It has been announced by Qantas that they will support Red Bull driver Mark Webber in his pursuit of obtaining a pilot’s licence.
As an ambassador for the famous airline, Webber has seen Qantas serve as the title sponsor of the Australian Grand Prix for the last two years.
Beginning his role with Qantas in February of this year, Webber spent time at London’s Heathrow airport on Wednesday, sitting in the cockpit of a Qantas A380 with one of the airline’s training captains. He is now ready to shift his skill set from racing to aviation.
“Flying has always captivated me,” Webber stated. “The opportunity I had to fly over the Albert Park Formula One circuit in a Qantas B737 simulator earlier this year was exhilarating, and it truly solidified my desire to pilot an aircraft one day.”
“This marks a new adventure for me, and as a Qantas Ambassador, I’m thankful to have support from the Qantas team and to learn from the industry’s finest.”
Alan Joyce, Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, expressed the airline’s pleasure regarding Webber’s genuine interest in flying.
“Qantas will be providing mentoring through one of the airline’s training pilots and access to Qantas flight simulators,” he elaborated. “Additionally, Qantas will recommend an approved pilot training organization for Mark to acquire his flying skills.”
“I’m confident that Mark’s driving abilities and exceptional hand/eye coordination will greatly benefit him in learning to fly an aircraft.”
Webber is already well-known for his flying achievements—while driving. His Mercedes-Benz sports car notoriously flipped on the Mulsanne straight during practice for the 1999 Le Mans 24-hour race, and he soared into the air dramatically during last year’s European Grand Prix after colliding with Lotus’s Heikki Kovalainen.
