Hammad joined Hillsboro Aero Academy in 2018 from Pakistan and is working on completing the Professional Pilot Program. Read more about his experience at Hillsboro.
- Why do you want to be a pilot and what’s your dream job?
I want to fly for a commercial airline. I was inspired by my brother and father who are pilots. My father was a fighter pilot in the air force in Pakistan and my brother is currently flying in the commercial airlines. I also was always fascinated by the thought of flying since childhood. - What can a potential student expect when starting school?
Flight school is not that hard as long as you are committed to the studying and you should enjoy the flying. Enjoying the flight makes things easier!
- What is the daily time commitment to becoming a pilot?
Initial stages you should fly as much as you can, close to what your instructor recommends. Every day is a different day, different challenges, so you have to be flexible in arranging and adjusting your time. - What is your favorite part of the training at Hillsboro?
The weather! We get all kinds of weather; we can fly in clouds, rain, and sunshine. HAA has good aircraft and good environment to fly. You can fly as much as you want, good facility, safe school policy and it encourages you to fly more. - Why did you choose Hillsboro?
Hillsboro gives you an opportunity to build flight hours professionally through the internship program. The weather and terrain is a big challenge, but it makes you learn and gain new skills that you probably cannot experience elsewhere. Thus, you become a more skilled pilot. - What are some of the biggest challenges when learning to fly?
Since flight training is a big financial investment, you have to be committed by working as much as possible. If you like flying, that would not be much of an issue, but sometimes it can be challenging.Another big challenge is adapting to the routine. Big commitment is needed because we are training as professional pilots, just like we are working in the airlines. I was also in the middle of my university studies when I first started flight training, so I had to organize my schedule accordingly to do full time college and full time flight training.
- Outside of school, what does Oregon offer as far as social life?
Oregon has many beautiful places, I love the Oregon Coast especially if you fly there!