Matty Zalel

My interest in becoming a pilot began when I was around 14, when I played DCS. I was captivated by the physics and engineering that went into flight, this lead me to take the A-level combination of Physics, Maths, and Chemistry. I was intrigued by the functions of the engine, the genius that went into even just the concept of the turbine. I was on holiday with family to Venice to meet friends when I began explaining the 10:1 bypass ratios and the differences in design doctrine between Boeing and Airbus, boring my company at the table, to the point where now whenever I overexplain something to my sister, the code word is “Airbus” to show me she doesn't understand. I soon realised this was what i wanted to do, flying and travel have played a large part in my life, as i moved to the uk at the age of 10 from a non english speaking country, and I can safely say that the time spent exploring different cultures or visiting friends I hadnt seen in a long time make up some of my happiest memories, and i wished to share this happines with the world. I researched ways to become a pilot, realising it could be extremely costly, before discovering British Airways and Speedbird Academy. I used Speedbird Z to help guide me, speaking to pilots, in order to find out more about my dream job. I realised BA was my way to become a pilot without compromising on my ethical stances while also spreading my passion for travel with the world, helping people to create memories that would impact them for life with a company that understood the value of ethical travel. Astronaut Edgar Mitchell said when he gazed at the earth from the moon that "You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation […..] a desire to help make it better." I believe we can achieve some of the same impact on ourselves through travel and exploring our earth, meeting new people and gaining new perspectives, and understanding the world around us.