We recently spoke with Madison Dooley, a Student Pilot at Skyborne Airline Academy. Madison tells us the career path she took to join the aviation industry, the challenges she has faced, and advice she would give to aspiring aviation professionals.
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Where did the dream start for you?
My love of aviation started at around 13 on taking my first flight in a light aircraft. I was amazed at how beautiful the world looked from above and was fascinated by the chance to see things normally inconspicuous on the ground. At 16, after GCSE’s I had my first flying lesson, I loved the feeling of being in control of a complex piece of machinery thousands of feet above the ground. I progressed through lessons to gain a private pilot’s licence alongside A-Levels and my love of flying grew with each lesson making me certain it was the career I wanted.
Until then I was unsure of the career I wanted to pursue, deciding to choose subjects at school that I enjoyed rather than those that led down a particular avenue. I wanted a job that above all was exciting, something that I would enjoy doing each day. It just happened that becoming a pilot was that job, and although there was no epiphany moment, by only making choices based on what I loved it was obvious becoming a pilot was all I wanted to do. I’m glad I made my decisions in this way because I’ve always enjoyed what I’m doing. My A-Level choices of Maths, Geography, and Spanish fit in nicely with Aviation even though they weren’t originally chosen with that in mind.
What were your first steps to get into the industry?
For me, gaining a private pilot's licence was my first step, I very quickly learned to understand the complexities of aviation, so much has to fall into place to eventually get into the air and I battled with the weather, aircraft going into maintenance, Covid-19 and even my first flying school closing down. I endeavoured to fly at every opportunity, early mornings before sixth form, straight after sixth form, and at weekends. I took on a Saturday job to help pay for lessons alongside receiving help from my family.
When my first flying school closed down, I moved to Donair flying club at East Midlands Airport. It was a great opportunity to gain experience flying from an international airport and very inspiring to fly alongside a variety of different aircraft. I wanted to be comfortable flying in busy airspace with complex procedures and alongside very supportive instructors it was the perfect environment to do so. Being thrown in at the deep end during initial training is quite daunting but is invaluable further down the line.
Nearing completion of my Private Pilot’s Licence, I started looking for commercial flight schools, during Covid-19 this was slightly more difficult with a lot of flight schools cancelling their open days, but I was able to look around a few and I decided Skyborne Airline Academy was the best fit for me. I wanted to complete my training with the least number of delays possible after being grounded for extended periods during lockdown, commencing an integrated course seemed the best way to do this. I started in July 2021 being extremely lucky to join a course with only 4 trainees, all of which were extremely supportive making ATPLs and moving from home an enjoyable experience.
Did you face any challenges and if so, how did you overcome them?
Being female in a very male-dominated industry comes with its challenges. When waiting for my flight people would assume I was there for a pleasure flight or that my dad was a pilot and flying me, even when sitting there with my kneeboard and headset planning my route. I distinctly remember looking around a commercial flight school and being told I would struggle with ATPLs and that I might be too nervous to fly solo. At this point, I’d already flown solo and enjoyed it so I knew to ignore the comment but during the conversation, a male aspiring pilot came in and was told he would find flying solo fun, even though he’d never flown before.
I’ve dealt with this by using these circumstances to fuel my motivation. I wanted to pass every ATPL exam and flight test first time, so I had an indisputable testimonial of my skills as a pilot. Of course, passing exams is not the sole determinant of a good pilot, soft skills play an essential role too, but being able to say you’ve passed everything first time puts you on a more even playing field from the start to not be underestimated to start applying for pilot jobs.
What advice would you give to aspiring aviation professionals currently searching for a job?
My main advice is patience, obtaining a job in aviation is time-consuming and relies on determination and a good work ethic to get through each stage in the recruitment process. The process is long and it's easy to become disheartened but keeping a positive attitude is a great help. Keep an eye out for new pilot jobs opportunities and accept help from others. No one can do it alone and advice from those already in the industry is hugely beneficial.
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Photo by Kristopher Allison on Unsplash
