A Fresh Approach To Pilot Recruitment

George started learning to fly at fifteen years old and achieved his Private Pilot Licence at seventeen. He began his aviation career in 2014. Initially, he worked in executive handling at Southend Airport's FBO, before starting as a Ramp Controller in 2015, progressing to Ops Controller, before moving into the Commercial team as an Account Manager. Finally, two years later, he was promoted to Ground Operations Manager, a CAA approved Nominated Person role. George was enrolled on the Viridis Pilot Pathway scheme and over the course of three years he passed all ATPL exams first time. Furthermore, he achieved first time passes in his Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating skills tests. Now, George works at Wizz Air as a First Officer.

Luke graduated from the University of Leeds in 2010 having completed a BSc in Aviation Technology. He joined the Virdis Pilot Pathway in the summer of 2010 as the first enrolee. Whilst enrolled on the programme, he completed his studies through distance learning and undertook the necessary hour building. Along his career path, he concurrently developed within Jota Aviation achieving management positions in both safety and ground operations. Luke gained his King Air type rating and began commercial flying for Jota Aviation within three months of completing the Viridis Pilot Pathway. Now, Luke is a Captain for British Airways.

Jay acquired his Private Pilot License (PPL) at seventeen and later joined the military for five years. He then entered Commercial Aviation, initially working in the Operations Department. He was responsible for managing important aviation tasks like auditing flight documents and booking aircraft fuel. While in this role, Jay was supported by his then employer to obtain a King Air 90/200 Type Rating whilst gaining valuable experience with his day-to-day work. This unique combination of operations experience and pilot training set the stage for his transition from the ground to the cockpit. Today, Jay serves as a Senior First Officer on the B787-9 and recommends aspiring pilots to consider their current aviation roles as an essential part of their aviation journey.