One speaker that stood out the most for students during our Year 11 Work Experience Week  was Stef Marandol, a charming ex-navy officer turned British Airways pilot, who has a wicked sense of humour and grew up in Parkfields. 

From a young age, Marandola had always been interested in flying and took a greater interest in becoming a pilot after watching the “iconic” 1986 film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise. At 14 he decided that he no longer wanted to become a pharmacist but had a strong undescricable urge to follow his passion for flying and becoming a pilot. Fortunately for him, his grandfather had served in the RAF and suggested he join the Navy and become a pilot. He visited the Navy office to become a pilot, but was told that in order to be a pilot you must be a Navy officer. He spent 9 years with the military working with the Sea King Helicopters and Fleet Air Arm before leaving to join the British Airways – 20 years ago – which was more convenient for family life. Marandola started at Gatwick airport before moving to Heathrow and becoming a captain 4 years ago. Being a pilot has allowed him to travel all over the world, spend time with family, stay in beautiful hotels (he once stayed in a presidential suite overlooking impeccable views), and meet incredible people. 

He’s had the pleasure of meeting many celebrities, including: Kylie Monogue, Will Smith, all of the Beckhams, Paris Hilton, the Royal Family, Taron Egerton, Dakota Johnson, Henry Cavil etc. Before 9/11, he met Elton John and David Furnish, he recounted a story about how he was a new pilot from the military traveling to Venice on the 737, and received a request asking if they could have a couple of flight deck visitors – which was something people would do before 9/11 – they accepted and Elton John and David Furnish entered the cockpit and were fascinated by it all and “were very inquisitive”. When he told them it was time to leave Elton said jokingly, “That’s a shame we can’t stay here.” They replied, “Well you can,” and John and Furnish ended up spending the whole flight in the jump seats behind them asking questions. 

Marandola exclaimed he loves “when people ask questions because it reminds you that you’re doing a job that’s different”. He mentioned how when he was in school he would always get told off for looking out of the window, ironically years later, he gets paid for looking out of a window. He shared many positive aspects about being a pilot and mentioned how the job is all about teamwork. Marandola says, “It’s a challenging yet rewarding job, and everyday is different.” In his career he hasn’t faced a moment when he’s felt fear and he credits the Navy for its exceptional level of training and also the British Airways because they’ve taught him to remain calm if something goes wrong, however the element of fear does naturally sneak up on him after the situation has passed because like everyone he thinks about the “what ifs”. If you were wondering whether pilots always land using auto land, it’s false, the auto land is only used in emergencies when the pilot can’t see the runway- these rarely happen in modern aeroplanes. Although there are many positives to being a pilot Marandola informed Year 11 about the lack of women pilots. In the British Airways there are 4500 pilots and 450 of them are women this is because back in the day women weren’t allowed to go into action, it’s shocking to see how in 2019 women still only make up 10% however large companies are trying to employ more women so that there is more equality within the career, in the future. 

Many people are concerned with the harm that these large aircrafts are doing to the planet, however, people aren’t aware of the fact that big companies like the British Airways work alongside environmental agencies to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. In the future planes won’t be getting any bigger than the Airbus A380, because airways simply don’t have the capacity to accommodate them, instead future planes will be moving more in the direction of comfort and being more eco-friendly. Companies are looking into using biofuels and creating more efficient engines so that less fuel is used, which is better for the environment. The new aeroplanes are cheaper and better for the environment than older models because they would produce less exhaust fumes which will be better in the long run. It seems as though as a generation we are so quick to judge the older generation for the mess they made and yet we don’t seem to accept any of the blame ourselves, maybe from time to time we should actually do something to aid the environment instead of just reposting or liking posts that spread awareness. When asked what he believes the meaning of life is Marandola replied, “For me the meaning of life is to leave the world in a better state than when you joined.” Maybe we could all try to do something that would make the world a better place, at least once in awhile. 

So how do you become a pilot?

There are many different pathways to becoming a pilot, you can get a flying licence then progress to an instructor’s license then build you hours, or you can attend air training school or you can get sponsorships or, like Marandola, you can join the military. Anyone can become a pilot you don’t necessarily need A-levels or a degree but if you have a passion then you will always find ways to fulfill it. Pilots do either long haul or short haul journeys, a short haul requires you to “bounce around Europe” doing around 4 flights a day (don’t worry they’re short flights) and they require more flying than long hauls. Long hauls take off air borne and travel for around 10-12 hours (or longer) however there is “more quality of life”; currently a pilot will work upto the age of 65 but who knows if the figure will continue rising. Companies have a duty of care and must always look after their pilots and make sure they’re well rested, so being a pilot means staying in fancy hotels (minimum of 4 stars), eating delicious food, free gym membership where you’re staying, and the list goes on.They also get a really good salary in the British Airways a new pilot can earn £45,000 a year, a junior captain can earn £120,000 a year and a senior long haul captain can earn £200,000 a year. If you are interested in becoming a pilot Marandola advises that you must be diligent, devoted and you must keep looking for opportunities, “Anyone can become a pilot.”

Whatever you want to do in life, never give up! If you want advice/guidance on careers or your next steps after GCSE, you can check out the career page on the school website. Or you could speak to Mrs Hogg, the deputy head of sixth form, who is the newly appointed careers advisor in school. She works with indefatigable energy to ensure everyone gets to where they want and deserve to be. At St Edmund’s academy we really are a community, I’ve witnessed first hand all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that every student is safe and doing the best they can. From work experience, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for all the staff and have been inspired to work with the same dedication that they have. Thank you to Mrs Gibbons and Mrs Dell for organising such an eye opening week! And I would personally like to thank everyone in the administration department who have taught me that I should always go above and beyond, and to always try to help others – even if I don’t know what I’m doing half the time! Overall work experience has been a huge success. Well done to everyone who took part. And remember, anyone can do anything!

By Janis Liora Tchiesso Nantchouang