Meet the GAC Member - Matt Bristow Slade

01st December 2024

Meet Matt Bristow Slade, a Goodwood Aero Club member, who recently passed his Private Pilot License (PPL) at Goodwood Flying School. Matt is currently studying for his Commercial ATPL exams.

  • Flying

  • Aviation

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What do you do outside of flying?
I am currently studying for my Commercial ATPL exams. Prior to this, I worked full-time. I love attending events at Goodwood whenever I can, and I enjoy exploring new places and traveling to different countries—which fits perfectly with my passion for flying!

Have you always had an interest in flying?
I've been interested in flying all my life and it's always been a dream of mine to make it a career. I never thought I’d reach the point I’m at today, but with hard work and dedication, I’m finally here! As a teenager, I joined the RAF cadets, which gave me valuable insights into the aviation world, from basic flying experience to the theory behind it. As a child, I also attended as many airshows as I could convince my parents to take me to!

How has your flying journey at Goodwood been?
My flying experience at Goodwood has been amazing. Due to my passion of pursuing a career in aviation, I had my sights set on being the best pilot I could be from the outset and the Flying School have catered for that passion extremely well! All of the flight instructors are invested in you and your progression throughout getting your licence, they are more than happy to go above and beyond with any potential struggles that you may face as an individual. It is amazing as you can really build a bond with the instructors. I was amazed at how accommodating the whole team in the Flying School were with fitting your lessons in and catering them to each individual. 

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Image credit: Johnathan Swann

What was the best piece of advice you were given?
The best piece of advice that I was given by one of my instructors, is that you will never stop learning along your aviation journey, you need to keep your mind open and always want to better yourself. The safest pilots are the ones always willing to learn.

What was the hardest part of doing your PPL?
The hardest part for me about doing my PPL was making sure that I was always ready and prepared for my lessons before turning up for them. Due to my busy schedule outside of doing my Private Licence, it meant I was trying to fit lots into a short time frame. The whole PPL syllabus comes with theory books which help you with your theory test knowledge and the actual theory behind the practical flying, before each lesson I made sure that I would pre-brief on what I would be learning that day before turning up, so when I did arrive, we could have a prompt brief with the instructor and get up flying and I knew what to expect that lesson.

Now that you have passed, what’s next?
Now that I have gained my PPL, I’m qualified to begin my Commercial Flight Training, which I’m undertaking at a commercial flight school along the modular route. My ultimate goal is to fly fulltime for an airline, and I also plan to earn my Flight Instructor License so I can help new pilots starting their own journeys in aviation.

If you are interested in learning to fly at Goodwood, learn about all of Our Courses

  • Flying

  • Aviation