06:10 – The Briefing
It’s just after six o’clock when an eleven-member crew gathers for the briefing in one of the rooms at the OPC. At first glance, the number of crew members for a short-haul flight seems unusually high. However, the explanation comes right at the beginning: “Good morning, today is a very special day for you because today you will be flying an Airbus A320 for the first time ever,” says pilot and training supervisor Daniel Peier, greeting the attendees. A noticeable mix of excitement and nervousness fills the room as the four flight instructors and seven trainee pilots go over the demanding program for the coming days. It will be intense.

06:50 – Up Close with the Aircraft
After passing the security check, the crew bus takes them directly to the stand of the Airbus A320 with registration HB-IJM. Reto Blasi from the technical team is waiting to give the aspiring pilots a practical introduction. He explains the brake pressure, the power transmission to the wheels, demonstrates the travel of the shock absorbers, and explains how to identify potential damage or leaks in the engine and fuselage. The trainees have learned all of this in countless theory lessons. Now they are experiencing it in practice.

08:03 – The Pilot as a Passenger
After the technical walkthrough, the crew takes their seats on the plane. The trainee pilots will spend this flight as passengers - something that will soon change. Daniel Peier pilots the Airbus A320 toward the runway, and just a few minutes later, the aircraft takes off with the special flight number LX5630 to Maribor, Slovenia. The expected flight time is just under an hour.

09:01 – Arrival in Maribor
After landing, the crew settles into a reserved room at Maribor Airport. Now, the real training program begins, the so-called “Base Flight Training.” Each aspiring pilot must complete six touch-and-go landings. This means the aircraft briefly touches down on the runway, rolls for a bit, and then the thrust is applied again, allowing the plane to take off shortly afterward. After completing the program, the next flight crew member takes over the controls.

09:47 – The First Takeoff
The tension before the first flight rises. From now on, only one flight instructor and two trainees will be in the cockpit at a time. The first trio prepares to take off, and one of them is Matthias Bergmann. The engines are started. After a lot of theory, countless flight hours in small planes, tests, exams, and over 80 hours in the simulator, the trainee pilots will be flying an Airbus A320 for the first time. With full concentration, Matthias steers the aircraft toward the runway. The thrust levers are pushed forward, and shortly afterward, the plane takes off.

10:50 – The Relief
The twelve circuits are completed. HB-IJM is back at its stand. The door opens, and two beaming but relieved trainee pilots step out of the plane. “It was a special moment for me and a great confirmation to see how my knowledge and training over the past years have proven themselves in practice,” said Matthias after his training rounds.

12:14 – Until the End of Operations
The other training groups follow, completing their sessions. Takeoffs and landings, cockpit changes, refueling. Flights continue until 5 p.m., when Maribor Airport closes.

17:45 – The Long-Awaited End of the Day
After various debriefings and some paperwork, the crew heads to the hotel. They end the day with a shared dinner. It doesn’t last long, as the second session of training flights begins early the next morning before they head back to Zurich in the evening.

The Final Step
After successfully completing the landing training, it’s back to Zurich. Soon, the first flights in the so-called Lifus phase (Line Flying Under Supervision) will follow. These are regular flights with passengers and a captain as the instructor. This is the final step in an exciting and intensive training program. Upon completion of these flights, the co-pilots from our program will become fully qualified members of the cockpit crew.

We wish all aspiring pilots “Many Happy Landings”