14-year-old UAE boy who is vying for a record learnt flying in Canada

14-year-old UAE boy who is vying for a record learnt flying in Canada

A 14-year-old boy living in the United Arab Emirates who learnt flying in Canada has become one of the youngest pilots in the world to fly a plane with the least amount of training hours.

Mansoor Anis who was born and raised in the emirate of Sharjah in the UAE completed his flight in a Cessna 152 on August 30 with just 25 hours of training. According to his family, he has broken the record for the youngest pilot to man a solo flight with the least amount of training time, shattering the previous record of 34 hours.

At the tender of 13, Mansoor decided that he wanted to pursue flying as a career, and travelled to Canada with his mom to begin training at the AAA Aviation Flight Academy in Langley, British Columbia.  “The academy’s chief flight instructor (CFI) was at first reluctant to take on a young student like me, but quickly noticed my enthusiasm and a keen understanding of what flying an aircraft entails,” says the teenage pilot who wants to be a professional pilot when he grows up.

His passion for flying began when he was introduced to a computer flight simulator by his New Delhi-based maternal uncle, himself a professional pilot working for an India-based private airline.

“With the simulation software, my uncle began training me how to fly a plane,” he told the Khaleej Times daily based in Dubai. “Since then I’ve had an interest in it.”

“What I had learned from my uncle helped me a lot,” he added. “For example, there were some theoretical things, like with the instruments, that he had taught me to use beforehand.”

“I was a little nervous in the cockpit but  thrilled,” he said. “I was nervous about landing which can be really tough. I spent lot of time to learn how to land properly.”

His father Ali Asgar Anis added that his family has filled out the necessary documents for his son to be included in the Limca Book of Records, which celebrates the achievements of Indian nationals based abroad.

Mansoor who is still on cloud nine after his debut in the skies over Arabian Gulf added: ”My family was really proud of me, and my school friends were really happy for me.” He is studying in Sharjah.

Mansoor has a bit of advice for other young people interested in taking to the skies. “When flying, you actually don’t need to be scared. It’s fun,” he said.  “I want to be a professional airline pilot. My dream airlines are Emirates and Etihad,” the young pilot said. Both the air lines are based in the UAE. (Courtesy: Khaleej Times)

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