<p><img alt="Jieun" src="/getasset/f44f0aba-f3d4-4484-b367-16b5c4938cc6/" /></p>
<p>My name is Jieun Kwon. I am a 32-year-old woman from Seoul, South Korea, and over the next 18 months I will be delighted to share with you my experiences as I train to become a commercial airline pilot.</p>
<p>Like many future pilots, my aviation career began as cabin crew. I had studied marketing at university in the UK, but when I returned to Korea I knew, deep down, that I didn’t want to pursue an office-based marketing job. I was hungry to do something more active – hungry to travel, and to see the world.</p>
<p>When I found out Emirates was interviewing for cabin crew positions in Korea, I leapt at the opportunity, got the job and never looked back. </p>
<p>I worked for Emirates between 2016 and 2018, and although I was primarily based in the cabin, you see enough of the cockpit to begin to understand a pilot’s work. Every flight I would have access to the cockpit – be it chatting with the pilots pre-flight or delivering their meals when in the air. Not only do you see how the plane is flown, but you start to see the whole aviation experience in a completely different way.</p>
<p>After an inspiring conversation with female pilot colleague at Emirates about her life and work, I too started fostering aspirations to step up from the cabin to the cockpit. But I knew that doing so was easier said than done, and there was a vast range of considerations to take into place. Where in the world would be the best place to study – Europe, America or Asia? Which licence should I work towards – the CPL or MPL? Would I even be able to afford it?</p>
<p>Another question I asked myself was – is this definitely the right career for me as a woman? It is estimated that, for various reasons, just 3% of the world’s commercial pilots are women. But I knew from both female and male colleagues the job isn’t about gender, it is about your attitude and skills.</p>
<p>As it happens, I knew some fellow Korean women who also happened to be ex-cabin crew and were studying to become pilots. They were doing so at Alpha Aviation Academy UAE, one of the Middle East’s leading pilot training providers who provide Air Arabia with their pilots via the Airline Pilot MPL programme.</p>
<p>I did my research into various courses around the world before I too settled on Alpha Aviation Academy. I settled on Alpha Aviation Academy because I wanted the experience of a new climate and culture in the Middle East, coupled with positive recommendations and a guarantee of 1,500 hours experience and a job as Second Officer upon the successful completion of the course. I chose the Airline Pilot MPL because, in just 18 months, it provides me with all the skills I require to fly an Airbus A320. And I favoured Air Arabia because, as the Middle East’s leading low-cost airline, they represented a regional success story and a company I one day wanted to be part of.</p>
<p>Of course, everyone will have different requirements, and it is vital anyone considering becoming a pilot really takes their time and does their due diligence on all the options out there.</p>
<p>Firstly, you need to consider where in the world you want to fly, and what kind of aircraft, to ensure you are suitably trained to the necessary requirements.</p>
<p>Secondly, learning to become a pilot can be an expensive undertaking – courses can vary from between £40,000 up to £120,000 depending on the Academy and type of training you do. Some academies offer study-now-pay-later schemes to help with the costs, while some airlines can help directly finance courses, but the overall costs do need to be considered.</p>
<p>As I start my journey towards becoming a fully licenced pilot, I do so with a mixture of excitement and slight apprehension!</p>
<p>I am hugely looking forward to the course ahead, but I know over the coming months there will be some difficult and challenging times too. Yes, I am excited to learn new skills, but I am equally enthusiastic about the personal experience along the way. All of which I will be sharing with you throughout the course, starting next month with insights on the Alpha Aviation Academy UAE application process and Ground School first steps.</p>
<p>My name is Jieun Kwon. I am a 32-year-old woman from Seoul, South Korea, and over the next 18 months I will be delighted to share with you my experiences as I train to become a commercial airline pilot.</p>
<p>Like many future pilots, my aviation career began as cabin crew. I had studied marketing at university in the UK, but when I returned to Korea I knew, deep down, that I didn’t want to pursue an office-based marketing job. I was hungry to do something more active – hungry to travel, and to see the world.</p>
<p>When I found out Emirates was interviewing for cabin crew positions in Korea, I leapt at the opportunity, got the job and never looked back. </p>
<p>I worked for Emirates between 2016 and 2018, and although I was primarily based in the cabin, you see enough of the cockpit to begin to understand a pilot’s work. Every flight I would have access to the cockpit – be it chatting with the pilots pre-flight or delivering their meals when in the air. Not only do you see how the plane is flown, but you start to see the whole aviation experience in a completely different way.</p>
<p>After an inspiring conversation with female pilot colleague at Emirates about her life and work, I too started fostering aspirations to step up from the cabin to the cockpit. But I knew that doing so was easier said than done, and there was a vast range of considerations to take into place. Where in the world would be the best place to study – Europe, America or Asia? Which licence should I work towards – the CPL or MPL? Would I even be able to afford it?</p>
<p>Another question I asked myself was – is this definitely the right career for me as a woman? It is estimated that, for various reasons, just 3% of the world’s commercial pilots are women. But I knew from both female and male colleagues the job isn’t about gender, it is about your attitude and skills.</p>
<p>As it happens, I knew some fellow Korean women who also happened to be ex-cabin crew and were studying to become pilots. They were doing so at Alpha Aviation Academy UAE, one of the Middle East’s leading pilot training providers who provide Air Arabia with their pilots via the Airline Pilot MPL programme.</p>
<p>I did my research into various courses around the world before I too settled on Alpha Aviation Academy. I settled on Alpha Aviation Academy because I wanted the experience of a new climate and culture in the Middle East, coupled with positive recommendations and a guarantee of 1,500 hours experience and a job as Second Officer upon the successful completion of the course. I chose the Airline Pilot MPL because, in just 18 months, it provides me with all the skills I require to fly an Airbus A320. And I favoured Air Arabia because, as the Middle East’s leading low-cost airline, they represented a regional success story and a company I one day wanted to be part of.</p>
<p>Of course, everyone will have different requirements, and it is vital anyone considering becoming a pilot really takes their time and does their due diligence on all the options out there.</p>
<p>Firstly, you need to consider where in the world you want to fly, and what kind of aircraft, to ensure you are suitably trained to the necessary requirements.</p>
<p>Secondly, learning to become a pilot can be an expensive undertaking – courses can vary from between £40,000 up to £120,000 depending on the Academy and type of training you do. Some academies offer study-now-pay-later schemes to help with the costs, while some airlines can help directly finance courses, but the overall costs do need to be considered.</p>
<p>As I start my journey towards becoming a fully licenced pilot, I do so with a mixture of excitement and slight apprehension!</p>
<p>I am hugely looking forward to the course ahead, but I know over the coming months there will be some difficult and challenging times too. Yes, I am excited to learn new skills, but I am equally enthusiastic about the personal experience along the way. All of which I will be sharing with you throughout the course, starting next month with insights on the Alpha Aviation Academy UAE application process and Ground School first steps.</p>