Mikhail Nesbitt’s passion for planes had been evident since childhood.

The 23-year-old devoted years to studying, building and then learning to fly aeroplanes.

Now, after getting his private pilot’s licence at a US high school and studying aviation at university, he hopes to certify as a flight instructor over the summer.

He said: “If I could give any piece of advice, it’s that starting early is definitely going to be a massive help for anybody in any industry.

“I’ve met some people who are pilots now — and they’re in their forties and their fifties — and they’ve said they wished they’d started younger.

“So don’t be afraid to open your horizons and look for new opportunities.”

Mr Nesbitt, who lives in Michigan but is originally from St David’s, said his interest in planes was sparked when he was 5 years old.

He recalled visiting the airstrip near Southside Road after church to watch planes take off and land — captivated by “the fact that it seems like it shouldn’t be able to do what it does”.

He explained: “Seeing such a big craft flying into the air, it always impressed me as a kid. Same with the noise and the speed.

“There’s something cool about machines.”

Mr Nesbitt spent his childhood designing and building model aeroplanes, first out of cardboard, then Lego. As he got older, he switched to digital.

He taught himself using an online digital flight simulator, growing comfortable flying small aircraft and large commercial jets through realistic environments.

Mr Nesbitt received a partial scholarship from the Bermuda Aviation of Professional Engineers when he was 12 to attend a Johns Hopkins University Academic Explorations Camp.

Next, his parents enrolled him in Blue Mountain Academy, a high school in Pennsylvania with a flight programme for aspiring young pilots.

Mr Nesbitt’s placement allowed him to graduate in 2021 at 18, armed with a high school diploma and a private pilot’s licence.

Getting his pilot’s licence before his driving licence was nothing strange.

He explained: “If you knew you wanted to be a pilot from young, it’s definitely possible and it’s not a massive stretch.

“If you were coming in later or maybe graduating college and then figuring out you wanted to be a pilot, it would not be too easy to get it so quickly.”

Mr Nesbitt continued on his aviation career path by enrolling in the BT Aviation Degree Programme at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

He initially signed up for aircraft maintenance but shifted focus to aircraft flight.

With only six planes available and limited time to practise, he finished flight classes just a day before graduation.

Now, with his degree and a multi-engine commercial pilot certification, Mr Nesbitt plans to build a device to take pressure and temperature readings at different altitudes.

He compared it to a reusable, recoverable weather balloon and hoped to help his flight school predict weather conditions better.

Mr Nesbitt added that he would love to return to Bermuda, one day, and fly for BermudAir.

“It would be a dream come true to fly for your own national airline as a Bermudian, supporting the country and be a beacon for hospitality. It would be so awesome.”