Fernando's Logbook
I fly a plane called Saoirse to places most people drive past, and I bring back the thing the view was hiding. Not the postcard. The story underneath it, the one most people walk straight past. Some of it will make you want to go. Some of it will stay with you for reasons you won't expect. You don't need a plane. You just need to wonder what you've been driving past.
Fernando's Logbook
Life After Losing Your Medical
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Welcome back to The Pilot’s Logbook - a podcast companion for private pilots in the UK and Europe.
In this week’s episode, we deal with one of the biggest concerns of any pilot: the possibility of losing our medical certificate. Our guest today is Stefan Drury, a real go-to name for excellent aviation content.
Stefan's popular YouTube channel is packed with fascinating stories and travel
adventures, including his epic pilot series flying his Cirrus across Australia, Europe,
and the US.
Then, early in 2024, Stefan faced a significant setback with a brain tumour
diagnosis and the loss of his medical.
It's been truly inspiring to see how Stefan has approached losing his medical, having to stop flying as a pilot (not knowing what the future held), and how he's moved forward.
In this episode, Stefan shares his insights on navigating that moment, discovering hope and new adventures.
In this episode, we also cover:
- News and Views: We catch up on the latest aviation news headlines that are relevant to you.
- Weather Forecast: We look into the forecast for the next couple of weeks.
- "Ask Amanda!": Amanda Rhodes, a NATS Air Traffic Controller, answers our listeners' questions about Luton zone transit.
Links and Resources:
- CAA Consultation on Moving Maps
- Stefan Drury's YouTube Channel
- Stefan's Patreon Page
- Subscribe to The Pilot's Logbook for Extra Content
- Travel Plans Podcast
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We believe the best adventures are shared from one human to another. That’s why everything in Fernando’s Logbook is created entirely by talented people and artists. We do not use Generative AI at any stage.
Intro
SPEAKER_02Hi there and welcome back to the Pilot's Logbook, a podcast companion for private pilots in the UK and Europe.
SPEAKER_01Each episode is packed with practical tips, inspiring chats with pilots and members of our community, peer reviews, and the latest aviation news that are relevant to us. And will reveal exciting destinations you can fly directly to. Whether you're a seasoned aviator or just starting your journey, we hope you find our show as informative as inspirational. I'm Joy, your co-pilot for the Pilot's Logbook.
SPEAKER_02And I'm Fernando, your host and fellow pilot.
SPEAKER_03Hello, I'm Stefan. I'm a private pilot here in Australia, and I'm looking forward today to having a conversation with Fernando about the issues for pilots and what happens when you lose your aviation medical. Just what happened to me a year ago. And I also want to talk about some of the things that I've done as a result and what my future holds as a pilot now that I don't have an active medical, and yet I still want to fly.
SPEAKER_02Can you believe it? We had a month of fantastic flying weather here in the UK, and I hope you've managed to make the most out of it. In a few moments we will look into the long-term weather forecast and see what will happen over the next couple of weeks. But first we will go through some general aviation news. And later in the show, we'll have a conversation with Stefan Drury, one of the most popular general aviation YouTubers on the planet. Last year he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost his medical certificate. This is an issue that concerns us all. If you keep flying at some point, either temporarily or for good, you will lose your medical. And Stefan's story can help you navigate that moment and find a way forward. His journey is truly inspirational, and I hope you enjoy our conversation. Remember you can now easily navigate the show using the chapters option in your podcast player.
Ask Amanda
SPEAKER_02Okay, let's get started. In our last episode, we had a chat with Amanda Rhodes, a NATS radar controller. She gave us such an insightful look into what goes when there is an airspace infringement with all those quick decisions and impact he has. Amanda has been kind enough to offer to answer your questions about ATC and controlled airspace in future episodes. So today we are going to answer a question sent by our listener Adrian. And he asks, is there a recommended way to request a zone transit from the ground? I fly out of Elstree, and by the time I've taken off, I'm pretty much by the Luton CTR, not leaving much time to sort it out.
SPEAKER_00In short, the answer to your question, I'm afraid, is no. There is no way of obtaining a VFR zone transit of the loot and control zone whilst on the ground at Elstree. This is a wonderful question. Again, as you've you've stated in your question, you are so close to the southern edge of the looting control zone by the time you've departed, and you don't have much time to request a clearance. And we we totally appreciate that. As air traffic control, our situation is ever evolving and ever changing. So any request made to enter or transit the looting control zone would be made on the traffic situation at the time, the weather situation at the time, how safe it would be to do so, and complexity. So whereas I totally appreciate you would like to know ahead of time if it's going to be a yes or a no, the controller would only know in the moment that you request that transit, based on your position and your altitude, whether it would be safe to do so or not. And that would be when we issue the transit or ask you to remain clear of controlled airspace. I hope this made sense and thank you very much again for asking the question.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Adrian, for your message and Amanda for your answer. If you've got any questions for Amanda or anything you've always wondered about air traffic control, please send them our way. You can text us, just head to the episode notes on your podcast app, and there we'll find a link that says send a text. Tap that and send your questions.
Aviation News & Views
SPEAKER_01Aviation News and Views.
SPEAKER_02For those of you who keep an eye on regional airport news, there's been a positive development in Wales. As of the 1st of April, Haverford West Airport Limited has officially taken over the management of the airfield, entering into a lease agreement with Pembrokeshire County Council. The airport is now open 7 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and two RP approaches will be available very soon. Local authorities across the country face significant financial pressures and are struggling to find the funds to keep local airfields open. So any arrangement that secures the future of these vital transport facilities while also bringing in investment is very positive for the aviation community. In this particular case, the new operator is a local Welsh company with experience in both flight training and air charter services. So a really positive story out of Wales. It's always good to see airports not only remaining operational, but also looking towards future development. And more good news. The CAA is considering adding moving maps to the private pilot's licensing training syllabus and skills tests. The plans are described in detail in a CAA consultation on acceptable means of compliance and guidance material to the UK air crew regulation. If confirmed, the plans are meant to be implemented in October and will allow pilots to use apps like Sky Demon during their training and skills tests. Now, if you are a student, you will still need to learn how to navigate using a traditional paper chart. But once your flight instructor is happy with your level of competence, moving apps could be used. If you wish to read and respond to the CIA consultation, please check our show notes or website. With over 750 exhibitors and 32,000 visitors from over 38 countries, Aero is now one of the most popular aviation shows in the world. Not surprisingly, this year, some of the news coming from the exhibition area focuses on the 600kg microlights and new propulsion systems. And just out of the press, the Prime Minister has confirmed that a total of 30 million pounds is to be released by the government to support the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The airport closed in 2022, and since then, South Yorkshire politicians and business groups have campaigned to reopen it as a keystone of wider development plans for the region. We don't have a date for its reopening yet, but this is fantastic news. Alright, that's all for the news. Now here's Joy with the long-term weather forecast.
Weather Forecast
SPEAKER_01Okay, so let's take a look at the long-term forecast according to the Met Office for the 13th to the 22nd of April. Unfortunately, the lovely settled weather we've had recently is about to change. Expect a cold front moving southeast, bringing rain, showers, and cooler temperatures. There's also a small, uncertain risk of heavier, thundery showers from the south early on, but these might track east. From mid-April, it looks like a wetter period with showers or longer spells of rain, potentially heavy and thundery in places, and stronger winds possible in the south and west. Temperatures will likely return to normal for this time of year. So, yes, as we probably all suspected, that lovely settled period couldn't last forever. The good news is the Met Office predicts a return to more settled conditions toward the end of April. Remember, this is a long-term forecast, so checking updated local forecasts throughout the week is essential.
Stefan Drury
SPEAKER_01Our guest today is Stefan Drury. Originally from the UK and now based in Australia, Stefan has become a real go-to name for excellent aviation content, and his journey has resonated with many. His passion for flying and exploring ignited early on. Growing up in the UK, he was a regular at the legendary Big In Hill Air Show. And as a child, family travels around the UK and Europe showed him just how vast and beautiful our planet is. Stefan's popular YouTube channel is packed with fascinating stories and travel adventures, including his epic pilot series Flying His Cirrus across Australia, Europe, and the US. Then, early in 2024, Stefan faced a significant setback with a brain tumor diagnosis and the loss of his medical. In a really open video after his operation, he described a moment during his hospital recovery. On a terrace overlooking Melbourne, he spotted Melbourne airports and the airplanes taking off and landing in the distance. That moment marked his path to recovery. Since then, he's been back out there living life to the full, traveling the world and even running the New York Marathon. It's been truly inspiring to see how Stefan has approached losing his medical, having to stop flying as a pilot, not knowing what the future held, and how he's moved forward. Let's face it, the day might come for many of us when we have to hang up our headsets, whether permanently or temporarily. So, we are absolutely delighted to welcome Stefan Drury to share his insights on navigating that moment, discovering hope and new adventures. Get ready for some great takeaways.
SPEAKER_02Stefan Drury, it's fantastic to have you on the show. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03No worries. Thank you for having me, Fernando. It's great to be here.
SPEAKER_02Today we are tackling a topic that I think is significant concern for every pilot out there. Basically, the day we we face losing our medical either temporarily or permanently. And to be completely honest, it's one of my uh biggest fears. And uh seeing how you navigated this experience has been truly inspiring. It looks like you you found peace and and hope and uh a whole new lease of of life, and I'm really eager to hear your insights. Well, again, thank you. Thank you for being here today. Now, Stefan, as you know, we have a tradition on the show where we start things off with a quick uh fire on questions, and we have very some strict rules. You can only answer with a yes uh or a no. And if you really have to, you can give us a short uh answer. Are you ready? I'm ready, bring it on, I'm ready. Let's go. Right. First question. Yes or no? Did the thought of never flying again cross your mind immediately after your diagnosis?
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02Would you say that your diagnosis and recovery process helped you discover new opportunities or avenues you wouldn't have seen otherwise?
SPEAKER_03Yes, 100% yes.
SPEAKER_02Does it hurt you to be around your plane knowing you can't fly it yet?
SPEAKER_03Uh yes, it does a lot.
SPEAKER_02Would you say that with the passage of time, a scenario where you don't fly an airplane as a pilot in command has become easier to manage?
SPEAKER_03Um, we can elaborate on that in due course if you want, but not not all the time. No.
SPEAKER_02We will. Is the most adventurous chapter of your aviation life still to come?
SPEAKER_03Yes, 100%. Bring it on. Chapter 2 is coming, and I cannot wait.
SPEAKER_02And we are done for this uh quick round. Uh we are we have got quite a lot to unpack here, and uh we will circle back to these questions in a moment. But first, Stefan, I I I have to take this opportunity to to thank you. And I'll explain. You've mentioned a few times over the years that uh your wife doesn't actually love to fly on a on a small plane. So I I guess in that respect, um my wife is just like yours. And uh in a home where that happens, I uh the idea of getting a plane was never very, very popular. So, what what do we do when you can buy a plane, you just daydream and watch YouTube videos. And uh in one of those periods of my life, I started to watch your videos, and uh my wife uh was always working in the background and kind of watching over the shoulder. And that that helped her to realize that A, if she wanted to fly, if she was to fly, it will be on a Cirrus. And and B, she didn't need to be with me when I was flying. I could fly on my own, which is what you do all the time. So years later, we ended up buying a Cirrus, and uh by coincidence, it's precisely uh the same model as yours, a G3, that we also uh upgraded. So if today I have a plane, it's in part because of you, so I need to thank you. On behalf of the Pinou family, thank you very much for that.
SPEAKER_03My goodness, that's such a such a humbling story, and thank you so much for sharing that with me. It's um I think sometimes we us social media people, YouTubers, people who post content on the internet, I think sometimes we can underestimate that it it can have, yes, it has an impact, there's an education and an entertainment impact that it can have to people. Um, but hearing a story like that from yourself, Fernando, is um is incredibly humbling because I don't think we ever truly appreciate that um this world that we have sort of created online just allows us to connect with other other like-minded human beings. Um, and I think sometimes that's a bit of a lost art uh in the real world. We don't communicate as well with each other as we used to, we don't socialise as much as we used to. Um, but if I can use social media to try and make those connections with someone like yourself and it has a positive impact on you and your family, um man, that's that is such huge motivation. And I'm I'm really grateful for you sharing that with me. Thank thank you for telling me that.
SPEAKER_02I needed to share this with you today because I I think you know that to some extent you impact your viewers' lives. But in my particular case, this was the difference between not having an airplane and now having an airplane. And I had the most incredible moments with my family on that plane. Yes, they don't fly with me most of the time, to be fair, just a bit like you. But when they do, it's it's memories that we will never forget. And and and again, uh in part your videos were were responsible for that. And uh please keep going because they they are important.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. No, that means a lot. Thanks again.
SPEAKER_02Oh, my pleasure. So today we want to talk about facing uh a scenario where we lose our medical for different reasons, but in this particular case, because of a diagnosis, uh cancer diagnosis. You mentioned in your videos that uh headaches were the first sign that something might be wrong. Could you take us back to that time and uh help us understand what those initial thoughts and concerns were?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, of course. So I I probably had been struggling with minor mild headaches over the years. Um it was something I just thought was down to perhaps just being dehydrated. Um, not and it wasn't specifically tied into flying as well, it was just in my everyday life. So I enjoy running a lot. I was wondering if I was getting dehydrated, if that was causing them. I didn't know if it was just the stress of everyday life. I have a job uh outside of aviation as well, which involves me looking at screens a lot. So you think perhaps it's screen time that's causing it as well. You don't know where it's coming from. So you I kind of thought, well, headaches come and go, and I'll just put it off to one of those things that I have to contend with. But they started getting a little bit more, I suppose, intense and a bit more frequent as well, to the point that I was actually having. So there's a headache that you normally have, like if you're dehydrated and it's kind of a dullache. But I was having sharp stabbing pains at one point in my head, and it was always the same place, and it was quite intense, and it got significantly worse about three or four months before I ended up going to the doctors and talking to them about it. Um, and so it was literally, I was out at dinner one time and I was there with my wife, and we were talking to friends, and I started to having this pain in my head, and it was very, very sharp. And she leaned over to me in front of everyone and she said, You need to see somebody about that. You need to go to the doctors. And I thought, fine, you know, stubborn Brit, my dad's Scottish, we're a very stubborn breed, but I thought, fine, I'll go to the doctors and and I'll I'll I'll see what they say. Um, and that's exactly what I did. I visited my GP, I told her my symptoms, and she recommended that I get an MRI scan done on my brain just to check what was happening. So you just think, fine, I'll get the scan done, I'm sure it'll all be fine. Um, had the scan in the morning. I think it was two o'clock that afternoon. My GP called me up again and she said, We'd like you to come back in and talk about your results. And from that point forwards, um, life changed in in a big way because you obviously know that something pretty significant is happening at that point.
SPEAKER_02And when when you heard those news, um, what was your immediate emotional and and mental impact? Um did you actually thought immediately of not being able to fly, or in that moment that's something that you don't even think about, you just focus on your health and in your situation?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, not flying at all. I I I wasn't actually thinking about flying at all at that point in time. So there was a gap of around um two days between I had the MRI and I saw my GP, and she said, We need to get you in front of a specialist to diagnose this. We can't diagnose this. You can't just get go to the GP and they won't tell you what's happening because you need a qualified neurosurgeon for that. So there's a two-day period, which was the longest two days of my life, where the GP said, We know that there's something wrong, you can see this on the MRI, but we need to send you basically, we need to send you to a brain surgeon to go and talk, talk about what to do next. And over those two days, I did consider um my flying career, I suppose, as part of it, but you're absolutely not thinking about flying as number one. You you you're kind of because the moment someone says brain tumor, you're thinking about survival and you're thinking about staying alive and you're thinking about the people around you. So at that point in time, it was only myself and my wife that knew about the diagnosis. We kept it very much to ourselves. We didn't even tell my daughter until a couple of days later, until we had all the information. Um, but no, to answer your question, flying wasn't the first thing that I that I thought of. However, when I went to go and see the neurosurgeon and he confirmed, yes, you do have a brain tumor, um, and it does need to be operated on. Um I maybe foolishly, I don't know. And and part of the the this conversation is I want to recommend to people get aviation medical help early in the process, and and I didn't. But the immediately when I heard out, I actually thought, I need to tell Casa, I need to tell our regulator, because first of all, I cannot fly with this thing in my head that I don't know you know what it could potentially do to me. Um, and as a pilot, I have to be responsible and and ground myself. So yes, after I got after I got all of the information and that was presented in front of me, all the information that I could make a decision on, very quickly at that point. In fact, I didn't fly after I had my MRI. I didn't fly at all. What even though there was there was a chance I could still be okay, I thought the prudent and professional thing to do would be to take myself out of flying at that point.
SPEAKER_02So what was your that initial period um for you going from being uh an active pilot and suddenly being being grounded? You did a a few flights and you documented those flights with someone as as pilot in command. I guess those first few weeks before your operation were quite challenging for you?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that was really hard because again, it all comes down to unknown. It's uncertainty at that point. Because I like I had The headaches, sure, but I'd had them for years, and I I felt like exactly the same person that I felt I was beforehand. I felt I could very easily get in my aircraft and fly it. There was nothing different to a flight that I'd done a couple of days before I had the diagnosis. So it's confusing because you think, well, I I feel like I can do it, so why am I stopping myself from doing it? But I think I think that very much the pilot mentality comes into play here because you think to yourself, well, there's you know, there's a certain amount of information that I have in front of me, but I don't have all the information, so I cannot act on it. I cannot make a firm decision because I don't have everything in front of me, in order to for that decision to be an informed one. So I thought, whilst I don't know, why take the risk? It's like if you're not sure what's happening in that big storm cloud in front of you, don't take the risk. Don't just think, oh, there's a chance I could punch through, let me see what happens. So I didn't want to do that. But you know, that's the practical side, and that's fine. But the emotional side of um jumping back in my aircraft, but jumping in the right seat and not the left seat. And as a guy called Stephen, who I fly with, a lot of people would know him from the channel as well. He he he said to me from the start, you can fly with me any day of the week, you know, just call me up, we can fly together, and that's wonderful and it's great, but you don't want him to, you want to be the one sitting on the left seat and you want to be the one doing the flying yourself. So between diagnosis and operation, um, it was hard. It was hard sitting in your own aircraft and knowing that you weren't legally allowed to fly anymore because of something that was completely out of your control.
SPEAKER_02Did you did you find yourself going through something equivalent to stages of of grief? We usually say there's the denial, the younger, the the bargaining, the depression, and acceptance. Did you go through something similar to that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely. I did. And I made a little video on this actually. I have to remember what, because I I kind of changed some of the stages that I was talking about, the stages of grief. Um, denial, I don't think I went through the denial stage. That's all I'll say is because when you have, I mean, we're very blessed here in Australia, we have incredible medical staff, and the people who've helped me through this process have just been, you know, they're they're phenomenal. They've been fantastic and supportive. And so I don't think denial is an option because the facts are presented in front of you and it's just there. Again, it's like the storm cloud out the window. It's, you know, you can deny it all you want, but the storm cloud is there, and if you do nothing, you're going straight into it. So I didn't go through that. But the this the sort of there was a real sense of, I will be honest, there was a real sense of sadness and there was a real sense of confusion. Um, so in between being told what was happening to me and actually getting it operated on, I really didn't know what the future held for me. I didn't know if this was a three-month thing, I didn't know if this was a three-year thing or a permanent thing. And so you just think to yourself, well, what the hell am I doing then? You know, should I go on this flight? Should I go to the airport? Should I just curl up on the couch and cry all day? Um, you don't know, you don't know what is expected of you at that point. So there was a bit of bargaining. There was definitely some. I'm not a very angry person, but there was some frustration, some serious frustration in there. But I think, yeah, once once it starts to sink in, it starts to turn into sadness because all of a sudden there's that one thing that you know you love and that you think represents you, and yeah, all of a sudden you can't do that thing anymore.
SPEAKER_02And then the operation happened. And a few weeks or I think a few months later, you you shared a video with to me, which was a very inspiring story about the moment you left your bedroom trying to get some walk inside the the hospital, and you found yourself um you found a door, and you opened that door, and there was a balcony with uh with a beautiful Melbourne view, and far in the distance you saw uh Control Tower, and uh it was Melbourne Airport, and you noticed the airplanes taking off and and and landing. And you you said that it made you feel like you were Stefan again. Can you describe the significance of that moment and how it helped you to rediscover a sense of normality and and hope during that challenging time?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that was huge. That was a huge point uh in the whole process for me. So there was there's a balcony in the hospital that, as you said, you described it really well, Fernando. Thanks. It I basically you can see the airport in the distance, you can see the control tower. And the last time I was standing on that balcony was three or four days before, which was before the operation. And when I was there, my wife was consoling me because I was literally and physically breaking down and saying, I'm so scared, I don't know what's happening, I don't know what's coming up. Um, you know, is this thing am I gonna be here in three days' time? I didn't know, am I gonna make it out of the surgery? All these thoughts are going through your head. Um, and then you disappear into the hospital system, and incredibly talented and wonderful people operate and work on you, but you have no control over that. You basically just you lie back, you take the anesthetic, they operate on you, and you recover. And so for a period of three or four days, I wasn't doing anything apart from lying down. That's kind of all I did, and recover and rest. And then when I did get up again, to be back in that point, to be back in literally in the physically the same spot on this planet Earth, and thinking, I'm I'm through, I'm through the worst of it. I've I've made I've made it through the bit that I was most unsure about. I'm still here, I'm still blooming alive. And then, and it was, I don't know, serendipity to look over to one side, and I thought, oh yeah, that's a quantum 737 coming in from Sydney. Yeah, that's the 1215 flight. I know that one. I felt and I thought, I'm just thinking normal thoughts again. I'm looking at control towers and planes, and I'm being a big aviation nerd all of a sudden. And I thought, maybe Steph's still here, you know, maybe maybe I have got a sort of a second chance at at being me. And so that that was a a really big important yeah, sort of point of realization for me.
SPEAKER_02And despite such a setback, you you've mentioned over the last year that uh you are now in a in a good place. And uh what what were some of those key moments or shifts in in perspective that really helped you find that that hope and uh a positive uh outlook during your recovery? Because it's been almost over a year now.
SPEAKER_03Over a year, yeah, over a year now since since I had the surgery itself. Um what were the key things? Well, um there's a few. Um first of all, I have to credit the the close people around me who helped me get through, especially those first first sort of six months. Um, not just the medical team, so the neurosurgeon that I had. Um I have an aviation doctor who I work with, um guy called Andrew, who is he's he sort of uh physically and mentally helped me through a lot of that process as well, just understanding what was happening. Um so the medical team were very important. My family just kind of stepped up a thousand million levels to in terms of support to help me out with this as well. Um so yeah, that that that sort of close group of people around me, I think was incredibly important, just from that sort of medical and emotional support. But from an aviation perspective, I I mean I I talk about this and I think it can come across a bit flippant sometimes and almost a little bit sort of airy-fairy, but I actually think I talk about aviation being a family, and we're a community, we're a family of people out there, but I really mean that. And it was really proven to me when this happened because not only did I get so much feedback from people through YouTube, through comments, Instagram messages of people saying, Steph, you've got this, you know, we know you're gonna come strong through this, just you'll be you'll be back, you'll be flying again. Not only was there that, but there were so many people who reached out and said, Oh yeah, my brother had the same thing and he was flying again two years later, or oh yeah, I had that and I'm flying again now, or my dad had this. And you just think, I'm not alone in this. I'm I'm not all of a sudden sitting here thinking that my life is terrible and I've been dealt a bad hand and I should feel pity for myself. I just thought, oh, I'm just part of a niche of my community that I'm already in love with. So let's just move forward together. And that aviation community um was critical to me. And that's not just the people through the internet who reached out and helped, but it's also my close aviation community here, people at the airport who said, anytime you want to go fly, let us know. You can sit in the other seat, and you know, we'll we'll just take you flying. And that has happened. So I haven't actually stopped flying since this whole process has happened. I've just been in a different seat. And to be honest, you know, I've seen a different side of aviation, and that's been an incredibly good positive for me.
SPEAKER_02At points you you've been very open about the uncertainty and doubts you've had about returning to flying. Did you find the idea of just moving on easier than hanging to the possibility of flying a plane again?
SPEAKER_03Yes. Fernando, how how can you read so clearly into my mind my thoughts? Have you been like, you've been studying me too closely? I think. Yeah, of course, I did. And look, there were there were times when I thought, let's sell the plane. You know, I'm I'm incredibly privileged and lucky to say that I'm a human being, being that owns an aircraft. It's a crazy thing to say when you say it out loud. I'm really lucky and I'm grateful for that. But there were many times, especially early on in the piece, when I thought to myself, well, to have this object, you know, this expensive object sitting in front of me, reminding me of what I can't do with it. Why the hell do I want to have that in my face, reminding me of something that I can no longer have? And so yeah, I thought, well, maybe let's move the aircraft on, let's get rid of it, let's get out of this whole aviation thing. Maybe this is, you know, maybe this is the the universe's way of telling me that I need to do something else, I need to focus on something different. But um, and yeah, I I had thoughts like that. I definitely had thoughts of of giving up entirely because that's the easy choice. But I um I kept I might and again I made another little video on this, but I I I put it down to coming back to my why, coming back to my what was the reason that kicked me into this in the first place. You know, yes, I this is where I am now, but go back to why you wanted to do it in the first place. And is that still there? The stuff that was there before the brain tumor. And I thought, well, yeah, of course it is. I was I grew up in the UK. I was a kid that used to go and watch the air shows at Big In Hill with my dad. I used to go and look up at the RAF Vulcan blasting overhead, the red arrows doing their thing, Concorde flying. Every time I see a 747 flying overhead, I can't, I crane my neck and I look up at it. And that stuff has gone nowhere. That is still there. And so whilst that flame still burns within me, then if I give up, I'm just I'm snuffing out something that doesn't need to be snuffed out. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02There's a beautiful moment at the end of that video where you send a message to young Stefan and where there's a photo of you at at Biggin Hill. And it's very inspiring and the perfect way to remind us why we got there in the first place. Stefan, content creation has been a big part of your life and and work with a fantastic history of travel and your YouTube channel. Uh, you've you've done so many series about flying around with your plane, but also flying commercially and going to places. I absolutely loved your recent video in Hong Kong with a fascinating story that everyone needs to watch. I won't reveal much, but you need to go to YouTube and find that video. I think this period of being grounded. Have you found new avenues for adventure, creativity, and even business? Because to some extent you couldn't produce the videos that uh your audience were used to. And in some ways, do you think these unexpected pause might have might even f freed you to pursue new opportunities that you might not otherwise have considered?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it absolutely has. Um I'm a really strong believer that as human beings, we we shouldn't define ourselves as one thing. And I think with what I was doing with my YouTube and content creation work, so I've got a background in digital media. Um one of my first jobs was audio video production in London. Um, that's my background that I came from. And obviously with aviation as well, I could tie the two in, and this social media thing came from that. Um, but I'm a firm believer that as human beings, we're not defined as one thing. And and I I did find that with my YouTube channel, I was really defining myself purely as a pilot. And I was just putting it out to the world that, you know, this is me, I'm a pilot, this is all I do, all I do is fly. Now that's fine from a content point of view because your audience will come to you and they'll go, Oh yeah, he's the pilot. We like the pilot content, let's just watch that. And all of a sudden, if you put something up about running the New York Marathon, then they might be like, hmm, we don't care about that. We're only here for the flying, so why are you putting that content up as well? But what this experience made me realize was I need to stop sort of doing it for the uh, I guess, the validation of what people are seeing online and just be a more authentic and honest version of myself. And I love to travel. I'm in a very fortunate position that I've built businesses up over the years. Um, some have done better than others, and I like to travel. That's that's you know, I like to spend my money on going to sea places and and and flying in in nice planes to get there. And I I kind of was a little bit almost embarrassed about that beforehand. But I think this experience has made me realize that I think as humans we should be very unashamed about what makes us us. And if you think something is um, if you think you're flexing too much or you're showing off, or you think it's too nerdy, and people will think you're stupid, or if you think your friends will laugh at it, it's a really hard lesson to learn that nobody cares what you're doing as much as you do. And the moment I realized that, I kind of thought, oh, this is quite cool, it's really freeing. And so, yes, I've been searching for alternative sort of avenues and paths of content that I can pursue to still, you know, flex my storytelling uh skills and creativity because I I I love that aspect of it, but it doesn't always specifically have to be just around this one niche, this one small part of me. Um, so yeah, I set up a second YouTube channel, I do um stories which have absolutely nothing to do with aviation on there as well. Um, I unashamedly post things across my other social media which has got nothing to do with aviation because as humans we are not defined by one thing, and I think if I can show other people that, then you know, maybe that's another good side benefit from this whole experience as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's fascinating. And and to be honest with you, I I as I mentioned to you, I found you through YouTube because of your aviation and serious um videos, and now I end up watching all your content because it's very relatable, and I I see myself in what you do, in some of the things you do. I still don't see myself running a marathon, but I I should be considering it at some point. Never say never, never say never.
SPEAKER_03You just said you start with a 10k, then you do a half, then you do the full, it's you know, you've got this, you've got this.
SPEAKER_02Indeed. We are, as I've mentioned before, we we are recording this episode now in April 2025. Your operation was over a year ago. And after the experience you've described, I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but do you actually want to go back and to fly and on your own airplane?
SPEAKER_03I do, I very much do. Um yeah, I do. And look, I can I can give you an update as well, Fernando. I haven't actually um said very much about this publicly as well, um, recently, but I I was actively waiting for the year since the operation to tick by before going ahead and uh and renewing my aviation medical. Um and even though we're past that point, I still haven't actually gone ahead and done that for no other reason than just a couple of live things that's got in the way. But next month will be the month that we basically, with my aviation medical examiner, we're going to go through the just the standard aviation medical that everybody would go through, where they look at eyesight, um, hearing, um, other tests that are done that that any pilots listening will will be very familiar with. But as well as that, we're also going to put in some documentation that I've got from my neurosurgeon now, who's past me as uh fit and healthy and able to fly again as well, and put all that in front of the regulator and see what they say. So, yeah, so next month is actually quite an exciting and big month for me because uh we're gonna be putting that information forward. Now, it still could take a while, and rightly so. I think I don't have an issue with the regulator taking a while to look at everybody's cases individually, as I think they should. That's their responsibility. So it's probably not an immediate, you know, next month I'll be flying again, but to know that that's happening and the process will be starting officially next month is really exciting. And so, yes, I I cannot cannot wait to be sitting in the left sea again and flying my aircraft. Um, and hopefully that will come, you know, that will come at some point this year and hopefully hopefully sooner rather than later.
SPEAKER_02And everything is looking good. If your doctors are saying you are good to go, I assume.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Yeah, the the the well the diagnosis is good. I mean, I'm uh I've got a couple of good specialists who've who've uh created reports for me. Um and to be honest with you, physically I feel in the best shape of my life right now. I feel better now than I ever have done before. And to be honest, I'm safer because I'm not flying with a tumour in my head anymore. So, like, surely that makes me a better pilot because everything up there is is fixed and good. Um so yeah, hopefully, hopefully it will come soon. But I'm I'm super excited because I had a long, long list of things that I wanted to do and projects that I wanted to work on. Um, and those are about to go on the back burner a little bit, but they're they're coming back as soon as I can get flying again.
SPEAKER_02And now that you are mentioning that, uh in a YouTube video as well, you shared a conversation you had with your friend Michael when you were flying to East Timor about the inherent uncertainty of life and uh the importance of pursuing your dreams sooner rather than later. And as you look to the future, what's coming next?
SPEAKER_03What's coming next? I well, okay. So anyone who's watched my content for a little while will know that probably I think it was 20, was it 2018 I first mentioned it? I really want to fly a plane solo around the world. I really, really, really want to do that. And this whole experience and this exercise now has just made me want it even more. So I am still very much planning to do that in the aircraft which I have at the moment. When it happens, there are so many factors behind that. There's, you know, there's world conflicts going on in various regions of the world at the moment, which can cause issues. There's some financial issues happening in America right now. Who knows what's going to happen with things like nav gas prices, etc., etc. So there are so many moving parts to this. But to answer your question in terms of the future projects, that would be the one that's sitting over my head and has been for at least 10 years of my life, because I've been planning it for a lot longer than I than I announced it. That is one that's very much something that I would I would like to do. Before I hang up my headset professionally as a pilot, I'd love to be able to say that um even if it takes me a year, that I I did successfully pilot a single-engine aircraft around the world myself.
SPEAKER_02When you do that, can I ask you to land in Cambridge or Duxford so I can meet you and offer you? 100%.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, totally. We should do a meetup for sure. Yeah. Um and I love Duxford as well. Is that your local airport? Because Duxford's fantastic.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And we can gather Philippe and then John Hunt and we all go for a lunch.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think um, I think Philippe's already like um bagged the right-hand seat for most of the trip. So he's doing he's doing at least the parts from America across the North Atlantic into the UK. Oh yeah, and John as well. Both of those guys have been on your podcast. I love both of those episodes. They were great. Um good friends of mine as well. But yeah, of course. No, Fernando, you're on. We'll meet in Duxford and um yeah, you can help me hop across to France or something. We'll do that together.
SPEAKER_02That's fantastic. I want to go back to a question that I asked you on the quickfire round of questions, and which was about does it hurt to be around your plane now that you when when you can when you can't fly it yet? And you said yes and no. Can you go back and and develop more or explain a bit more what you mean with it?
SPEAKER_03Um, yes, it hurts to be around it because obviously, I mean the obvious answer is I'm not flying it. And I'd I'd love to be just the same old Steph I was beforehand and able just to jump in and fly it in the same way. But no, it doesn't hurt because I think that when I do fly it again, I'm gonna be actually quite an improved and uh a more confident and just a more positive, happier pilot. So having it there in front of me after having been through this whole um, you know, this year of kind of darkness, knowing that that light is at the end of the tunnel for me is is massive. So it's the carrot that's dangling in front of me to remind me, you know, keep keep moving forwards, just keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you put your aviation medical through and it bounces. Back as a no first time, do it again. Just keep going because that is there waiting for you. So, yes, it's sad because of course I just want to fly it in life to go back to normal, but no, because it's been one of the biggest motivators for me just to keep fighting through this thing. So I'm glad it's there. I'm glad it's there, and I'm not flying it at the moment.
SPEAKER_02Stefan, for anyone going through something something similar or thinking or or or fearing that they will lose their medical next time they go to see their doctor, what's one piece of advice you would give to anyone facing uh major life change or uncertainty?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a look, that's a really good question. And it's um it's quite a hard I'd be honest, it's quite a hard one for me to answer, like with a small kind of nice snippet, I suppose. But from an aviation perspective, if you are experiencing any medical um concerns that you think may potentially have an impact on your flying career in the future, my biggest advice would be to go to someone you trust, uh, who's got a knowledge who's got an understanding of the medical world and the aviation world, even a legal representative first before you disclose anything. So I wouldn't say, I'm not saying bury the information, but I'm saying ground yourself if you're not sure. As a pilot, it doesn't matter if you have a medical or you know, uh a medical issue or not, if you're not sure about the flight, you don't do the flight. So ground yourself first of all, but then seek advice before you go ahead and go to the regulators, because it could potentially cause you problems in the future if you don't seek that professional representation up front. So I'd say, first of all, do that. Um but then the second thing is if if you're hurting or if if if the sort of practical side of things is being looked after, but the the mental health and the emotional side isn't, don't be afraid just to ask for help. And I I didn't ask for help early on in the exercise. Um again, I joked about it before, but I can be quite a stubborn personality and I I want to fix and solve things myself. Um, but after a while you realize that there are some things that you just cannot fix without other people's help. And I think as pilots, it's if you equate it to you know good cockpit resource management, you're not flying that plane on your own. You're there with a team of people. And as a human being, often we're lucky to have a team of people around us. So rely on the experts and the people around you. And yeah, ask for help sooner rather than later, because even if you want to do it on your own, I don't think you do as good a job as if you ask people for help early on in the process.
SPEAKER_02Stefan, this conversation has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, Fernando. It's really nice talking to you.
Links and Resources
SPEAKER_01If you haven't already, do check out Stefan's YouTube channel. It's one of the best out there. The links in our show notes. And if you'd like to support his inspiring work and stay updated on his progress, you can find him on Patreon too. Well, that brings us to the end of this episode of the Pilot's Logbook. I hope you've enjoyed it. You can find links to all the resources we've mentioned today at the pilot's logbookpodcast.com. That's also where you can subscribe to have new episodes delivered straight to your inbox. And of course, you can find details on how to support the show there as well.
SPEAKER_02And if you'd like to get in touch, you can always drop me an email at hello at fernando.today. Just a quick note that we'll be taking a short break over Easter. So instead of a new episode in two weeks, we'll be releasing a special episode of Travel Plans, our travel guide podcast to Lituque Paritage. Our regular episodes will be back on the 1st of May. In the meantime, happy flying!
