'I'm 17 and have been flying planes longer than driving cars'

A Bradford teenager has gained a private pilot's licence at just 17 years old and has dreams of becoming a commercial pilot.

Mustafa Mohammad started lessons at Sherburn Aero Club near Leeds on his 15th birthday, long before he could legally drive a car.

Now he can fly solo and also carry passengers in a light aircraft.

"I love every single thing about flying," Mustafa said.

"The increased workload in the aircraft just relaxes your mind and makes you focused on just flying.

"So anything else that you were thinking about gets left outside the aircraft."

Training to gain a licence costs £13,000, which often excludes younger pilots, but Mustafa's family helped with the fees.

"A lot of people are surprised that I am only 17 years old and I've actually been flying planes for a lot longer than I've been driving cars," he added.

His brother, Sohail Mohammad, believes he could be a trailblazer when he begins his career with an airline in the future.

"He has made us all really proud," he added.

Mustafa is in the middle of studying for his A Levels but is also continuing to take his aviation exams.

He hopes to start training as a commercial pilot when he turns 21.

"I wanted to inspire young people because being a pilot is seen as quite an old person's job, but it is also suitable for young people, which is what I wanted to show the world."

His instructor, Alastair Breckon, said: "He's been a joy and is a joy to teach and he soaks up the information.

"He actually makes my job easy.

"Going forward, I hope he invites me on board his 737 when he is the pilot of a holiday jet out to the Greek Islands. I think that would be wonderful closure."

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