A NEW billboard ad for an airline has caused a stir – because a real-life pilot was attached to it
In central London the easyJet pilot could be heard saying “this is your pilot speaking” to passers-by as they were strapped to an Airbus A320 pilot seat.
PABrits were stunned by a real pilot attached to a billboard[/caption]
Part of a recruitment drive, members of the public were invited to take an interactive test to see if they’ve got what it takes to fly a plane.
Volunteers were tested on their ability to handle pressure, their spatial awareness, their reaction times, and more.
Ann McKenzie, who was one of those who took up the challenge, said: “I’ve always loved travelling and seeing the world, but I didn’t think I’d discover that I have the right skills to become a pilot on my Wednesday morning commute.
“I might have to think of a career change after getting such a strong test result and quizzing a female pilot.”
The interactive campaign from the airline aims to inspire a new generation of pilots and debunk prevalent misconceptions about the role, such as the need for a university degree, prior engineering experience, or 20/20 vision.
The test does not require any prior aviation knowledge, and checks people’s abilities such as sense of direction and reaction speeds.
It follows research of 2,000 Brits which revealed 50 per cent don’t know what qualifications are needed to fly a commercial airliner.
Nearly six in 10 (57 per cent) believe a university degree is required to become a pilot, and 80 per cent reckon 20/20 vision is a necessity – when neither are in fact needed.
Captain Sarah Ackerle, who was suspended to the ad, is one of the 300 women now flying for easyJet, including 99 captains, making up 7.5 per cent of the airline’s pilots – compared to the UK industry average of 6.5 per cent.
She said: “Tackling gender stereotyping within aviation has been a long-standing mission for easyJet and I’m excited to be part of this latest campaign that’s allowing people to get a real insight into what skills are really important to do this job and encourage more women into the profession.
“It’s an immensely rewarding career that I’m proud to champion and I hope by more people taking our new interactive test, they can challenge themselves to discover a talent they never knew they had, and I hope to see them flying with us in the future.”
PAThe scheme is part of the budget airlines recruitment drive[/caption]“}]]