Officewith aview
I’m Ben and I fly the Airbus 320 family as an airline pilot. On Instagram I take you along: out on the route, into the layovers and behind the cockpit door.
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Airbus A320The best view in the house
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EgyptIn front of the Pyramid of Khafre
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DubaiIn the old Land Rover
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IbizaAt anchor off the coast
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CrewGalley, sunglasses, almost time to go
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MunichHome game in lederhosen
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ApronBetween two rotations
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IbizaRosé at sunset
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DubaiEvenings under the palms
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LayoverArrive, take a breath
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Airbus A320All displays on
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BalanceMartial arts on the ground
My name is Ben, I’m from Munich and I’m an airline pilot at a major German airline. I currently fly the Airbus 320 family: the A319, A320 and A321 in all the common variants.
I wanted to be a pilot from when I was a little boy. According to my mum, firefighter or police officer never appealed to me. After finishing school came the application, almost eighteen months of selection, a year of theory and my first flight training in the USA.
On Instagram I show what this job looks like from the inside. Early alarms, weather, technology, layovers all over the world and the moments above the clouds that make every one of them worth it.
“After twelve flights with an instructor, I was completely alone in the air for the first time. To this day one of the best experiences of my life.”
Maths, physics, English, technical knowledge, spatial reasoning, memory and concentration. They look for an all-rounder more than a high-flyer. Then group exercises, an interview with psychologists lasting several hours and a simulator test where you have to do sums at the same time.
A whole day of being checked from head to toe: hearing test, eye test, exercise ECG, EEG, blood and urine. Passed.
Aerodynamics, engines, radio, performance, air law, electrical engineering, navigation, flight planning and meteorology. At the end, the exams of the flight school and of Germany’s Federal Aviation Office (LBA).
Never flown before, then completely alone for the first time after twelve flights with an instructor. After about four and a half months, it was back to Germany on an Airbus A380.
From piston engine to jet, and Multi Crew Coordination for the first time: the aircraft is flown by a crew of two, just like every large passenger jet later on.
Around four months in the simulator, then landing training in a real Airbus at Lake Balaton. Twelve take-offs and landings, and my own licence was in my hands.
After all those years of waiting, in the end it couldn’t happen fast enough: a taxi to Vienna that same day, and the next morning my first duty as an airline pilot began.
I can’t offer simulator flights at the moment. Put your name down and I’ll get in touch as soon as there are dates again.
Spend 60 minutes in the Lufthansa Full Flight Simulator, with me as your personal instructor. Take-offs, landings or emergency procedures, at any airport in the world.
The workhorse of short and medium haul. Fly-by-wire and sidestick, ideal as a first step into flying jets.
One of the most modern long-haul aircraft in the world. Large displays, the latest avionics, impressive performance.
Price on requestFor yourself or as a gift. Up to three more people can join you in the simulator as spectators, free of charge.
Join the waiting listI built this app for my own flying. Roster and logbook live in one place, and the app works out what you really need on the line. Under every number it says where it comes from.
For cockpit and cabin crew, student pilots and Family & Friends. An independent product, not affiliated with any airline.
The questions I get asked most on Instagram. Yours isn’t here? Message me.
Ask a questionAirlines use what’s called a bidding system. We can put in requests for particular destinations or days off. Crew planning makes the final decision, taking seniority and legal rest periods into account.
Now and then, in general aviation with smaller aircraft. It feels completely different from flying a big jet, and every time it reminds me why I love this job.
Yes, a sister. She doesn’t work in aviation, but she shares my passion for travel and faraway cultures.
Most photos are taken on the spot by colleagues, or with a tripod and self-timer. On layovers I often pick up the camera myself.
Collaborations · Media kit · Simulator flight
For collaborations in aviation and travel, I’m happy to send you my media kit and talk through the details.