For Anu Boswell, the path to becoming a student commercial pilot was paved with passion and curiosity. Starting his journey at 17, Anu reflects on the experiences that fueled his love for aviation, from flight simulators to his first trial flight.
1. When did you start your journey as a student pilot?
I initially started out my journey as a student pilot back in 2022. As soon as I turned 17, I started my private pilot license, flying a PA28 out of Halfpenny Green Airfield every week. I logged 26 hours and decided it would be more beneficial to go down the Integrated route to becoming a pilot. This was when I attended a Skyborne Airline Academy open day. I was amazed at the facilities offered and the great family atmosphere. I applied the same day and secured a place on their integrated course! I started my fATPL UK CAA integrated course in January 2024.
2. What made you choose to pursue a career in the Aviation industry?
Like many people, my love of aviation began at a very young age. I have always been fascinated by aviation and am more curious than anything. This led me to surround myself with aviation, from flight simulators to books to YouTube videos, and finally, going for a trial flight at 13 really widened my horizons. From then on, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
3. What path have you taken to embark on an Aviation career?
I initially started out with my PPL, which was undergoing the modular route. However, I felt like an integrated course would be better suited for me due to the structure and support available and the opportunity to do a degree alongside. I then joined Skyborne in January 2024. Before joining Skyborne, I was at Solihull College, where I did a Level 3 BTEC in aerospace engineering; this allowed me to gain valuable transferable skills and hands-on experience from the basics of flight principles to complex calculus to thermodynamics to the more hands-on stuff such as changing the wheel of a BAE Jetstream T2 aircraft. This course not only allowed me to gain a qualification but also skills in teamwork, communication, and workload management, which are undoubtedly essential skills to have as a pilot.
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4. Give us an overview of what you do on an average day in your role.
As a student pilot, it is true when they say that studying never ends! You are constantly learning. Currently, I have 1 ATPL exam left until I have completed the 13 ATPL examinations required. Studying for the ATPL exams requires a lot of patience to learn new concepts and ultimately find a study method that works for you. My current study method is to focus on key areas of weakness in the subject as opposed to going over areas of strength over and over again. On an average day, I do hundreds of practice questions, read up on different topics to truly understand them, and ask for extra support from friends and instructors.
5. Who is your biggest aviation inspiration?
My biggest aviation inspiration has to be an Oman Air first officer. I was flying back to Sri Lanka to visit family and had a short stopover in Oman for my connecting flight. Being 12 years old and into aviation, I saw him in the terminal and asked him a few questions about being a pilot; as luck would have it, he was my first officer taking me to Sri Lanka! He then kindly invited me into the flight deck of the Boeing 737-800; this was the first time I had been in a flight deck, and I was in awe of all the aircraft systems and the complexity of it all. He truly inspired me to go and chase my dreams!
6. What do you most love about your job?
As a student pilot, the sense of achievement has to be the one thing I love most. Putting in hours and hours and thousands upon thousands of practice questions can be daunting and draining. However, the sense of accomplishment opening up your results on results day, looking back, and knowing the sacrifices and late nights paid off. I'm one step closer to making my younger self proud, but most importantly, my family proud, as I wouldn't be in the position I am now without them.
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7. What are your goals for the future
I’m aiming to obtain my CPL before my 20th birthday. I am also aiming to inspire the younger generation and youth into aviation through my social media platforms such as TikTok. Being 19-years-old myself, I like to push the idea of “if I can do it, you can do it.” Alongside this, I document my journey so people can follow along and, feel part of it and take something from it. Looking into the not-so-far future, my dream job would be flying the A321 out of Birmingham Airport with Jet2. Birmingham Airport is my local airport where I spent a lot of time with friends and family plane spotting, and getting to fly there would be a dream come true!
