Senior First Officer giving online 1-on-1 classes for ATPL and PPL subjects.

Learn more about Cameron

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  Over 10 years, when I joined an organization called the Air Cadets, here in the UK. This is where both my teaching career, and my career in aviation started. I started off teaching aviation related subjects, such as Principles of Flight and History of the Royal Air Force, to classes up to around 20 students. It was also in this organization where I started flying light aircraft, which has ultimately leaded me to where I am now, flying for one of the biggest airlines in the world.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  As part of the training to become an airline pilot, you must sit 13 theoretical exams. Students pass most of these exams relatively easily, but quite a few of the exams can be quite tough. I offer tuition for 3 of the more difficult subjects in the syllabus. Not only that, but I offer guidance to students on things like picking the right flight school, and organizing how and when they will sit their exams, and the rest of their pilot training. I prefer teaching the actual subjects rather the guidance part of my service, as I often find the guidance part quite boring in all honesty, but I go with whatever helps my students the most!

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  There are a couple of my flight instructors who I will never forget. They were incredibly patient with me when I was learning to fly, and I have also tried to be like them in my manner of teaching. I find you can never be too calm and welcoming with students, you want them to go into exams as cool as a cucumber.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Patience over everything. From your first contact with a student, you want them to feel welcome, and that you have all the time in the world for them. They don't to know that you're busy with other things, or that you need to rush off somewhere. I make all of my students feel like they are my only focus. As a tutor, your knowledge in your subject must be to the point where you can explain a concept in many ways, from many views.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  As a tutor, I am always fully transparent and open. Many of my students approach me for help after failing some or all of their first exams. I find it always comforts them to know that I actually failed an exam myself! Not because I didn't study enough, or I went into the exam without fully understanding the subject, I failed because I didn't show up! I simply put the wrong time into my calendar when I booked the exam, and so when I arrived to the exam office, they sent me away. There is a common misconception in aviation where that if you have failed an exam, you will never get into an airline. This is simply not true, and students seem to like the fact that I have first-hand experience of this.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I can't teach all 13 of the subjects in the syllabus. I'm simply not good enough at some of them, and I would prefer to offer no service rather than a substandard service! This has lead to quite upsetting situations in the past, where a student is eager to continue tuition with me after passing the subjects that I teach, but I simply struggle to take them any further. However, I know run a small group of tutors (myself and 5 others), who together offer all 13 subjects. This has helped students massively, being able to take them from day one, all the way to holding their pilot's licence in their hand.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Although teaching is definitely a passion of mine, aviation itself is my true passion, it's what I live and breathe for. Luckily, I've learnt how to transfer this passion to my students, in the way that I teach and communicate with them.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P)?

  I have a proven track record of students passing their exams. In the past 3 months alone, I have delivered over 150 hours of tuition, and my students have passed over 30 of their exams. I don't consider myself a tutor just for the hour I spend with my students, I am their tutor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have a WhatsApp group chat with all my current students in it, where I post things from work, to keep all of my students inspired. My students all know that they can message or call me whenever they want, and I will be there for them.