Pooleys Blogs

Dawn to Dusk: Turn a Single Day's Flying Into an Adventure date icon26 August 2026

Dawn to Dusk: Turn a Single Day's Flying Into an Adventure

Since 1964, the Dawn to Dusk competition has invited pilots to turn a single day's flying into a proper adventure, and entries are open now. This edition has the full story, plus the Starter Kit that gets new pilots off the ground and where to find us in November.

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Helping Dreams Take Flight: In Conversation with David Burns date icon12 August 2026

Helping Dreams Take Flight: In Conversation with David Burns

Aviation changed David Burns's life, and now he is helping others take theirs off the ground. An airline pilot and founder of both The Flyer Watch Company and the charity Helping Dreams Take Flight, David is using aviation as a force for good. We sat down with him to hear how the charity's first scholarship year went, from over 250 applications to seven life-changing scholarships, and what comes next for a cause Pooleys is proud to support.

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Small Wings, Big Adventures: Flying with Children This Summer date icon12 August 2026

Small Wings, Big Adventures: Flying with Children This Summer

Some of the best summer adventures begin at a local airfield, with a chart on the table and the promise of seeing somewhere familiar from a whole new angle. Flying with children can be one of the most rewarding ways to share aviation, but it takes a little extra thought. Our practical guide covers planning a first trip, keeping young passengers comfortable and involved, protecting young ears, and finishing while they're still enjoying themselves, along with ten of our favourite child-friendly destinations around the UK from our parent Ambassadors.

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Tension in the Cockpit: A Deep Dive into What It Does and How to Manage It date icon05 August 2026

Tension in the Cockpit: A Deep Dive into What It Does and How to Manage It

We recently met Alexandra Johnson at SleapKosh, where she spoke at Speakers' Corner about wellbeing and flying. In an industry that isn't always good at talking about how we feel, we found her perspective both refreshing and insightful. In this guest article, Alexandra — chartered physiotherapist and student helicopter pilot — explores the subtle physical changes that can happen under pressure, how they affect our flying, and what pilots and instructors can begin to notice.

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Making revision work for you - Summer School date icon21 July 2026

Making revision work for you - Summer School

Ground School means a lot of new material, fast. Pooleys Ambassador and ground instructor Angela Donnelly shares the revision techniques that worked for her: active recall, flashcards, learning from wrong answers, and studying when your brain is at its best.

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Pooleys Aviation Academy Summer School: Practice Exam Papers date icon21 July 2026

Pooleys Aviation Academy Summer School: Practice Exam Papers

Our Summer School series continues, and this week we're looking at one of the most reassuring tools in the Pooleys Aviation Academy: the practice exam papers.

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Meet the 2026 Pooleys Ambassadors date icon15 July 2026

Meet the 2026 Pooleys Ambassadors

Six new faces are joining the Pooleys Ambassador team for 2026. From over 150 applications, meet the student pilots, instructors, glider champions and record breakers who will be sharing their flying journeys with us this year.

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From the Kitchen to the Cockpit: Jamie Oliver Earns His Wings date icon08 July 2026

From the Kitchen to the Cockpit: Jamie Oliver Earns His Wings

Jamie Oliver has officially earned his Private Pilots Licence. From a birthday gift trial lesson to nine ground school exams passed with support from the Pooleys Aviation Academy, here's the story of how Britain's best known chef became a pilot.

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Simple items, clearer head: What 3D Printing fixed for a GA pilot’s mental load date icon06 July 2026

Simple items, clearer head: What 3D Printing fixed for a GA pilot’s mental load

Nobody warns you about the mental load of being a GA pilot. Pooleys Ambassador Tim Fernando shares three 3D printed fixes he designed to make flying simpler, from colour coded circuit breaker collars to a GATS jar holder, all exclusively available at Pooleys.

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Summer School: How Pooleys Aviation Academy Webinars Can Help You Crack Ground School This Summer date icon01 July 2026

Summer School: How Pooleys Aviation Academy Webinars Can Help You Crack Ground School This Summer

If you have been putting off your PPL theory exams, summer is one of the best times to make real progress. Pooleys Aviation Academy runs weekly webinars every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning, covering all PPL theory subjects right through to the end of 2026. Flexible, tailored and available to book now.

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Thirty-Seven Years in the Sky: Celebrating Helena Hughes date icon21 June 2026

Thirty-Seven Years in the Sky: Celebrating Helena Hughes

Helena Hughes has spent 37 years as an operational Air Traffic Control Officer, taught generations of student pilots through her Pooleys textbooks, and this week retired from one of the most remarkable careers in British aviation. This is her story, and the tribute that marked the end of an era.

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The Small Mistake That Can Cost an Engine date icon20 June 2026

The Small Mistake That Can Cost an Engine

There is a moment in every aircraft service that almost nobody thinks about. A fresh can of turbine oil, certified and sealed at the factory, is opened with whatever tool happens to be on the bench. This guest article explores why that single moment can introduce invisible metal debris into your engine, and what clean handling actually looks like.

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