Martin Hatton

Martin Hatton first learnt to fly with a Royal Air Force Sixth Form Scholarship and RAF Flying Scholarship in 1991 and after spending a few years in the military and working in civilian airfield operations, he became a Commercial Pilot Licence Holder in 1999 and Flying Instructor in 2000. 

Since qualifying as an FI, Martin has kept progressing and adding to his instructor and examiner qualifications and in 2007 became Chief Flying Instructor and Flight Examiner at Ravenair, based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. He was also a Training Captain for their AOC operation.

Martin was responsible for developing the Approved Training Organisation at Ravenair along with quality and standards. He also achieved compliance within the organisation in accordance with all the changes brought in with EASA.

Since leaving his full time position with Ravenair, Martin has worked for Eastern Airways flying the Jetstream 41 on a domestic flight network and flying charter operations for a variety of third party customers.

Over several years he, along with his wife and fellow instructor Claire, have written and produced a full set of groundschool courses for PPL students, and PPL holders, and have run many groundschool courses at flying schools and colleges.

Martin is a Liveryman of The Honourable Company of Air Pilots. He was an active member of the Instructor Working Group for 11 years, in which he was co-ordinator and editor for the Company’s PPL Instructor Guide. He currently sits on the selection and interview panel for the Company’s FI scholarships.

Claire Louise Hatton

Claire became obsessed with flying at the age of 14, during a family summer holiday (although strangely, no-one in her family had any connection to flying!) A fact-finding visit to some local flying schools a few weeks later resulted in a Saturday job for Claire, helping on ops at Manchester School of Flying (MSF) at Manchester Airport – and having her first flying lesson! She worked at MSF throughout school, achieved her first solo flight on her 17th birthday (the earliest opportunity at the time) and gained her PPL four months later, during sixth form. Claire later flew Bulldogs with Bristol University Air Squadron, relishing solo aerobatics, then worked as cabin crew for Monarch Airlines to fund her CPL and Flight Instructor rating, assisted by the award of an Amy Johnson Memorial Scholarship.

Claire became the youngest female FI in the UK at the time, age 22, and immediately started instructing at Manchester School of Flying where her aviation journey had begun. She won the Jackie Moggridge Cup from the British Women Pilots’ Association, awarded to a female pilot for achieving excellent qualifications in her chosen career.

Later that year she added a Multi-Engine Instrument Rating, assisted by the award of an Air League bursary, and flew the ‘Eye In The Sky’ traffic watch flights for a local radio station, then worked at Caernarfon Airport as a pleasure flight pilot on a Piper Aztec. Claire authored her flying instructor manual ‘You Have Control! Being a Better Flying Instructor’ having by now been a flying instructor for five years, and had regular instructional articles featured in the aviation press. She then added multiengine instructor privileges and focused on teaching the Multi Engine CPL and Multi Engine IR for Ravenair at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Having always had a keen interest in aviation safety, in 2015 Claire became Safety Manager for Air Traffic Control Services Ltd, the Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) for Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Teesside International Airport, continuing to fly and write in her spare time. She is a long-standing member of the British Women Pilots’ Association and and runs the BWPA NorthWest Regional Group.

Dorothy Saul-Pooley LLB(Hons) FRAeS

Dorothy holds an ATPL (A) and a CPL (H), and is both an instructor and examiner on aeroplanes and an instructor on helicopters. She is Head of Training for a school dedicated to running Flight Instructor courses at Shoreham. She is also a CAA Flight Instructor Examiner. In addition, having qualified as a solicitor in 1982, Dorothy acted for many years as a consultant specialising in aviation and insurance liability issues, and has lectured widely on air law and insurance issues. This highly unusual combination of qualifications led to her appointment as Honorary Solicitor to the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators (GAPAN). Dorothy is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, first Chairman of the GAPAN Instructor Committee, and past Chairman of the Education & Training Committee. She has just completed her term of office as the Master for the year 2014-15 of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (formerly GAPAN). She is also Chairman of the Professional Flying Instructors Association. In 2003 she was awarded the Jean Lennox Bird Trophy for her contribution to aviation and support of Women in Aviation and the BWPA (British Women Pilots Association). In 2013 Dorothy was awarded the prestigious Master Air Pilots Certificate by GAPAN. A regular contributor to seminars, conferences and aviation publications. Dorothy is the author and editor of a number of flying training books and has published articles in legal and insurance journals.

Helena B A Hughes BA(Hons) BSc(Hons)

Helena Hughes was born into an aviation household, having her first informal “flying lesson” at the age of four. Her late father David was a flying instructor and also flew corporate jets. On leaving University Helena obtained her PPL. Shortly afterwards she started work in Air Traffic Control at London Luton Airport earning her Controllers Licence in 1990. 

Helena continues to be an operational Air Traffic Control Officer and is posted to London Terminal Control at Swanwick working “Thames Radar”, “Luton Radar” and “Heathrow Special”. She is involved in controller training as both an Instructor and Evaluator as well as being a Unit Competency Assessor.

Helena holds a fixed wing CPL/IR and has been a flying instructor since 1996. She has also held a PPL(H). 

She is an ROCC Assessor, FRTOL Examiner and a member of the Senior FRTOL Examiner Panel.

In addition to this series of books Helena has authored Pooley’s Radiotelephony Communications Manual, written and performed several audio CDs and has edited volumes of the Air Pilot’s Manual. 

Away from aviation Helena has an interested in astronomy, completing a degree in 2020, and is an intermittently enthusiastic gardener. 

For their help in the production of this series Helena would like to thank: Brenda Hughes; Andrew Temple of Solent Flight Ltd; An Vrancken and Harriet Ewing.

Kalveer Gill BA(Hons)

Kalveer is the Chief Technical Officer for the Pooleys Aviation Academy. She has been involved in the creation and the development of the Pooleys Aviation Academy, since she joined us in 2020. Designing the overall UI/UX experience for the Learning Management System (LMS), adding interactivity, 2D/3D animation and motion graphics to engage learners.

Graduated in 2013 with a BA (Hons) in Computer Game Arts, Kalveer began freelancing as a Graphic Designer. Previously worked on the Pooleys Air Presentations and then moved over to an advertising agency in London. She has over 10 years of experience in Graphic Design.

Kalveer maintains our Pooleys Aviation Academy site. 

Sebastian Pooley FRIN FRAeS

Sebastian is Managing Director of Pooleys Flight Equipment and a Director of Air Pilot Publishing. He holds a PPL (A). Sebastian is a Committee Member of the GANG - the General Aviation Navigation Group, part of the Royal Institute of Navigation and a judge for the International Dawn to Dusk Competition. He is a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Stephen Wicks PhD 

Steve won an ATC Flying Scholarship and made his first solo flight at Ipswich Airport, moving on to join the Stapleford Flying Club as a PPL. He was a member of the Bristol University Air Squadron and trained on Bulldogs at Filton and RAF St Mawgan whilst at the University of Bath. Steve acted for many years both as a university lecturer and industrial scientist, publishing patents and articles in scientific journals. He is a regular contributor to scientific conferences, seminars and executive education workshops and is a visiting professor at the University of Bath and the University of Greenwich After retiring from an industrial career, he started flying with TG Aviation at Manston and obtained a CPL(A) from the London Metropolitan University and the Sussex Flight Centre at Shoreham. He obtained a Flight Instructor Certificate from Pooley’s Flying Instructor School and is now active in ab initio flight training and the ground school operation at TG Aviation, Lydd. He is an activist in the Save Manston Airport campaign.

Jonathan Shooter

Jonathan had his first trial lesson on his twelfth birthday eventually gaining his PPL with the help of an RAF flying scholarship. He went onto flying with the University Air Squadron before gaining airline sponsorship in conjunction with one of Europe’s largest flying schools. He taught the PPL and associated ratings at Elstree aerodrome before gaining an internal promotion to teach the CPL and Instrument rating at the commercial college at Cranfield aerodrome. After two years he joined his sponsoring airline and flew the Dash 8 Q400 throughout Europe. In 2005 he joined Europe’s largest tour operator and flew the Boeing 757 and 767 both on short and long haul operations. He currently flies the A320/A321 and has over 6000 hrs with 1500 hrs instructional experience on commercial courses. He holds European, Canadian and American airline transport licences and is an authorised PPL examiner for both single and multi-engine aeroplanes. He is also the author for a Guide to the EASA CPL Flight Test.

Philip Baxter BA (Hons) LLB (Hons)

Philip held a UK ATPL (A), is an Instructor and has been a PPL Examiner. He began his working life in the Civil Service, having joined from school, and stayed for more years than he now cares to remember! He worked in a wide variety of (mostly) very interesting jobs, within several Departments, which included one period as Private Secretary to a government Minister, another (reflecting his long-standing interest in aviation matters) dealing with aircraft noise and ICAO 'Annex 16' issues as well as pollution from aircraft engines; and another as a technical author. Much of the remainder of his Civil Service career was related to telecommunications, ranging from international Treaties to technical standardisation. This included representing his departmental interests on Standards Committees in particular, both internationally and domestically. Both his Degrees, the first in Science and Technology, the second in Law (providing an unusual combination) were awarded following part-time study with the Open University. Since 'retiring' early from a senior middle-management grade, Philip worked for six years as a full-time Flight Instructor and Flight Examiner, accruing some three and a half thousand instructional hours. Phil teaches ground school subjects for the Flying Instructor course and has also been Vice Chairman of the Professional Flight Instructors' Association (PFIA).

Robert Seaman BSc MRI FRMetS

Rob Seaman is a professional pilot on the Airbus family, a flight instructor and meteorologist who is committed to connecting these professions together for the benefit of flight safety. With a life-long passion for aviation he was awarded a Royal Air Force flying scholarship (1998), the Norman Motley Flight Instructor Scholarship (2007), elected Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (2016) and was expert advisor on the United Kingdom Flight Safety Committee. Rob’s key interest is in the practical application of human factors to meteorological threats so as to enhance their management on the flight deck. His previous career in the Met Office culminated as Head of Policy Advice relating climate change and the environment to foreign and defence policy. This drew on experience gained from previous roles supporting civil and military aviation operations; as a Senior Applied Scientist developing weather related decision aids to increase efficiency and effectiveness, and as an Operational Meteorologist supporting the military at HQ Air Command, the Falklands and the Middle East. Rob studied Physics at Imperial College, is an Associate of the Royal College of Science and Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Andrew Perkins

Andy has been involved across all of aviation since 1995. An active glider pilot who works across all levels of aviation from grass roots through to airline flying for a major carrier. Andy has worked to develop CSR schemes and STEM projects as well as working in pilot recruitment over many years. A gliding instructor for over 25 years and a regional examiner he has a wealth of knowledge in GA flying as well as being a TRI/TRE in commercial aviation. 

As CEO of TurnPoint Ltd, established in 2016, Andy and the team focus on furthering the capabilities of others and assisting other safety critical industries in Human Factors and professional development training whilst ensuring fun is had by all.

In his spare time, he is Chairman of the British Gliding Association and Trustee to The Air League and Philip Wills Memorial Fund.

Caroline Smith BA (Hons) BSc (Hons)

Caroline holds a frozen ATPL(A) and has been an instructor since 1999 and examiner since 2001 teaching all levels of flight training from trial lessons, from ab intio PPL(A) courses, night and IMC ratings, to  commercial, multi-engine and instrument rating training. Having previously been Chief Flying Instructor and then Head of Training at a busy flight school, she now specialises running Flight Instructor Courses at White Waltham airfield and is also a Flight Instructor Examiner which allows her to visit schools all over the south of England examining their instructors. 

With degrees in Meteorology & Law and, more recently, in Psychology she is a huge fan of continuing education for all and has expertise in the way in which people learn. She is currently trying desperately to learn British Sign Language! She has devised and presented groundschool presentations for a number flight schools and a few UK universities and is the author of the webinar materials for the Pooleys Academy as well as being our Webinar Lead and the instructor on many of the webinar sessions. 

Caroline is an Upper Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots and is the chairperson for the selection and interview panel for the Company’s Flight Instructor scholarships.

Alastair Stevenson

Alastair gained his PPL in 1992 and has had a Flight Instructor rating for 25 years Holds a CPL with Single and Multi Engine Instructor and Examiner ratings FRTOL Examiner Teaches all subjects for the PPL Ground School Syllabus.