Dear Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your kind generosity as a sponsor to my flying scholarship with the Air League. This letter will detail how the flying scholarship has benefitted me and has fuelled my motivation to pursue a career in aviation.

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for supporting me in this scholarship. This financial assistance has been an incredibly jumpstart towards achieving my Private Pilot’s license (PPL). This has no doubt opened doors for a brighter future in aviation, one that will see me take the skies as an airline pilot.

My name is Mubashar Yasin. Being raised in a low-income background flying was never an option financially. As a result, I pursued a different career – one in the field of healthcare. However, as I reflect on my childhood I recall the immense fascination of the Boeing 777s and the mighty GE90 roar on approach to London Heathrow. Staring up to the mini Cessnas on final to Booker. And catching quick glimpse of Speedbird forever disappearing into the evening clouds.

From the age of 6, a love story fuelled between planes and me. One day I hope to be an airline pilot and achieve my longing dream to soar the skies. For now, I work in Medical sales and as Ground Crew. I’ve also been in the RAF Air Squadron and look forward to continuing my journey as a Civilian Instructor at the RAF.

My flying lessons took place at Booker Aviation (EGTB), High Wycombe – just minutes away from my house. I flew with Steve on the Piper PA28-161 Warrior II. Through your scholarship I achieved a milestone – my first landing! This is an experience I’ll never forget. I will give you a snapshot of how it went. Just above my house the runway was in sight. I hear my instructors voice echo in my mind – “Bash, always maintain a steady descent”. I carefully adjust the throttle, stabilise the approach with a laser eye on airspeed, heading and descent. It’s a fine-line between stick and rudder. As I descent down the runway I can see we’re heading for an impending stall. I slowly adjust power and flare. I hold the flare until it looks as though we’re sinking. Moments after… we have our ‘buttery’ touchdown. First landing on my own – complete! A wave of euphoria washes over me. A defining milestone. A milestone that fuels drive and vows determination to continue learning and developing on competencies to become a proficient airman.

I shall continue to save up more for the next lessons and maximise opportunities by applying for scholarships where possible. For now the next step will be to log more hours and complete my first solo! Once I achieve my PPL I will start building hours for my commercial pilot’s license.

Once again, I am forever grateful for your generosity and unwavering support to the Air League. I strive to become an exceptional pilot, always mindful of the values and principles the foundation stands for. Your philanthropic efforts are truly making a difference in the lives of all individuals across the four places you have lived or worked.

With sincere appreciation,

Mubashar Yasin.

Awarded 5-hour flying scholarship – 2023.