A Bermudian pilot has flown to the island for the first time in his ten-year career.

Brandon Baralt messaged friends and family when he realised he would be helping to fly a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Bermuda as a reserve pilot on November 30 last year.

Mr Baralt was worried that the flight to the island would be reassigned, as weather caused the plane’s earlier journey to Chicago O’Hare to be cancelled and delayed a trip from Cleveland.

Mr Baralt, 36, assumed a woman at Newark Airport was Bermudian-based on how many bags she had with her.

He reflected: “I went over to help her carry a few bags and asked her what gate she was going to, sure enough, she was one of my passengers.

“I didn’t say anything to her at the time because I was really looking forward to making the passenger announcement instead.”

Mr Baralt’s flight to Bermuda came almost eight months after he was hired by United, but he was on the island for only about an hour before heading back to Newark, where he is based.

He first gained an interest in flying at about 11 years old and initially wanted to be a fighter pilot, but could not find much information about the profession in Bermuda.

His piloting dream took off when he worked as a flight instructor and tour guide with Star Marianas Air in 2017, after training at Moncton Flight College in New Brunswick for about two years.

Mr Baralt said: “By nature, I am a very adventurous person — I love to explore, I love experiencing new things, I love trying new food, I listen to all types of music and I don’t really like routine.

“So when the opportunity to get into aviation came up, I jumped on it right away.”

He then flew with Cape Air from 2018 to 2019 and CommuteAir until joining United Airlines, which he considers the best airline to work for.

He said: “I wanted to make sure I had fun with my licence in the beginning, which is why I took jobs with Star Marianas Air and Cape Air. I wasn’t really in a rush to make it to the mainline.”

Puerto Vallarta’s scenic beach and mountains make the Mexican city Mr Baralt’s favourite place to have flown. He also likes the scenery in Saranac Lake, New York, Durango, Colorado and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

He said: “As far as airport hubs go, Boston is probably my favourite due to the maritime and city landscape.”

Mr Baralt knows of a few other Bermudian pilots, but believes there could have been more if Bermuda had a stronger aviation presence when he was growing up.

He said: “You’ll probably see more Bermudians becoming pilots now because of resources like Google and online aviation forums.”

Mr Baralt believes the cost of flight school may deter people from taking to the skies, but does not find it more expensive than a regular college education.

He urged aspiring pilots to decide what they want out of their licence and keep up with industry news and online forums.

He said: “If you stay up to date with the news, you’ll have a good idea of the quickest path to a mainline airline.

“Once upon a time, the fastest route was to work as a flight instructor, move on to a regional airline, and then apply to a pathway programme.

“Now, many of these airlines offer you the ability to join their pathway programme before you even start flight training.”