- It's just terrible, terrible.
It's a nightmare what happened to aviation right now.
And no one foresee this was coming a few months ago.
(peaceful music)
Well, I can honestly tell you,
there's just so much emotions going through my head
every day since the COVID.
(peaceful piano music)
There's so many aeroplane has been
prematurely retired and grounded.
Up to 1.5 million people who worked
in this aviation industry has now been
laid off or are on paid leave.
There's a lot of frustration, uncertainty
in a difficult time like this.
This is the worst adverse systematic crisis
in the history of aviation.
(hopeful music)
The video I'm creating today is not about myself,
it is all about us, through the share and love of aviation.
I want to hear your story,
why are you loving aviation,
and how are you getting through
this difficult time in aviation?
- Hi everyone, I'm Tony from AirAsia.
- My name is Sofia. I'm from Mexico City.
- Hi, my name is Eric. I'm a flight instructor.
- Kelsey, and I have been cabin crew.
- Michael, I'm from Sydney.
- I'm from Kazakhstan.
- Max, from Los Angeles, California.
- Mike, from Skyhigh.
- Some of you might remember me
as your friendly flight attendant.
- I'm at the airport in Dusseldorf today
to do some plane spotting.
- Ali Masters, I am 12 years old.
- My name is Mai and I was a cabin crew for 22 years.
(peaceful music)
- Having passion for things you love is very important
to survive in going through a challenging time like this.
- My passions in life have been music, sport,
and aviation from a very young age.
I used to be a plane spotter.
To everyone who loves aviation, who's in aviation,
who's been troubled by the problems we've had,
who've been made redundant, stay positive.
Let's get out there, fight this virus,
and show the world what aviation's all about.
We're special people and we make a difference.
(hopeful music)
- I was in Mojave a few weeks ago
to see the last Qantas 747 landing.
That was a very bittersweet day.
After the landing, I met up with the pilot, Owen Zupp,
who is a very motivational person.
He actually sent in this clip.
- I've been around aviation my whole life.
I've been flying for 40 years,
over 30 of those years commercially.
The qualities I see in people
that get us through times like these
are adaptability, let's face it,
in the cockpit, we always have an alternate,
determination, and persistence.
Personally, I'm writing more books,
I've written six or seven aviation books to date,
so I'm working on those.
I'm writing articles for magazines
and I'm also putting together
some aviation training modules.
I might not be flying, but I'm persisting,
and I'm staying involved in the industry I love.
So let's just stay adaptable, determined, and persistent,
and we'll get through this.
(hopeful music)
- I know a lot of pilots who are currently not flying,
they have been affected by this,
but they are keeping themselves busy.
Some of them are writing books,
some of them are running a small business,
some of them are reinventing themselves,
learning a new skillsets
and looking forward to coming back.
The bottom line is to keep yourself busy
and reinvent yourself during this difficult time.
Do not waste your time.
- 30, 20, 10.
- I certainly miss flying the A380
for one of the largest Middle Eastern carriers,
which was an amazing job,
but it's time to move on.
My advice is to go out, find people,
help someone out, try and connect with those people
who might have helped you in the past.
Offer yourself, think of the skills and abilities
that you can leverage at this time.
For me, personally, I was able to
jump into videography and photo editing,
which started off as a very personal passion,
I would say, a bunch of years ago,
but has sort of evolved into something
that I can actually generate a little bit of cash with,
which helps during this time.
(upbeat music)
- Good evening from the flight deck
of Air Tahiti Nui's 787-9 Bora Bora,
here with Luis-
- Hello.
getting the flight ready for departure to Tahiti.
When things usually get destroyed like this,
it means something better and something new
will be born out of it.
And hopefully, we use this to create something new,
the new world of flying.
The new golden age is yet to come.
So thank you.
- Since I came back to Dubai last few weeks,
I've been actually quite busy meeting lots of people,
attending lots of aviation farewell.
A lot of pilots, cabin crew, professionals
work in aviation are leaving
because of the crisis right now.
I see a lot of quality in these people,
they're very positive still.
They knew this will come back
and there will be room again for them.
It is not a goodbye, it is a temporary farewell.
- Hey guys, my name is Kelsey
and I have been cabin crew in the Middle East
for about five years now.
Throughout my journey as a flight attendant,
I've visited 73 different countries
and I've been a part of our business promotions team
which opened up a bunch of doors for me
to represent my airline all over the world.
Unfortunately, I too have affected by
the redundancies occurring in the aviation industry today
and instead of seeing that as a negative thing,
I see it as a positive.
Over the last five years that I have been flying,
I've grown as a person,
and I'm excited to move forward in my career
and accomplish more of my dreams.
- My name is David, also known as Aviator Dave,
and I'm currently cabin crew with United Airlines.
I am grateful for every opportunity
that I've had with United so far.
And I believe very strongly in not only my own future,
but the future of the airline that I work for
and of the industry as a whole.
So I look forward to seeing where we go as an industry
once we see blue skies again,
and I can't wait for you guys to come along for the ride.
- The stories aren't always positive.
I know it's very easy to say, "We will get through this.
Life is always better, this and that, together."
But I understand how much frustration it is
behind the scenes, and imagine your family has COVID.
I even knew friends who has breast cancer
during the COVID lockdown.
I have so much sad stories,
things that happen just like that.
- My name is Sofia, I'm from Mexico City.
I've been a cabin crew for four years.
I worked on three different airlines.
I have to relocate again to my home country.
It's been a bit messy about it
because I don't know where and how and when
I'm going to get home.
This whole situation, COVID-19, has been a nightmare,
really a (beep) nightmare.
My father and my sister got COVID.
They're okay, but still being apart and away from them,
I just want to wait
until the future reveals to me
why is this happening to me, what is next,
how is this going to be really worth it?
Let's see.
Thank you for this reason.
(sombre music)
- I'm going to be honest with you.
I think COVID has been a live,
humbling experience for myself.
Up until March, I was high-flying the sky.
I was travelling non-stop.
I have so much travel plans, business conventions,
and trips to go to around the world,
and COVID came, everything fell through a cliff
and it's halted and stopped it.
And I was sad.
I was sitting at home and the best thing I was looking at
is I have a lot of time right now.
I have to go out to reinvent myself.
And finally, I have the time and courage to go out.
I want to do the pilot training.
I want to learn new skillset to see
if I'm good enough to be a pilot
flying my own planes in the sky.
I made it. I landed back myself, three.
- Yeah!
- [Sam] Yeah! High five, man. (laughing)
- You did great.
- High five!
- Awesome! Congratulations, that's so cool.
- There's no question that COVID-19
has really taken a toll on the aviation industry as a whole.
Everybody from pilots, flight attendants, ground staff,
everywhere in between, we've all suffered
and we've all taken a hit from this.
However, there's no question in my mind
that we will get past this.
It's not a question of if,
it's a matter of when we get through this pandemic.
I'm still getting phone calls from people
who want to learn to fly and that's very inspiring to me.
People out there on social media, taking photos,
getting up in the air and getting after it,
very inspiring and there's no question in my mind
that it's that attitude that's going to get us through this
and bring aviation back with a vengeance.
Thank you, Sam, for putting this together.
I think it's a great idea.
Get the message out there. We will get past this.
(hopeful music)
- That was great.
Isn't it just so majestic, the 747.
It's just so enjoyable watching it still fly in the sky.
And it's really sad for lots of AvGeeks, plane spotters,
travellers that we lost so many great aeroplanes
through this crisis: the Boeing 747, the A380, the A340.
Many of them have been sent prematurely to the desert.
Lots of them will end up there and would not come back.
And this is the reality we have to accept.
Some might come back and some might not.
By the time COVID will be over,
the more efficient aeroplane like the 787 and the A350
will takeover the long-haul flight.
(hopeful music)
- My name is Thomas.
I am at the airport in Dusseldorf today
to do some plane spotting.
I come here for over three decades now,
recorded my first video on the observation deck in 1989.
Times have changed a little bit sense then,
there are no (speaking in foreign language) anymore,
but unfortunately, a lot of stored aircraft
waiting on the apron for better days.
(hopeful music)
- Hey, I've worked for Virgin Australia Airlines
for just over 10 years now.
COVID's taking a bit hit in that as well,
as there's not aircraft out there to photograph
and go and watch with my son, Jed.
Unlike the old days, a year ago,
you'd go out there, there'd be lots of planes,
we'd be reaching our maximum cap at Sydney Airport
for our movements, and now, you won't even see 10% of that.
- No doubt, one of the saddest times
recently for me personally, is the retirement
of the 747 from Qantas,
the Queen of the skies.
I never missed an opportunity to capture her
as she was flying over me.
The roar of those four engines is something
I'll never forget.
(hopeful music)
- I have a story.
There's a kid, his name is Ali he's 11 years old.
He always travelled in an Emirates' pilot uniform
when he flies the aeroplane.
And I was so impressed that he actually knows
a lot of things inside the plane:
the evacuation procedure, how to look out the doors,
and everything, super impressive.
So passionate about it, but really, really smart kid.
And I'm sure Ali will work in aviation one day.
- My name is Ali Masters, I am 12 years old,
and I've had a passion for aviation
ever since the age of five.
I used to build Lego aeroplanes , but now,
I spend most of my time flying in flight simulators
and collecting aeroplane models.
Also, I like to watch aviation YouTubers,
like Sam Chui and Captain Joe.
I've really been trying my best
to join the aviation industry
and I'm trying to put in my full effort
to become and aviator.
- And there are many, many young aviators like Ali.
It is the passion inside yourself
that will further propel you to become successful
in your career in the future.
- Hi, everybody. I'm Riko, I'm 16, I'm from Kazakhstan.
So although I'm only 16, I feel that aviation is my future.
I love airports.
It's a place with a special atmosphere
full of real emotions.
It's like a little world where everything is interconnected
and every person working there is very important
and has his own role.
So I feel really sad for people
who lost their jobs during this difficult time.
But no matter how typical it may sound for you,
let's stay focused, strong, and unbreakable.
I want to tell that I think you are wonderful people
who inspire and motivate probably many young people like me
who dream of becoming a part of this big aviation family.
I look forward to seeing more aeroplanes in the sky,
smiling faces waiting for their flight,
and happy people returning back to their work.
- I firmly believe aviation has a bright future
for the young generation.
You have to believe in yourself first.
- My love of flying started way long back in the year 2004,
when I first walked into a Saudia aircraft with my mom.
That flight made me realise the fact
that you are going to become a part
of the aviation industry when you grow up.
I have always loved the feeling of walking down the terminal
or an aisle there in a company uniform.
This is a very bad turbulence.
All you have to do is sit down, enjoy, and relax.
Have the hope, have the determination,
have the persistence, because this too shall pass.
- I just graduated high school
in the middle of a quarantine, so I'm the class of 2020.
And I'm in the middle of packing to embark on my journey
to study Aviation Management in college
at Arizona State University.
I'm just really looking forward to the next years ahead,
but the most important thing now
is to get through the hard times we are in now,
but, Sam, I think we can do it,
and keep up the good videos.
- I really don't know when,
but when all of the crisis is over,
all of us will appreciate aviation even more.
- I wanted to take this time to send this message out
to our aviation community.
If you are feeling a bit lost during your path in this time,
rather on focusing on what you can't do,
try to focus on what you can do.
We have so many talents within our aviation family
which are highly regarded with many employers.
- As travellers, we must do our best
to ensure that we adhere to the safety measures in place.
- I had to encourage myself,
had time to define my priorities.
And I also had friends as well,
who were very supportive at this time.
I've got to see a lot of my friends
and colleagues being laid off,
some of them without pay.
It's not been easy, but then, the whole world is facing
whatever challenge you're facing as well.
And I want to encourage you as well,
you're alive, you're well,
and I'm sure it's going to be better.
- While there are turbulent times like this,
we all need to tighten our seatbelt together.
I would like to thank everybody
who has supported this project,
that sent in their video,
and shared their thoughts.
You could also do this by leaving your comments,
and I will read them.
Well, I firmly believe aviation
has a bright future for all of us.
In aviation, together, we are one.
- We will get past this.
- Don't lose hope, guys. Stay strong.
- A new golden age is yet to come.
- I didn't have the chance to fly on a Airbus A380,
but I hope I will in the future.
- We are both going to be very happy
if could step our foot on the plane again.
- We'll be back in the air very soon.
- Stay safe, stay strong.
- And we'll get through this.
- Take care.
- Fly safe.
- We can go through this hard time together.
- Stay in positive spirits.
- And we'll get back up in the sky as soon as possible.
- Everything will go back to normal
so that we can see planes taking off again.
- We're aviation people, we are survivors.
We will survive.
(hopeful music)