AN arts teacher has drawn upon a childhood dream to learn how to become a fully-qualified commercial pilot.

Steven Nuttall, a member of the arts department at Fearns Community Sports College, has spent £40,000 on ‘getting his wings’.

But ever since he went on holiday as a child, and was allowed on the flight deck, he wanted to control his own aircraft.

Now after three years of lessons with Liverpool-based Ravenair, and completing 14 pilot’s exams, the 32-year-old can charge for his expertise, after securing his basic licence in 2011.

He has come a long way since he spent many Saturday afternoons watching passenger jets flying and taking off at Manchester Airport.

Mr Nuttall said: “I know how important it is to revise every spare hour if you are determined to succeed. I can now charge for my services.

“The commercial licence allows me to take the plane up for aerial photography, to be used as an air taxi in good weather and aerial survey work.”

He has already taken up several staff members at Fearns on free flights.
Which helped some conquer their fear of flying.

And with the Booth Road school’s motto being ‘Further, Faster, Higher’, they can have no complaints regarding Mr Nuttall’s extra-curricular activities.

He has also thanked his parents Sally and Bernard for their support - he treated his mother to a trip to Caernarfon.

While the sky’s been the limit for his ambitions, his home life has been firmly grounded, as he has ran a cheaper car and curbed any meals out, to pay for his tuition.

Even now he his next goal is to learn how to fly using just his navigation instruments.

That requires another 30 hours in a simulator and 20 flight hours.

And ultimately Mr Nuttall has not ruled out becoming a transatlantic airline pilot.