For the love of flying
For Head of Flight Ops, Mark Smith and 777 Training Co-Pilot, Matt Cole, flying outside of work looks very different from their day jobs. One performs aerobatic manoeuvres in the sky. The other goes back to aviation's basics, flying vintage aircraft from countryside strips.
Different worlds, but with something important in common: a desire to keep learning, challenge themselves and enjoy flying simply for the love of it.
Precision in aerobatics
After 25 years at British Airways, Mark still finds new ways to challenge himself in the air.
Away from his role in Flight Ops, you'll find him flying aerobatics. It's a discipline in which pilots string together carefully planned manoeuvres, whether for competition or an air display - it's something Mark believes makes him better at what he does.
The concentration and accuracy aerobatics demands are only part of its appeal. It's the mindset around learning that Mark takes back to his professional life.
“Always be in a place to accept feedback, because there's always something to learn.”
It's an approach that has stayed with him throughout his career: practise, listen, learn, improve, so that tomorrow is better than today.
And when he isn't flying for work or practising in his favourite Christen Eagle, aviation is becoming a family affair too, with his young daughter already sharing his enthusiasm for aerobatics.
Hands-on flying
Matt's passion takes him in a different direction.
Having learned to fly shortly after leaving school, Matthew joined British Airways in 2018 and was keen to maintain his connection with general aviation alongside commercial flying.
When the pandemic put that flying on pause, he turned his interest into something new: a flying school centred around traditional tailwheel aircraft, including Piper Cubs. It's deliberately different from the technology-rich environment of a modern commercial flight deck.
“People from all backgrounds are curious about farm strip flying. Some want to learn a new skill, while others want to revisit what it's like to fly without autopilot and the technology we have today.”
There is something refreshingly simple about it. Smaller aircraft. Grass strips. Hands-on flying.
Over time, it has created a community of people who share Matt's enthusiasm, including other commercial pilots looking to experience a very different kind of aviation.
For aspiring pilots, general aviation can also be part of building flying experience as they work towards a commercial career.
A love of flying, wherever it takes you
Today, Matthew balances his general aviation passion with his role flying long-haul for British Airways. Mark combines aerobatics with a career that's already spanned 25 years.
Their flying couldn't look more different. But both continue to seek out experiences that test their skills, expose them to something new and remind them why they chose aviation in the first place.
As Matthew puts it:
“I really enjoy the thrill of manually flying aircraft. There's nothing quite like it.”
Discover where a career as a British Airways pilot could take you.