The sky’s the limit for high flying student, Daniel Neal of Leicester Forest East, after he has obtained his pilot’s license (PPL) at the age of just 18.
Daniel, a student at Bosworth Community College, is funding his flying-habit, through a part-time cleaning job and estimates he does 20 hours cleaning for just one hour in the sky.
He fell in love with all things aeronautical at the age of six when his ex-RAF grandfather took him to Waddington International Airshow. His flying skills were honed on his computer flight simulator until he could get into a cockpit at the age of 16 and he first flew solo a month after his 17th birthday. Having passed the seven compulsory ground exams with flying colours, Daniel took his final test in January and with ten minutes over the minimum of 45 hours flight experience under his belt, has just received his license. He trained at Sherwood Flying Club in Nottingham.
Daniel is in year 13, studying physics, maths and biology A levels. He says he has received outstanding academic, social and practical support from his college: “The teachers at Bosworth have gone out of their way to help. There’s a lot of theory to the pilot’s license, so they shaped my projects and studies around flying and really made it relevant for me. The college has also helped practically by giving me the cleaning job, so I can continue pay for my flying. They also set up links with other pilots, and really went above and beyond, in their support and enthusiasm.”
Chris Parkinson, principal of Bosworth Community College, is proud of his high-flying student: “As a teacher, you always try to find the spark that will bring studies to life for a student. It is wonderful to see a young person pursue their passion and to see Daniel’s hard work rewarded.”
Daniel’s immediate aim is to complete his night-flying training. Longer term, he hopes to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. If he is not immediately successful in gaining a training place, he plans to study aeronautical engineering at university, before reapplying.