Emmanuel Mills-Lamptey - My Pilot Training Journey
- Published
- Duration 3 minute read
Hi, my name is Emmanuel Mills-Lamptey, and I am currently studying for my ATPL at L3Harris Airline Academy.
Growing up as a child from Ghana in West-Africa, I was first exposed to the world of aviation right from my home at an early age of around six years old. My father was at the peak of his career as a pilot himself. By the time I was born, he was flying the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 for our home-base national airline, Ghana Airways.
I sat in the jump-seat and observed my father fly me from Accra, Ghana to Heathrow, London and John F Kennedy International Airport, New York on many occasions. I caught the aviation bug very quickly after these experiences and I have never wanted to do anything else besides flying airplanes as an airline pilot!
After graduating from university with a degree in engineering in 2013, I begun to pursue my life-long dream of becoming an airline pilot. I got enrolled on the Integrated ATPL program at L3Harris Airline Academy in 2016.
Two years later, I was fortunate to have been awarded a scholarship from the government of Ghana after my parents supported me with initial tuition fee payments.
My training at L3Harris Airline Academy started in September 2018 at Hamilton Airport, New Zealand, where I spent my first few months on the ground studying ATPL theory subjects and taking exams.
After successfully completing ground school, I started my basic flying and completed my first solo on October 18 2019.
My training was stopped in March 2020 after the global pandemic hit.
It was such a difficult and painful experience having my life on hold for three years back in Ghana. I kept the faith and believed my dream would still happen! I eventually got my scholarship renewed and training continued!
I am currently back on track flying the Multi-Engine Piper Seminole PA44 at L3Harris Flight Academy training base at Sanford Airport in Orlando, Florida.
It has taken me 10 years since I started this journey from Ghana to New Zealand, to the United Kingdom and now currently in the United States of America to get to this point.
I really hope this inspires many to never ever give up and to fight the good fight of faith and continue to press on towards whatever goal is set!