Youthful captain proves a high-flyer
The newly-qualified Captain Milne.
"A FLYING prodigy from St Andrews has managed to notch up another major achievement.
When he was only 19, Ronan Milne became one of the youngest people in the UK to qualify as a commercial pilot.
After sailing through his initial course and going on to land a job with Loganair, the 22-year-old, of Buchanan Gardens, has now become one of the the company’s youngest-ever qualified captains.
He has flown as a senior first officer over the past year, and completed a spell of intensive training which saw him take full charge of his aircraft.
Ronan regards himself as fortunate to have made such rapid progress in an industry which was picking itself up from the tragedy of 9/11 just as he finished his initial 15 months of intensive studies at a specialist school in Spain.
He was only 17 when he began the course, his interest in flying stimulated by his grandfather Grant, who at one time owned his own aircraft.
Ronan’s own life in the in the air started with a half-hour trial flight voucher which was a present from his parents.
He then had lessons with Tayside Aviation in Dundee.
Yesterday Ronan said he had been promoted to senior first officer after about a year and a half of flying with Loganair, and had been involved in continuous training as he built up his flying hours.
He undertook more training in Stockholm, and was thrilled to be told that he could fly as a captain.
Ronan is flying a Saab 340 34-seater turbo-prop, and his routes take him all over Scotland and the islands.
Such destinations can provide truly testing flying, which Ronan described as “some of the best and the worst.”
He said, “On a good day when the mountains and the islands are laid out before us the scenery is fantastic and the experience is just unbelievable.
“On other days we have to cope with quite high winds and fog, and there have been times when we’ve had to stay on the ground until the weather improved.”
Yesterday Loganair’s director of flight operations, Gordon Young, said Ronan’s achievements at such a young age could be seen as an example to others.
He said Loganair sets a very high standard, and Ronan’s rate of progress has been exceptional.
“He has done really well, and we are delighted with him,” he said. "
Labels: HE HAS DONE IT, SO ITS MY TURN NOW.