Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and why have you chosen to become a pilot?
My name is Anas Amireh. I’m Jordanian, 33 years old, and a captain on the Airbus A320. My dad is a pilot and I have 4 siblings, 3 brothers and 1 sister. I was the only one of my siblings who became a pilot beside my dad. I’m an outgoing person and I like to travel, make adventures, read books and draw. Moreover, I do care about fitness and positive thinking.
Why have you chosen to be a pilot?
It all started when I was 5 years old. Having seen my father wearing his glamours pilot uniform and heading to the airport on a daily basis had inspired me to follow his footsteps and be who I am today. When I grew older, I started to ask my father a lot of questions about aviation and I used to frequently accompany him to the airport. My favourite time was whenever I travel with him, he used to get me inside the cockpit to watch the take-off and the landing. Obviously, at that time, the aviation law did not ban non-crew members to visit the cockpit. And as I became more mature, I enriched my knowledge through reading until I’ve made my final decision to have a different life and job, and working in the flying office!
Is there anything about pilot life that you don’t enjoy?
Every job has its pros and cons. To me, I really enjoy the day time flights and sometimes when I’m tired I don’t like night flights. Also when a special family occasion coincides with my flying duty, I always wish I can take that day off to be with family and friends. Despite that, I knew all of these cons when I decided to become a pilot. In the end, I really love my job and I am very passionate about it.
What destinations have you visited during your piloting career and can you tell us a little bit about your favourite places?
I have visited too many cities in various countries around the world. Since I fly the A320, It gives me the chance to visit countries up to six hours away from Doha, my base. In Africa, I’ve been to Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. In Europe, I visited Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Paris, London, Moscow, Kiev, Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade and Brussels. In Asia, I’ve been to India, Pakistan, and most Arab countries. My favourite destination so far is Amsterdam, when I used to fly there with Royal Jordanian.
What is your favourite aircraft and why? (feel free to get into technical details – most members will understand you)
My favourite aircraft is the Airbus A320. It is the only jet airplane I have ever known in my life and I have shared a lot of memories on this aircraft. I started on it as a first officer then I got promoted to a Captain. It has a spacious cockpit compared to its size and it’s the mother of Airbus technology. On this aircraft, you don’t have to worry much about the operational limitations as some bigger jets do (ACN-PCN / wing tip clearance…etc) so it can go almost anywhere. In addition, getting the A320 type rating would open prospects and gain you very good chance to work in many airlines around the globe.
Favourite airport approach and why? (also you can get into details [e.g the type of approach] or anything else)
Beirut international Airport ILS Runway 16 when we used to fly through the Syrian airspace. I loved that approach because we used to stay at a high altitude (13,000ft) and it was very challenging because as soon as we get the descend clearance, we had to descend with a high vertical speed. On descend, you can see the Lebanese mountains covered in snow and you see the famous Lebanese cedar trees. After passing by these scenic mountains we used to fly over the Mediterranean Sea and along the approach we would have the sight of the beautiful city of Beirut. That is my favourite approach so far.
What’s your most memorable flight?
This is definitely my first flight as a Captain. It was from Sharjah to Amman, my hometown. My father was a passenger with me onboard and I did a Public Announcement welcoming my father as a colleague, without mentioning him as my father, rather, I welcomed him as a Captain. That was a very special moment to me because I had my father onboard and I made my dream come true by having the four golden stripes on my shoulder while flying the airplane for the first time as a commander.
Where did you do your Flight Training (Airport + Academy + Aircraft types you flew during your training)? What’s the best piece of flying advice given to you during your pilot career/training?
I did my training at the Royal Jordanian Air Academy in 2001. I flew the Piper PA28, Cherokee and Archer, in addition to the Seneca and the TB200 TRINIDAD, which was my favourite.
The best advice I got during my flight training that knowledge is power and the more you read, the more knowledge you will gain, thus the more power you will have. I have seen the fruits of this advice during my flying career. You need great knowledge in order to manage your airplane in the best possible way.
A lot of young IVAO members are planning to start their careers as pilots, have you got any tips for aspiring pilots?
Do what you love, if you think that this career is what you want then do it and don’t hesitate. Plus, you have to keep in mind the pros and cons of this job. Also, take it seriously, it’s a serious job! Study hard, and always have a positive attitude towards your life and your job. Think about your future, your family and your life. Choose a profession that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Do you fly on Flight Simulator often? What FS software do you use (Microsoft FS / P3D / X-Plane)?
I don’t fly Flight Simulator lately, but I used to play Microsoft flight simulator. I used to spend lots of hours doing flights and practising but I used to fly offline. I did not have internet connection back in the day as things were not as developed as nowadays. I have a brother who flies on Flight Simulator now and he flies with people around the world. I don’t know anything about the new Simulators (P3D/ X-Plane v10) but I tired Microsoft Flight Simulator X and really love it and it was really fun
Have you tried any online Flight Simulation Network? And what are your thoughts about IVAO and its members?
Honestly, I have never tried it, but I would love to, and I’m sure that there are a lot of people who follow me on Instagram who usually fly on such networks. I have a lot of youngster followers who want to become pilots and they try to do their best to learn in every possible way. I think it’s a good way to spend time learning about something you love. At the end of the day if you learned one thing is better than to know nothing.
Final words
Thank you for this interview, and I wish everyone in this network all the best. Work hard on yourself and don’t think about failure. Always put a goal in your life and don’t hesitate or feel down. Don’t let anyone set you back. And for the aspiring pilot, trust me, there is a space for you in the sky, and one day you will have the golden stripes on your shoulder and you’re going to be a pilot 
