Blackpool was the first place I ever flew out of. My parents bought me a flight for my 17th birthday. It was the bumpiest of my life but fortunately it didn't put me off. I'd wanted to be a
pilot since I was 14. As soon as I realised you didn't have to be a scientist to fly a plane it made me think, 'I might actually be able to do this.'
Keeping calm and being able to concentrate are really important in this job. My uniform is always ironed the night before I fly and I arrive at the airport half an hour before my report time. If you're rushing, you end up thinking about the wrong things and
it's important to be focused and in the right mindset.
St Elmo's fire is the most stunning thing I've seen while flying. It looks like thin spidery lines of lightning and is created when you fly through areas of static caused by nearby thunderstorms. It's harmless but beautiful. I used to fly in Asia and often saw it there.
The approach to land is my favourite part of flying. As you descend, air traffic control give you speeds and heights, which you need to reach at specific points. Every day, various factors, such as the weather, mean the approach is slightly different. It's like a puzzle you have to solve.
I've flown about 2,500 hours and at the moment do short-haul flights around Europe. One day I'd love to fly to New York on the Boeing 747 jumbo.
Recently Heston Blumenthal was on the plane. He's a great chef and it was brilliant to have him on board. My mum keeps saying if I ever have George Clooney on my flight I have to go and say hi. For her, not for me of course!
Interview: Ianthe Butt
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