Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
04 July 2016 07:57
easyJet can boast Britain's youngest airline pilot
People who holiday abroad with easyJet might be forgiven for doing a double-take when they see one of its newest pilots entering the cockpit.
Luke Elsworth is 19 years young and is not only the UK's youngest qualified airline pilot, but also one of the most youthful since British aviation records began.
Luke's route to the top
The budget carrier offered the teenager a job in April after he finished an 18-month training course at the Southampton-based CTC Aviation centre.
The now First Officer Elsworth was only nine days past his 18th birthday when he enrolled and is now qualified to take passengers on easyJet routes.
The training programme included:
• flying light planes in the American state of Arizona
• half-a-year's worth of training on a simulator
Successful completion of the course secured him a licence as a multi-crew pilot.
Peace of mind, whoever the pilot is
Most airline passengers jetting off abroad might not care about a pilot's age, as long as they are fully trained.
But peace of mind can be left on the runway if holidaymakers leave without trusted travel insurance.
This is because it means they have to trust to luck as they are uncovered should the worst mishaps happen on holiday.
Insurance protection covers delayed or cancelled flights, stolen luggage and possessions, and mislaid travel documents, such as passports.
What the pilot says
Mr Elsworth believes that it does not matter to travellers how old a pilot is, as long as they are competent enough and fully trained.
He says he would have no problem in travelling in a train driven by an 18 year old and would trust him 100%.
Mr Elsworth told Press Association journalists that he has not yet received any squeamish looks from passengers on account of his lack of years.
He says aptitude and thorough training are more important than a pilot's age.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
[more...]
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.
06 September 2017
Around 1 in 2 GPs do not know that black men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, research has suggested.
05 September 2017
Many middle-aged men have hearts in a condition that makes the organ seem older than the men's actual age, a new study has revealed.
02 September 2017
Every cancer diagnosis should involve a discussion about stress, according to an expert investigating the biological impact of "fight-or-flight" responses.