• Who am I?
  • Why create The Proficient Airman?
  • Childhood & My Mum
Who Am I?
Officer Cadet - RAF Air Squadron
Ground Crew - WLAC
Who Am I?

Who am I?

 
 
 
 
 

My name is Mubashar Yasin also known as The Proficient Airman. I am the writer behind the blogs on The Proficient Airman. 

Growing up in the shadows of an international airport and within a stone throw of a small airfield I’ve admired planes close and far – be it be Boeing 747s on approach or Cessna 172s in circuit. At the age of 6, a love story and sense of curiosity was fuelled between aircrafts and I. Through childhood and my teens the desire and spark to become an airline pilot grew and has not faded since.

 3 facts about me: I’m an aspiring airline pilot, my favourite TV show is Money Heist and I love sushi.  Let’s break the ice – let me know facts about you and what you’d like to see from this blog page – contact details down below. 

My Background

I’m a first generation child to parents that emigrated from another country. Having lived in social housing growing up and seeing my parents get groceries via the bus I truly appreciate how helpless young people feel to fund their dream – especially if you’re from low-income or less privileged backgrounds. It came to a point where I genuinely thought it was not possible to become a pilot! 

… However, that has all changed and I’m more positive than ever!

 
 
 
 

Currently, I work across 3 jobs to fund my dream to fly. One of which is being Ground Crew + fire-fighter at my local airfield. Here I ensure the safe and efficient operation of aircrafts and the overall functioning of the airfield. I also work within the healthcare sector and in retail across evenings and weekends.

Previously, I’ve been in the Air cadets and the University Air Squadron (ULAS) where I was given the opportunity to fly the Grob Tutor 114e and have been a steward at events like Wimbledon, RIAT and Trooping the Colour royal events.  I have continued to serve the RAF as a serving Civilian Instructor for the Air Cadets in the evenings (twice weekly).

My long-term aspiration is to inspire young people to explore aviation regardless of your background, sex or socioeconomic status. So here I am documenting my journey to become an airline pilot – as well as educating and sharing experiences. If there is anything you’d like to see from this blog please let me know and I will try my best to accommodate where possible. 

And finally, I also aspire to host exhibition stands and presentations at career events for organisations I am passionate about. This is definitely something I will look to explore with charities and training schools I work with in order to offer genuine training advice to make a difference.

Want to know more about my childhood and love for planes – click here. This will take you to a separate blog post.

Don’t forget all great things start with a mindset. With the right mindset, passion and relentless hard-work you will achieve what you set out to do! Happy flying.

The Proficient Airman, Mubashar Yasin / [email protected]

Officer Cadet - RAF Air Squadron

Civilian Instructor – at the RAF Air Cadets.

I have applied to the RAF to serve as a RAF Civilian Instructor at my local air squadron. Here I will work with the squadron leader, staff and the cadets to make a real difference in young people aged 12 and above. Having been in the RAF Air Squadron as a cadet myself (see below) I decided to share my skills and experience. Below is the booklet I was given during my induction training – I continue to live by these ethos and values.

As a Civilian Instructor (CI) I will have a multitude of responsibilities and duty of care to our Air Cadets. I’ve broken this into 5 core responsibilities that I will uphold as a potential CI. These include: 

1. Training and Instructing – as a CI I will provide instruction and train cadets through skilled topics I can add value through – such as aviation, leadership, drill, first aid and navigation. This is usually in the evenings at the squadron but can also take place at training visits away from the main base.

2 – Mentoring and Guidance – as a CI I will act as a mentor and role model. Our role offers personal and professional development – examples of this include where we help cadets set goals, how they will achieve this and what can we do to help them achieve this. I will also encourage cadets to develop new skills – for example, resilience and working under pressure – key skills required as an airline or RAF pilot. 

3 – Activity Planning and Supervision – I will work with the squadron leader particularly when it comes to away days. Here I will organise activities, such as field trips, camps and competitions. For example, recently we took a cohort of air cadets for gliding. 

4 – Administrative Support – this is the boring part of the job. But lucky our squadron is very organised so I don’t think I’ll spend too much time on admin. 

5 – Promotion of Values and Ethos – as part of my role we promote the value and ethos of the RAF Air Cadets. For example, this typically includes respect, teamwork, personal development and leadership. These values are instilled into cadets at a young age – preparing them for success in all aspects of life – even if they decide not to go into the military! 

 

Officer Cadet – at the RAF University Air Squadron (RAF UAS).

I joined the University Air Squadron (UAS) in 2018 and was there till 2020 (maximum is 3 years only). UAS is a program in the UK that provides university students with the opportunity to experience military aviation and learn about the Royal Air Force (RAF). UASs are affiliated with specific universities and offer various activities such as flying training, leadership development and exposure to RAF operations. The programme aims to inspire and educate students about aviation and potentially recruit them into the RAF as officers. 

The Selection Process

The selection process for the UAS is incredibly intense. The competition is high to secure a spot at UAS.

  • Application stage: The formal application typically includes a set of basic application questions. It also includes a series of motivational questions – I.e. Why you wish to join, what can you bring to the squadron and what differences have you made to the community? These are capped to a certain word count usually. 
  • Interview stage: If you pass this stage you are invited to a 45 minute formal interview. I was interviewed by the Squadron leader – Officer Commanding Squadron Leader McCann. This was split into three parts: (1) talk around your social engagement – i.e club memberships, flying, sports, responsibilities or community work and contributions. The second part focuses on student knowledge. Questions are asked around the Air Squadron as an organisation, the role of the Royal Air Force, headline defence matters, the role of the royal family and current UK military operations and opinions. You are also asked around your ambitions and interest to join.The final part of the interview asks you to analyse 3 UK-centric events and 3 international events. During the interview you will be asked any question around these events – i.e. dates, number of personnels involved (if military missions) and articulating your opinion. 
  • Second interviews: This stage varies across squadrons. Some squadrons may hold second interviews with HR + another high ranking personnel. I did not have a second interview. 
  • Fitness test stage: You are then required to run across 20m markers on either side (i.e. the bleep test). Level 9 shuttle 10 is required to pass the bleep test. You are also required to do 20 press ups and 35 sits ups across 1 minute each. Please note – this was for males but for females the pass mark is lower. 
  • RAF Medical stage: This is an RAF medical examination including a range of checks. This included eyesight, hearing and dynamic functional testing (heel raises, edge walking along a long plank, press ups), dental check. My heart and lungs were examined using a stethoscope. I also had a urine test completed. A blood prick was also taken to test for any diseases. This was not as intensive as it sounds and was relaxed. The entire session lasted around 90 minutes.  
 

Once you pass that you are welcomed to the Squadron! You have to complete a basic security check and sign security documents and voila you’re in. I know the selection process is intense but it’s definitely worth it once you are in the squadron. You can expect to attend town-night sessions once a week as a minimum. And there are a range of activities open to you (or you can create them!). 

Activities with the RAF Air Squadron

As a group, I was involved in co-planning canoeing expeditions, a week long skiing trip in Austria and a survival course at RAF St Mawgan. Out of all the amazing things we did – survival course is definitely up there. I was taught surviving in a radioactive forest and enemy evasion. I remember when I go to the forest I was told – “Here’s some food, water and rope. Build a shelter, stay hydrated and remember to survive.” It was exciting yet an “Oh my God” moment. 

I also had the opportunity to be a stewards at a number of events – such as RIAT, Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon. Through the Air Squadron I also attended the International Four Days Nijmegen march in The Netherlands and completed a weapons training course at RAF Wittering.

I also attended a few gala dinners hosted by the UAS. 

I did all of this in one year! Unfortunately soon after we were hit by COVID and lockdowns which meant the squadron was closed for business for a while. 

Skills I learnt through being in the RAF Air Squadron

In the RAF I acquired a wide range of skills, such as:

1 – Technical Skills: I received training in a number of different areas. One notably being the aircraft itself and weapon systems. 

2 – Leadership, Management and Teamwork: RAF is very big on personal development – with emphasis on leadership. I lead the Inter-Squadron games and made critical decisions in team-based ‘hypothetical’ scenarios. 

3 – Communication: Effective communication is a given requirement in RAF. Almost instantly I learnt how to communicate clearly and efficiently across ranking officers. As well as collaborate and coordinate to meet a common objective – such as strategic planning to meet goal or delegate tasks in preparation for the Nijmegen March in The Netherlands. 

4 – Problem solving and Decision-making: I learnt to think critically, analyse situations and make informed decisions under pressure. Examples include navigating in a deserted place under complete isolation to safety – this was during summer training trips. 

5 – Resilience: Achieving this was a steep learning curve for me. Understanding the RAF manners and etiquettes was initially tough. Also working across demanding environments was challenging yet incredibly rewarding after. Looking back at it I definitely feel as though I can now easily adapt in any situation, remain resilient and adjust to new tasks to achieve what is required of me. 

 Through the UAS I also had the opportunity to visit RAF Cranwell College, RAF Wittering, RAF Benson and many other RAF sites all over the UK.

Elementary Flying with the RAF

 I also had the opportunity to fly. I flew on the Grob Tudor (115E) at RAF Wittering which taught me the basics of flying. 

Each member is allocated ten hours of flying per year, you can do less or more depending on university commitments. You also complete a 31 hour syllabus – this includes everything from the aircraft itself to pre-check, takeoff and landings. 

I undertook the Elementary Flying Training. This involved taught and practise knowledge of principles of flight, aircraft technical and meteorology. As well as basic, essential skills such as take offs, landings and some aerobatics. Prior to flying I took time out to voluntarily read up on the Pooley’s PPL books. This was a good way to experience what I had learnt in theory was indeed what was happening in reality. For example the slipstream effect, left yaw tendency and the use of rudder and ailerons when initiating turns.

The highlight of my ULAS journey aside from flying was fundraising for the Jon Egging Trust. The trust supports vulnerable young people and gives opportunities to the under-privileged to inspire and empower them to kick-start their flying career, and rightly so! This trust is close to my heart as I understand the struggles of the financial hoops to start flying. Fundraising for the Jon Egging trust was definitely amongst my proudest experiences in ULAS.

I am ever-grateful to the RAF for offering this great opportunity to me as it gifted me my first real chance of flying. I would highly recommend UAS to anyone passionate about aviation. Aside from flying the people you’ll meet and the skills you will acquire are invaluable.

RAF Grob Tutor T1
Flying in the Grob
Flying in the Grob 2
ULAS print – Grob Tutor
Group cadet flights
 

 
 
 
 
 
Ground Crew - WLAC

Ground Crew – West London Aero Club.

Currently I work as a Ground Crew at West London Aero Club. I thoroughly enjoy working for the airfield I work at – we have a great team headed by the ground crew manager. There are not ‘set’ roles as Ground Crew. You will have your priority responsibilities, such as responding to emergency, fire-fighting and rescue. And you’ll have other responsibilities like cutting grass to painting chairs! I’ve learnt leadership, team-working, situational awareness, problem-solving, time management, working under pressure and networking skills through my role as Ground Crew!

Quick selfie in WLAC uniform!

The responsibilities as Ground Crew include: 

– Working with the Ground Crew: members and our team leader to ensure the airfield is maintained to a high standard. To provide a fuelling service to members and visitors. To manoeuvre aircraft carefully and safely. 

– Emergency Response, Fire Crew and Rescue: to any emergency situation on the airfield or within proximity of airfield. 

– Airfield maintenance: such as grass cutting, strimming, litter picks (tough gig) and minor repairs to the clubhouse (i.e. the lounge room). 

– Equipment checks: make sure fire equipment is kept to CAA RFFS standards, lighting equipment and landing/take-off indicators are working. 

– Hangar checks: no fire risks/hazards; tidy and presentable; hangars are locked safely. 

– Fuel checks: these are daily (or bi-daily) checks for contamination. Fill daily fuel for checks and safely store away in cupboard. Reporting fuel numbers onto the fuel sheets and requesting for re-fills when low. Ensure fire extinguishers are put outside in the mornings. 

– Runway checks: for foreign object debris (FOD). Report any dips or irregularities with runway. White lining of the runway numbers if faded. Water the runway (in summer only). Charge runway lights for winter night flying. Put out runway lights on runway (winter only). Airfield perimeter checks. 

More around the fuel responsibilities: 

– I will talk around the fuel responsibilities as this is something we do day in day out. At WLAC, there are 3 fuel types: AVGAS, JET-A1 and UL-91. Tanks have a capacity of approx 22,500 litres. We also have 3 bowsers (JetA1, AVGAS and UL91) at separate areas of the airfield.

On a daily basis I typically would check the dips. When a tank is at 500 litres – you’d place a request for more.

Fuel Checks

When doing fuel checks daily – the below is what we’re looking for:

AVGAS sample: Clear, bright blue (CBB) with NO sediment or H2O

JETA1 sample: Clear, bright uncoloured (CBU) with NO sediment or H2O

UL91 sample: Clear, bright and uncoloured (CBU) with NO sediment or H2O

Record meter readings and tank quantities on daily checks list. Empty old sample into a dump tank and clean container for the new sample. Fill the sample and dip a rod stained with dye. If it turns from brown to red – it is contaminated and further investigation is required. If not then the sample can be stored away in the cupboard for later reference if required. This must be done for all tanks and bowsers.

 

A TYPICAL DAY AS GROUND CREW

Stage 1: Bowser taken for fuelling.
Stage 2: Fuel connected.
Stage 3 – Fire extinguishers ready!
Stage 4: Check remaining fuel.

MORNING: Chair Painting 

After the basic runway/fuel checks (above) I start planning for the sunny summer days by painting the outdoor chairs in metallic green. 10 chairs are painted and now drying in the scorching sun!

 Rotors running re-fuelling

As I drink coffee we get a radio call. “A helicopter is coming in 5 minutes for a rotors running. We need all hands on deck!” We whizz down in our trucks. One person prepares the fuel station whilst the other signals the helicopter from start to finish. Once fuelled we give him the thumbs up and off he goes!

AFTERNOON: Mowing the lawn

It’s 3pm and there’s nothing to do. Right, time to mow the grass! First I start at the runways not in use and cut around the signs. I then mown around hangers and the car park. Before you know it it’s almost 5pm.

LATE AFTERNOON: Night flying.

It’s winter time.. which means one thing. Night flying! It’s time to set the lights out on the active runway. I check the runway lights are fully charged. My buddy and I drive down the runway and position the lights. Papi lights are connected and positioned at the start of the runway. Now all there’s left to do is standby as fire rescue until the last aircraft lands at 9.30pm! 

At the end of the day we lock the fuel station. Lock the hangars. Remove the runway lights. Lock the doors. Time to get a drink!

What a day!