I Got Hired: Cadet Pilot at Leading Edge Aviation

Posted on: 28 October 2023 by Richard Finch in Graduate stories

Adam Nadeem is a Class of 2022 BA (Hons) Geography graduate who is now a Cadet Pilot at Leading Edge Aviation.

I knew I wanted to start pilot training long before my time in Liverpool. So, for me, after I'd completed my degree, I knew what steps came next. I did this within a few months of graduating following recommendations from friends who had attended Leading Edge Aviation previously.

After graduating from University I attended an open day at the flight school to decide whether Leading Edge Aviation was for me, and a few weeks later I attended my entrance assessment. Thankfully I was successful, and I then enrolled on the November 2022 course intake.

The course is split into ground school theory (6-7 months) and flying (12 months). My months in Ground School were the most challenging of my educational journey thus far, where I completed 13 regulatory exams for the UK Civil Aviation Authority. I graduated Ground School in July of this year.

At time of writing (Summer 2023), I am in Spain undertaking the foundation flying stage of the training. I am based in Alhama de Murcia until mid-October where I will return to the UK and complete my training at the school's Oxford campus. I am very much enjoying the flying!

My favourite experience this far was either graduating from Ground School and receiving my first stripe, this brought me a great sense of achievement and relief! However, single flying started lining up on the runway for the first time here in Alhama with me at the controls was a proud moment!

The most challenging part of my time at University was probably the pandemic. COVID-19 came right in the middle of my second year, where we were sent home and had to complete studies remotely. Thankfully in my final year we were able to return to campus and have face to face lectures and teaching sessions.

In terms of the degree itself, the biggest challenge for me was my dissertation. A 10,000-word, independent report with little input from supervisors etc. It took a lot of dedication, time management and thorough research. I wanted to keep my topic aviation specific while linking to Geographical problems in the world at present, so I chose to explore aviation sustainability. I very much enjoyed the research process, reading documents and reports but also conducting interviews with industry members such as pilots and airport executives. Getting it all down into words was the challenge, but I managed it and obtained a First-Class mark!

My 3 top tips are:

1. Work hard! - it can seem like a lot of work and sometimes deadlines can be tough to meet, but push through, give it your all and you will reap the rewards in the long run!

2. Join societies! - there will be something for everyone, even if it's just one, join a club or society that interests you and don't be afraid to get stuck in! You will meet likeminded people and make new friends!

3. Do take some time for yourself - University can be intense and require hard work, but don't forget to look after yourself. Especially if living away for the first time, take time to settle in and get your bearings around the city and explore!"