He could talk endlessly about airplanes. Fascinated by technology and technique, he breaks the third dimension, remembering that where physics is used to the maximum, there is room for a great human dream. The moment of getting off the ground has something mystical about it. It combines awareness of the power of science with a sense of romantic freedom – admits Wojciech Hildebrandt, Senior Software Developer at Aspire Systems Poland.

Little Wojtek wanted to become a pilot?

Not quite. Little Wojtek wasn’t sure what he wanted to be (laughs). I vaguely remember a trip with my parents to an aviation picnic – I had to deal with the Polish icon of aviation, Wilga. However, it did not become a breakthrough, I fell in love with aviation only in 2012.

What happened that you fell completely into the sky?

I’ve always been fascinated by the technique and technology of transport. They were interested in the mechanisms that make it possible and the logistical side of such undertakings. It seems to me that this is what has found its focus in aviation, which is the second most advanced form of transport after space flight.

What is the phenomenon of flying?

I look at it as a breakthrough of the third dimension, which historically required a lot of time, effort and ingenuity. I don’t think we’re aware of the use of physics to the maximum – in aviation, this understanding is the basis by which we know what is going on. There’s a saying that a pilot can’t let a plane take him where he wasn’t thinking 5 minutes before.

Have you also tried to construct equipment?

Only imitatively and on a small scale, in the form of reduction models. I trained at the Aero Club in Pruszcz Gdański, where the trainees have at their disposal properly prepared planes, to which the technical service is dedicated. The role of the pilot before the flight is to check whether all the equipment is working properly, whether we have oil and fuel – and if necessary, refill them.

The number of controls isn’t scary?

Training planes are quite simple, so the devices don’t make you dizzy. It’s a completely different perspective than the airliners we fly on vacation or to work. Apart from the visual side, they differ in the level of sophistication of individual mechanisms.

Is the responsibility at the helm also different?

In airliners, a two-man crew sits in the cockpit. Pilots, as with small machines, are responsible for checking that everything is correct. They have a number of established procedures that are the most important element of security. In the Aero Club it is easier, because the plane is not complicated, and many of the most important rules are instilled in the pilots from the very beginning.

What does it feel like to take to the air?

That’s the notorious “wow”! The impression will not be overshadowed even by the longest “dry” preparation. Even before I started the training, I was learning how it works. I went through an intensive theoretical course that lasted over two months, which allowed me to get used to the idea that I would be close to the clouds. I connect the first detachment from the ground with the rudder in my hands with this third dimension, in which we begin to move. Suddenly, we get a sense of the surrounding technology that makes all of this possible, and on the other hand, we have room for romantic freedom!

The one famous in the skies?

A little bit. There is a compromise between freedom and what you have to do on the plane for safety and traffic reasons. A pilot who flies a small tourist plane feels that he has far fewer restrictions than in a scheduled “bus” at an altitude of 10 kilometers.

Have you had the opportunity to pilot a cruise aircraft?

Only on the simulator, because you have to go through a very long training journey to sit in a real cockpit.

How many hours did you have to fly for the instructor to say: “Wojtek, now you”?

In fact, he steers the plane from the very first hour of training. We get the reins, and the instructor next to us assists. According to the program, the first solo flights take place after 10 hours of the course – which is the result of top-down assumptions about how much time you have to fly with an instructor and how much time you have to fly on your own.

Were you afraid before your first solo flight?

Rather, I was filled with emotions about whether everything would go as it should. I didn’t feel any fear that something was going to happen, because the hours I flew with my instructor convinced me that I had done my homework properly. In a small plane, it is much easier to control the situation, because everything happens slowly and there is time to react adequately to the circumstances.

Completely glitch-free?

Emergencies happen. Let’s not forget that the role of the course is to teach the pilot to anticipate and not to allow them to happen.

So there is no place for the Uhlans’ fantasy?

None, although there are surges of emotion.

Do you have nerves of steel?

I can’t allow myself to get too emotional, especially in unforeseen situations. In this case, it is only after the flight that it is worth considering why something went differently than it should. Then it’s time for emotions. At the helm, decisions have to be made coolly. Are nerves of steel? Not even so much – rather, I have the ability to deal with stress.

Has flying become an antidote to stress?

A little bit. But I’m also still wondering how much to continue on the road to more licenses, which would end up being professional.

How difficult is this road?

At the moment, I am the holder of a tourist license, which is the first level in piloting. The training programs assume that up to 150 hours of flight time I can now “drive” in the sky. After that, it would be a good idea to take the course and exam for a commercial license that allows you to fly for a living. The rules strictly state that now, being a tourist pilot, I cannot take a passenger as an air taxi.

Non-commercial friends, family can you?

Yes, I can fly with someone. With a commercial license, I could do some aviation jobs. At the end there is a liner license – and these are the pilots we meet when flying on a business trip or on vacation.

Is it possible to reconcile climbing these levels with work?

This is one of the reasons why I do not throw myself into the deep end of the next levels of initiation. But I have friends who are so determined that they managed to do it and, while working professionally, at the same time brought the subject to the line license.

What is the cost of the license?

If you want to get a line license, you need about 200 thousand zlotys. Pilots say the trick is to fly for as short a time as possible (laughs). It’s worth getting a job as a co-pilot and that’s when the airlines start paying. Only after 1,500 hours can you become a captain, but hardly anyone is able to fly this number for themselves.

Were there moments when the heart stopped?

Fortunately, they were only simulated. A type of derivation of an aircraft from an unfavorable configuration.

What else?

A flight without visibility, which is designed to teach the pilot that if something like this happens to him, he knows how to escape back to good conditions. Real flying without sight is a separate category that is not included in this basic license. You can sometimes see in movies and photos that the pilot flies with a blindfold over his eyes – it’s learning how to turn around safely if you fell into the clouds and can’t see anything.

Is that how you can?

Yes – everything outside the cockpit is covered. Instruments such as the artificial horizon and compasses can still be seen.

Are you the most critical passenger when flying on holiday?

Definitely not. Skills are easiest to judge by the way you land. However, it seems to me that pilots are very tolerant – each of us knows what it is all about. What seems like a beautiful smooth landing to passengers from the perspective of someone with a license may turn out to be not quite the right solution, because the plane has to touch down in the right way. I don’t have enough experience to fully assess the situations that are happening in this large aviation, so I try not to give firm opinions.

What happens in the cockpit then?

Autopilot is a big help, but let’s remember that it’s not like pilots are only there to look at devices. The systems are so complex that it takes two people who are able to coordinate and supervise the equipment. The pilot’s craftsmanship is best seen at take-off and landing – these two moments are the least automated.

At Aspire Systems Poland, do they look at the sky when a plane flies?

I am happy to talk about my passion and share my knowledge at work. There is even a place for it, because we are implementing a project for a client from the aviation industry. I like to talk about the functioning of the facilities, of course at the level at which I fly. I am glad that the group of listeners is growing and I believe that I will ignite someone to start the course. There is even a colleague who has already been convinced!

Interviewed by Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre