In this blog, we hear from Bristol Groundschool student Stuart McInally, a former Scotland rugby player, who has turned his career to aviation.
From a young age, Stuart dreamed of becoming a pilot, he could always see his future in aviation. ‘I always wanted to be a pilot. That kid you see at the airport; hand on the glass, staring out the window watching the planes take off and land, that was me.’
However, towards the tail end of school, he was becoming very good at rugby and was getting selected for regional teams. His original goal was to attend university to study aerospace engineering, and from there go on to become a pilot. At this time, he was also getting more and more interest from rugby teams and got the opportunity to play professionally for Edinburgh. Stuart said: ‘Then rugby came along and suddenly there was a new dream, to play for Edinburgh and Scotland.’
Stuart decided to go all in on rugby and his dream of becoming a pilot would take a back seat for now.
After a few years of playing rugby professionally, he decided he wanted to get the ball rolling towards his aviation career – so in 2014, he started his PPL. For the next couple of years, he spent his days off and free time focussing on passing his PPL.
What made you choose the modular route over integrated?
After successfully passing his PPL in 2016, Stuart then went on to his ATPLs and his hour building. ‘I always knew I wanted to do my ATPL ground with BGS. They have an excellent reputation in the space and it seemed whoever I spoke to for advice on where to study, the conversation always ended up back with Bristol.’
Stuart knew that modular training would be the best route to fit in with his lifestyle, especially when he found out that his wife was expecting twins. One of the great aspects of modular training is that it can fit around a busy schedule, making it easier for people to pursue a career change. ‘I knew that BGS would suit my lifestyle really well. Being a present dad is extremely important to me, and the course on offer is one which can fit around my family commitments.’
Did Bristol Groundschool meet your expectations?
‘Yes, I love how the CBT works. I love how you can be held accountable visually on the App’s dashboard, and how you can set your target dates and see your progress as you progress through the course. It’s quite obvious that when you have fallen behind your target date you then focus on catching up, which is great!’
‘With the Bristol course, you’re very well-prepared for the exams, the progress tests help with that and so does their question bank.’
What would be your main advice for someone who wants to make that big step in a career change?
‘Do your research. Speak to people in the space, those who have successfully come out the other side of the training alongside those who are currently studying. I gained a huge amount of insight from doing this and it has definitely helped me plan a realistic timeline of when I can hopefully be airline-ready. I would also encourage anyone interested to get flying as early as possible. It will confirm it’s definitely right for you plus you begin logging those vital hours from day 1.’
What’s next?
Stuart is nearing completion of his ATPLs at Bristol Groundschool and he then plans to complete the rest of his training before applying for his first job on the flight deck.
