PILOT CAREERS LIVE 2026 EDITION!
Exhibiting.
I was at the Sofitel Heathrow last weekend volunteering with The Air League at Pilot Careers Live.
Most of my time was spent on the stand, speaking to people interested to hear what we have to offer! It was also great meeting some familiar faces in aviation – and many friends who I’ve only ever spoken to online!
Outside of the stand, I made a point of getting around properly. I spoke with Jet2.com and sat in on their talk, which was useful because it grounded things in reality — not just the “why aviation” side, but what they actually expect from people coming through. It’s easy to romanticise the job, but sessions like that bring it back to standards, consistency, and the bigger picture of the operation – especially the lifestyle – which a lot of people don’t actually consider deep down!
Walking around.
I spoke to the University of West London about their aviation pathways, The Air Pilots, and Heathrow Medical about the medical side of things — which is something people don’t think about enough until later.
But the part that stayed with me most was still the conversations back at the Air League stand. Someone asking a question they weren’t sure was “good enough”. Someone coming back later after thinking things through. You realise it’s not about giving perfect answers — it’s about creating a space where people feel comfortable enough to ask in the first place. That’s what we’re all about!
For me, it was a bit of a reset as well. It’s easy to get stuck in your own head with applications and interviews, but stepping back and helping someone else navigate those early stages brings a bit of perspective back.
I left tired, but in a good way. The kind where you know you’ve had conversations that actually mattered.
And if there’s one thing I took from it — it’s that aviation is super small and you’ll meet people you met years ago and have a great old catch up! It’s refreshing seeing people who once spoke about their dreams – have finally made it a reality!