forging a new path as a commercial pilot and was reassured that we would be there to help in any way that we could.”

PCL North was a valuable opportunity to meet aspiring pilots, share information and highlight the range of support available to women and girls entering aviation.

If you visited our stand, thank you for taking the time to connect with us. We look forward to supporting you on your journey.