Meet our Ground Instructor:
“I went into aviation because my grandfather inspired me from a very young age. As a Spitfire and Hurricane pilot in the Second World War, his stories of the extraordinary low level flying that he did, and the exceptional skills of the RAF pilots always left me wanting more.” That inspirational family story is what drove our ground instructor Jordane Mortelman to take up flying.
Jordane first started instructing at Elstree for Cabair in 2008 before joining the airlines in late 2011 and becoming a captain on the Embraer 170/190 in 2018. She comments that “My favourite thing about being a Captain was, after almost seven years, I was able to taxi the aircraft again!”
We are thrilled to have Jordane leading our ground school program at Elstree as she explains:
“Anyone who has been through the EASA PPL knows what a grind the theoretical knowledge exams can be. With nine to complete in total, it can seem like a daunting task to even get started. Its certainly not as fun as actually flying, and sitting in a classroom is something that many of us thought we left behind in our school days. Pilots however, never stop learning. Throughout our careers we find ourselves sitting in a classroom numerous times a year, but for most of us, we come out feeling a sense of accomplishment, in knowing we came out of that classroom with more knowledge than when we went in.”
“Our goal at Elstree Aviation Academy is to train legal, capable, confident pilots, and the theoretical knowledge exams play a vital role in that journey. My objective is to pass on that knowledge in an uncomplicated way, making it simple so the students can comprehend the information, without simply memorising the answers to the questions in the bank. I want them to feel assured in taking the knowledge out into the world, using it to expand their abilities, and making them better pilots along the way. I feel that one-to-one, or small group classes are the best way to learn and provided you can dedicate some time to studying at home, we can get you through all the exams in no time at all!”
Our students have already benefitted from Jordane’s expertise and we are able to offer ground school for both PPL (H) and PPL (A) students.
The best thing about flying she says is “You always get to see the sun, no matter what the weather is like on terra firma!”