Chasing the skies: My journey as a teenager from PASSION to PROFESSION

Looking at pilots, dreaming when it'd be my day. That was the one thought that carried me until I was 12 every time I went to the airport.

The day I turned 12..., I felt something strange like I needed to fulfill. The whole night, I spent tossing and turning, thinking about my future, being a pilot was hard, and I knew. I'd seen so many videos on "Why NOT to become a pilot" which deeply etched onto my little, fragile heart... it hurt indeed.

But then one night, my father who was always the lighthearted, carefree one in my family, jokingly said-

"Being a pilot is so expensive! You should take a better, cheaper career."

To this day, I still don't know whether he was joking or trying to play it down by being funny, but either way, it stuck with me.

For the first time, my dream felt like a distant star-beautiful, shining but so far away. As I dove deeper into the videos of pilots, away from the negative side, I realized something very important. Everyone who ended up in the cockpit never had an easy path.

Dreams don't come true just because you want them to. They come true because you have to fight for them.

And so, that night as I stared up the ceiling. I knew, I realized, I knew one thing -I would never give up and I would never let fear steal my future because one day it would be my turn to take off.

Despite all the doubts, I knew one thing- I wasn't gonna sit around and wait.. but wait...(pun intended) where does a teenager even begin?

My baby steps to becoming a Pilot.

First, I began researching aviation. I watched as many videos of aviation as I could. Learning about the different types of licenses and how I would become a commercial pilot by landing a Private Pilot License (PPL) and a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and also, that experience is EVERYTHING, I REPEAT EVERYTHING.

Soon I realized, that knowledge wasn't enough- I needed a plan, a good plan. Flight school is expensive, so I started looking into scholarships, Emirates, Etihad, Sharjah Aviation Academy, etc... Soon, I realized health was very essential for pilots, being someone with asthma let's just say that was quite shocking, nevertheless, I pushed on.

Most importantly, as someone who's researched extensively on Aviation, if you're a teen or preteen (or anything), focus on studying Geography, Physics, English, and Math.

Why you ask? Geography so that you know more about the weather conditions of that area, the physical landforms, etc... Math because you need to do fast calculations in air, Physics because you learn a lot about aerodynamics in flight school, and English because it's the international language of aviation.

One important lesson I learned is, that major airlines are very picky with their employees, especially Emirates. From hair color, to how your nails are cut to the smallest fading tattoos on your arm can get you fired.

Another piece of advice I would give you is never stop learning, the aviation industry is ever-changing, so stay up to date by reading articles, reading books, and watching documentaries(they're fun, trust me!) about Aviation.

Please remember one thing, the aviation industry is not just about flying. It's about teamwork, communication, and the endless learning that goes into being a pilot.

No matter how hard life hits you, let your heart be stronger.

Yep, that's all for now. I've just begun my journey and I hope to take you with me! Just remember, if you have a dream that feels like a distant star, keep going, you will reach your dream and then look back proudly.