Liverpool region 12-year-old pilot to feature on BBC Inside Out

Otto Dawes is a typical 12-year-old in many ways except that in his spare time he uses his pocket money for flying lessons.

The would-be pilot, from the Wirral, began flying at the age of 11 after becoming obsessed from a young age.

Having mastered his flight simulator computer game Otto began to aim higher and for his 11th birthday was given his first lesson.

He says: “I first got interested in aeroplanes when I was 6.

"I was pony trekking at the end of a runway at RAF Valley in Anglesey and I was watching a Hawk training and taking off and landing and doing these jumps.

"I sat there for 20 minutes gazing at them.

"It was awesome, I loved it and I’ve always wanted to be a pilot since.”

Otto is so determined to fly that he pays for half his lessons himself by doing jobs for neighbours.

He added: “The first time I went up I was very scared because it was my first time at the controls of a real aircraft. It was Oh God, I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this.”

The hours that Otto flies in a plane won’t count towards his licence until he’s 14 – and he can’t get that before he’s 17. But it doesn’t put him off.

And they follow him as he gets a unique opportunity to have a go in a £10 million flight simulator which replicates the actions of a 300 seat Boeing 757 passenger jet at Woodford, Cheshire.

Mum Shari said: "What he really wants is to be is an airline pilot and I can’t see anything stopping him, not least his maths homework!”

Inside Out can be seen on BBC ONE in the North West on Monday, February 21st, at 7.30pm.

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