High flying Oleksandr finds his passion in the clouds

Date
July 11, 2019
Hot topics 🔥
Team & Company News
Contributor
Paula Ferrai
High flying Oleksandr finds his passion in the clouds

We’re back with another segment of our Brainiac Hobbies series where we dig a little deeper into the personal lives of our loveable Brainiacs (in a non-creepo way) to discover what makes them tick. This week we sat down with the ever-friendly Oleksandr to find out a bit more about what butters this Java/Hybris whisperer’s toast in his spare time. Before we start may we ask you to please stow your tray tables in front of you and return your seat to the upright position. Buckle up, we’re about to take off…

Q: What made you interested in flying and becoming a pilot?

I became interested in aircraft when I was 3 years old when I attended an airshow for the first time. I was so impressed by the incredible aerobatics and size of the fighter jets. I remember at that time I was slightly shorter than the height of the nose wheel.

Q: When did you learn to fly?

When I was at school I started to play serious technical aeroplane simulators on PC where I would pretend to operate modern and WW2 planes. This inspired me so much that I wanted to fly a real plane. But life got in the way and my passion had to take a back seat during my studies until finally last year I decided to learn to fly a proper plane. It’s actually easy to fly a plane while in the air. Anyone can do it after a short explanation and assistance from the instructor pilot.

I think everyone should try it at least once. My experience from playing PC simulators was enough for me to have a greater understanding of how to fly a plane. The instructor pilot handed me control of the plane and after several minutes I got used to flying it. The most difficult parts of a flight are the takeoff and landing, so people without a license are not allowed to perform landings and takeoffs so my instructor got us safely back to the ground.

Q: Do you have a favourite type of plane?

I don’t have one favourite plane in particular, I like all flying things. During my vacation in Turkey, I flew a paraglider and enjoyed it very much. The exhilaration of flight and aerial views of the lagoon were incredible. Maybe I’ll try some other type of aircraft in the future. My next goal is to perform aerial acrobatics in a plane!

Q: When do you go flying and which areas do you fly through?

I usually fly in Kharkiv city. It’s possible to fly throughout the whole year but sometimes the weather is poor for flying at the end of the autumn and winter. I couldn’t fly in these months last year because the clouds were too low. But maybe this year I’ll get lucky.

Q: What are the dangers you can experience when flying?

If you can handle the basic mechanics it’s really safe to fly a plane, especially with an instructor by your side. It’s hard to do something wrong accidentally as there are processes you need to follow in order to get airborne. There are also light planes with rescue parachute systems for the whole aircraft, which is rarely used but still nice to know if the situation gets a little dangerous!

Paula Ferrai

Paula leads our Marketing & Communications team. She’s a brand strategy expert and is perpetually excited about connecting the dots. She loves scuba-diving, yoga, and having fun with her son.

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