MY PILOT AND ENGINEERING JOURNEY

Hello everyone...I mean I am not sure anyone will take a read at this but oh well. My name is Andrea Troso, I am 17 years old and I am an Italian National Living in the UK. I currently hold a Level 3 Extended BTEC Diploma in Aeronautucal engineering and are a student pilot flying tigermoth at Cambridge Flying Group. I served in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) for 5 years, and started when I was 13 years old. Follow my jounrey to soaring the skies!!

[iampilotandre]

THE MAN HIMSELF

My Grandad what an amazing man he is, he is a true hero to me. He has helped me so much along this journey, and supported me so much. Wince I had told him at the journey of 14 I wanted to become a pilot, in his own way he has helped me. My grandad, I would call him well off, or maybe close to wealthy, I am not sure but he has done his part and beyoandin helping my dreams of flight come true. Here we are pictured "a le piscine" as he calls them. A small bar with a gym, restaurant and outside pool for the summers. On this day we had come to grab a breakfast at the restaurant which is up on the Vesuvius, the Neapolitan volcano which I have always wanted to climb up, and I still have plans of hiking it in the summer sometime soon, and also I have always wanted to climb to its peak on my bicycle. I know that is some great feat to achieve, but I will do it...it is another for the bucket list. In the meantime as need to focus on getting my fitness rates up ever so slightly again. The man, the legend, the myth...my Grandad in his part hahampden my dreams come true...now it was my choice, but he still gave me the opportunity......

[iampilotandre]

OCCASIONS

I don't remember what the occasion was here which is bugging and annoying me, but I am sure as a child there were lots of times my success and determination was worth celebrating. I am not sure if it was that, but I think coming to reflect at it now that I am writing this, this was one of the Royal Air Force Air Cadet dinners, I will come onto talking about my RAFAC journey later in the blog, but they were amazing times, and definitely on a lot of occasions as a Sqn and individually were there times of happiness and satisfaction in the core. More onto my RAFAC journey later, upwards and onwards

#royalairforce

#aircadets

[iampilotandre]

V1.......ROTATE

I just want to say to you today Andrea, there is nothing more important as a warrior in life than to be stronger than the conditions and circumstances that are presented to us. Chaos is needed in one's life in order to give way to a dancing star.

This is so poetically beautiful, and I wanted you to know that you are stronger than the circumstances that surround you, you are stronger than the struggle and difficulties you are going through, you are stronger and thoughter than that troubled mind, keep going, be resilient, bounce back, and go at it harder than ever😉

[iampilotandre]

FRIENDS

This is a photo taken at London Luton Airport. It was so many years ago that I honestly can't remember when but most likely around 2014/2015 times if not earlier. It was the time that my friend Roberto had come to visit me from Rome. Having been born and grown up in Rome, Roberto was my bestest of friends, he followed everything I did. I played football so did he, I liked flying so did he, we shared so many passions, goals and memories as a kid. In fact even before I moved to England, I remember being in his living room and we would play with his toy cars, formula 1 models. His cousin had the most amazing xbox set up in his room, and we would take that formula 1 car around the track. I guess this sparked my interest in simulations you could say, and also mechanical things like cars and aeroplanes...I had the need for speed. Anyways, when Roberto came to visit me it was the best surprise in the world...I had just gotten up to go to school, got dressed in my uniform....I go down stairs, all so quiet, open the living room door and him and his mum were there.....I remember going to the toilet, rubbing my eyes and taking a double look into the mirror to see if I was seeing things...but no I wasn't, so I go back up to bed, as I would suspect no school for me today. Me and Roberto ended up having the most amazing summer, when his mum left, he ended up staying with us and flying to Rome that summer, and then onto Naples by car where we would end up going to the beach, spending time with my grandparents and go on my uncle's speedboat around the harbour in Naples. It was the coolest summer I had had until that stage. This picture was taken at Luton on our outbound flight to Rome.

#airbus320

#summervibes

[iampilotandre]

ME vs ME

There I was, once again looking out of the window. I can't remember what I was thinking in that exact moment, but my mind was constantly going, like a ticking bomb...always, thinking, always new ideas coming up in my head. Sometimes it was myself hard to keep up with the pace my mind would go at. As a kid I had such big dreams, and I felt pressure, I don't know from where, from who or from what. Nor my parents, nor school, nor my friends, no one pushed me in terms of absolutely needing to succeed, I just felt a certain way, that if I was going to succeed this is how I had to be. Focused on my dreams and my goals, and how I was going to make them come true. As a child sometimes it was hard, I would not say I had friends like that, and at times felt quite neglected in school. I felt I was different from the rest of the kids, I spent hours after school studying and studying....and if it were not for school, I would be on the simulator....or analysing YouTube videos of aircraft and cockpit recordings, or reading books on the Airbus...or spending time in the simulatthefiguring out what each button did. I was so obsessed, I loved flying and everything and anything to do with it. Like Albert Einstein said "obsession is the soul of genius". But I was not a genius, nor at any point did I feel like one, although my peers at school would describe me as a "cool" geek, because even though I studied, loved aircraft and loved spending time analysing all of this, I also enjoyed football, the outdoors and spending time outside in the summers. I was a strange kid at times, did not get much sleep in my teen years, because I would wake up at 5am and study, be in bed for 9pm, I had such a strict routine...I wanted to succeed, and wanted to constantly be better than my competition, but only God knew whothhthi"competition" was. Nonetheless, becoming a pilot was my ultimate dream, and I was going to do anything and everything in my power to become one...but I feel looking back, as if I burned myself out as a child, staying so much those 5am wake up calls, wanting success and all that stress. My parents wanted success out of me, but they just wanted me to do something that made me happy, even if that was working in construction. They never minded, but always supported my choices. Football, cadets, the bicycle, my work, and when I wanted to swim and do 1 million other things. They told me to find that one thing and really buckle down. So I tried, but essentially I came to burn myself out at times.....

[iampilotandre]

BREEDING GROUNDS

The breeding grounds, the place where it all begun. Cranfield Airport, a small private airfield in the Bedfordshire countryside about 10km from Milton Keynes, where I grew up in England. Cranfield Airport later became the place where I would complete my work experience, where I would come to commence my flight training, and where I would spend 6 months working. I did not know that though, when I was spending endless hours as a kid learning to fly out of Cranfield, this time it would be in my room on X-plane 10, and 11 versions. The simulator allowed me to increase my knowledge of aircraft, allowed me to practice checklist, and learn more about flying in general. Cranfield was amazing, and when the covid lock down came, I spent many hours exploring on my road bike, I would ride out to Cranfield explore the site, a research Airport, so many curiosities flourishing to my head, dreaming of the flight levels and beyond, it felt like home, I was always so excited to ride out there, and spend time exploring the site, the smell of the AVGAS even though the aircraft had been grounded. This is a British Aerospace aircraft, and Cranfield would get a lot of these come in and out, and in fact the other end of the Airport where the Cranfield RAF Air Cadets were based there were a whole lot of these, as on site at EGTC there was a company specialising in the work of these aircraft. Unfortunately as we speak it is April 2023, and Jota Aviation ceased its operations in April of 2022. I will go into more detail of Cranfield as we progress through the blog.

#aerospace

#aviationisawsome

[iampilotandre]

DRAWRING AWAY

This is a drawing I did for my Grandma Angela, my father's mother. This very drawing still hangs on her living room wall in her flat in Ponticelli, Naples where she resides. A strong woman my grandma, having had my Dad and 6 other children, she is one of the strongest women I know. She turned 90 last month, and despite her age she still thinks she is 20, and looks well in health. Up until a few years ago she used to go and spend whole days with us on the beaches of Varcaturo in Naples' nice seaside, music, sun beaming.....and occasional rotax engine aircraft or piper cub banner towing advertisement passing above the beach at just a couple hundred feet...of course that is where my eyes were, on the aircraft and the approaches which would fly high and above us going into Naples Capodichino Airport (LIRN) always getting the flightradar24 app, an app allowing you to track the aircraft and see where it is coming from, where it is going, altitude and other parameters. Even when relaxing on the beach, my mind was always up in the flight levels. This drawing of the Corsair for my grandma once again showing my passions for aviation and aircraft, was arounf 16/17 when I drew this...which later I found out she hung on her wall with the family pictures.

#loveofflight

#aviationismypassion

[iampilotandre]

INFINITE THOUGHTS

This is a picture I took of the holiday I went on in the summer after my 18th Birthday. I spent a few days away with my brother, my absolute best of friends Antonio Amodeo. Keeping a friendship alive from such distance is hard, yet everytime I see him there is that feeling of it seeking I never left him. It is as if we carry on the conversation right where we left it. This is a picture I took of an early morning in Gallipoli, a small village town which in the summer booms with tourists. I have amazing memories from this summer, from early morning jogs, to looking up at the starry night skies after sundown....the bliss of the countryside and the sea, the quietness and stillness of it....the drunk walk back from the centre of town to come back to the villa we were staying in as there were no taxies...Great memories, lovely times with my friends on the beach and even saw a formation of American Air Force Aircraft, as Americans have bases all over Italy, mainly southern itsly due to the NATO contracts. An amazing summer, and as the title says when I experience such views "infinite" thoughts flood my mind, that of my goals, my life, where I want to be and where I am going. I will try keep these as best as I can in chronological order, but over the years worth of images I am having to scroll through it can be though, but I am enjoying looking back on these moments, and reminding myself how I felt in that exact moment. Here it is a calm, peaceful mind and vibe which this image brings, almost as if I can smell the sea and see the cactus again. Planet earth is beautiful, so much to see, so much to experience and yet as I write this from the desk in my apartment in Camberwell London I look back to this and think of all the cool experiences I still need to live, witness and experience. Upwards and onwards.

#memoriesbringbackmemories

#ilovenature

[iampilotandre]

BIG DREAMS

It is Sunday 23rd April 2023, and time is going on, no one stops the clock, and it certainly won't t stop for me. This is a picture I took out of the garden window during covid and pandemic time. I am listerning to Hans Zimmer, and this is the start of my diary. I have images which over the years I have decided to collect which state my story. I will write everything, from personal to my dreams, how I feel, I want this to be my space to be able to express myself tjrough my images, my thoughts and writing helps me do that. "I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY......" Who do I want to be, how bad do I want it, what are the challenges I am going to face whilst I try get there...these are questions to be answered, and ok I am not in the best place mentally, physically, financially...I am in a broken relationship, with a girl I can not let go even though she has hurt me so much mentally and emotionally, and a dream that might be slipping. It is now or never, and the sad truth is that some time soon I may need to pick one or the other. Do I salvage my dreams, my goals of flying high and soaring above in the clouds, seeing earth from above, or do I keep going at this "love" and not give up on this person...it is so hard, but problem is time doe's not stop for anyone, and that's including me. We live in a generation where unfortunately relationships are pointless, if you are young and don't party, do drugs and alcohol, you are not "cool". I don't belong, I am not like the rest, but again I have not been surrounded from the best company these last 2 years. Dont give uo on yourself, the dream, keep the spirit alive. Andrea I love you, and I want to make that young child who would spespecountless hours looking up into the sky dreaming proud ok, and I will one day. TIME IS OF THE ESSANCE, and we are the authors of our own stories, scriptures and chapters. But we can't open a new chapter, if we are still reading the last one

#keepdreaming #dontbelong

[iampilotandre]

"Talent is not everything, you have to be obsessed. You got talent, but are you obsessed with what it is you are talented about?"

[iampilotandre]

FIRST FLYING LESSON 03-07-2017

[iampilotandre]

[iampilotandre]

DON'T TELL ME THE SKY IS THE LIMIT WHEN THERE IS A FOOTPRINT ON THE MOON

ME

[iampilotandre]

CHAPTER 2 (LOVE OF FLIGHT)

The earliest of my flying memories are when we used to go on Holiday every summer or festive period. I remember always asking mum to ask the air hostess or steward to ask the pilots if I could go see the flight deck and I remember them doing their briefings, and seeing all the buttons and everything I had been learning on the flight simulator and from books and YouTube suddenly all came to life when I stepped into the cockpit. I was sure this is what I wanted to do, and sitting in the captain’s seat it was like a dream come true, a place where I belonged, and somnething I could call more of a passion. After stepping into the cockpit and realizing this is what I really wanted to do, I went back home with the biggest motivation to keep going at school, to keep learning and reading books and material and I was studying night and day, doing everything I could as a young kid to achieve the dream of flight. It was something which I had to keep going with, and I never let up. Each day I woke up with the sole purpose of working towards my dream and getting closer to it. Follow these blog posts to see my journey from the young kid with a dream to a young adult breaking through into the Aviation and Aerospace industry. THIS IS MY JOURNEY OF FLYING THROUGH THE SKIES AND BEYOND.

[iampilotandre]

CHAPTER 1 (LEAP OF FAITH)

Hey you!! Whoever I am addressing to, welcome to my new series of blogs. This is a series of blog posts I will write about my journey so far within the Aerospace / Aviation industry and how it has gone for me so far. In 2013/2014...cant even remember correctly it was quite a while ago now, we moved to England from Italy to start a new life, my father had got a job in England and had already moved 2 years before us, and so my father decided it was best for us all to move together as a family. So we moved, little town north of London, where the Red Bull Formula 1 is based, Milton Keynes. What I remember about the flight to England was beautiful views, and just freedom. I had never experienced the thrill of flight, nor had I ever been on board an aircraft before but from the moment we took off it was like I felt somewhat a place I belonged to. I was smiling the whole time. I have great clear memories of the flight flying over Paris at night seeing the Eiffel Tower, getting a glimpse of London it was wondful. From this moment on I knew that there was something about the power of flight which was in me, something which I loved. I guess Da Vinci was right when he said “ Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return”

[iampilotandre]

"IF YOU NEVER KNOW FAILURE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW SUCCESS"

ME vs ME

[iampilotandre]

NEW YEAR SAME GRIND

Hello me, I am writing this to wish you a happy 2022. 2021 is gone, and in Interstellar that is another 7 years gone. 2021 was tough, full of challenges, some I never overcame and left in 2021 I am not going to deny. Even if recently my focus has shifted away from my space and piloting dream, it is definetly something I do not and will not forget. My journey has been an amazing one and I have always dared to dream and I shall keep dreaming, but this year I want to achieve rather than dream. I want to move many steps closer to my dreams, and I wnat to make sure next time I celebrate a new years it is because it actually deserves to be celebrated and looked back upon. The dream of becoming a pilot, and eventually opening my career up to space and commercial space and the whole industry all together is still very much alive. Sometimes you loose motivation for a few weeks, maybe months but you alwasy end up sitting down with yourself looking back at your awards, at your images and your past thinking how far you have come. I want this, and are still as hungry as that 13 year old on a first flight on the 3rd of June 2017. So 2022....if you want some, I’ll give it ya!!!