Not every pilot steps straight into the cockpit after leaving school – many have other professions or studies before making a career change. Such is the case for our newest edition of the Alumni Spotlights series, this month featuring Juan Aragón of Course 230.

 

Despite developing an early interest in the world of aviation, using flight simulators and plane spotting at any opportunity he could get, Juan saw that there was some unemployment within the industry and huge costs of entry to into training when he was in high school, so he made the decision to study Medicine at university. While in his third year, he briefly considered leaving university to pursue aviation as a career, until COVID-19 delayed his plans and so continued with his studies. Finally, recognising that after the pandemic there would likely be a boom in the industry, Juan finally left university to join FTEJerez in 2022.

Juan described his training experience at FTE as both challenging and rewarding. He managed to complete his training relatively early, thanks to his continued motivation to fly as often as possible. He recalls that the workload during his CPL and IR stages was intense, involving rigorous schedules and sometimes back-to-back flights, which he found demanding but ultimately beneficial. During his time at FTE, Juan also operated in the pseudo-pilot scheme that still runs today, in which cadets of the flight school act as pilots to assist FTE’s large number of ATC students with their own studies. The role eventually led him to become an ATC instructor at the school while he was looking for jobs, and credits the process with helping him develop his both RT phraseology and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the ATC role, even in his current capacity as a First Officer.

Currently flying for TUIfly Belgium, he emphasises the airline’s unique culture of manual flying, which Juan believes has helped develop him into a better pilot. A typical day involves early starts, a mix of domestic and international flights, and sometimes night stops, especially when flying to destinations like Morocco or across further parts of Europe. Despite the busy schedule, he balances his flying career with sports, socialising, and travel, valuing the importance of downtime to maintain well-being.

Juan reflects on the significance of enjoying the process and recognising progress, recalling his first solo flight at FTE and his first passenger flight at the airline as moments that marked milestones in his career. His advice for aspiring and current FTE students would be to prepare thoroughly for interviews, study consistently, and be genuine during airline selection assessments. He also stresses the importance of enjoying the learning process and maintaining a positive attitude throughout training, recognising that resilience and routine play vital roles in managing stress and achieving success.

We thoroughly enjoyed our discussion with Juan – if you’d like to find out more about his story then please continue to read the interview with him in full below!

 

 

What motivated you to become a pilot?

I have always been motivated to be a pilot. However, at the time of leaving school there were high unemployment rates within the industry and training costs were high. Because of this, along with the fact that my parents don’t really like flying (they still don’t to this day!), they encouraged me to go to university and study Medicine.

After studying for 5 years, and predicting that after the COVID-19 pandemic that there will be a huge demand for pilots as the industry recovers, I saw an opportunity to start my training, which I finished in 2022 after 13 months at FTEJerez.

 

How did you cope with the demands of ground school?

“The subjects are tough, no doubt, but studying with others made it much easier and much more enjoyable”

It was certainly made easier coming from a background of studying something which despite finding interesting, I knew it was not really what I wanted to do. Moving into ground school, and studying something that I found both interesting and knew would help me on my journey, it was much easier and more enjoyable. The subjects are still tough – at times I found it harder than studying for my medical degree – but being in the FTE atmosphere and studying with other people made it much easier.

 

What were some of the challenges you faced in the flying phase of training?

“The workload in the IF phase is demanding, but ultimately having that consistency helped when moving to the ME phase”

I found the CPL phase alright, but the workload in the IF phase was really challenging. Myself and one of my classmates were flying all the time, sometimes back-to-back flights or sim sessions. It was very demanding to try and stay on top of everything at the same pace as we were going through the training. Ultimately, I do think having that consistency helped us when it came to flying the DA42.

 

 

Highlights throughout your journey?

“My first solo at FTE and my first flight with passengers at the airline. Both marked huge milestones in my career – I’ll never forget them”

There are so many highs and lows throughout the whole process. But in terms of things that stand out to me the most, I would have to say my first solo flight at FTE, and also my first flight with passengers at the airline. I remember looking at all the baggage being loaded onto the aircraft, all the people getting on to go on holiday, and thinking “this is it!”. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

 

Advice for prospective/current students at FTE?

“Enjoy the moment. Celebrate small wins. And also try to enjoy what you are studying, because you will use it everyday”

Try to be present. Enjoy the learning process and do what you can to recognise the significance of what you are learning and why. I revisit subjects like Air Law and Ops procedures every day when I fly. What you study in FTE will not be forgotten. Try to study little and often – don’t let it build up at the end. Keep on top of things while you can because the workload does increase in the IF, CPL and MCC stages.

 

 

If you or someone you know would like to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight Series, please reach out to us at president@fteturbojet.com or careers@fteturbojet.com.