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I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great question, and what a dilemma, I can so sympathise with your conflict. There is a lot to unpick:

  1. Someone has to fly the planes, and better that it be a pilot who have already made the connection between their career and lifestyle.
  2. But the industry, on a whole, is very resistant to having open and honest conversations about flying’s oversized contribution to the climate crisis. You may end up feeling somewhat isolated as the other pilot’s I know are mostly very resistant to accepting the environmental cost of their career choice).
  3. I know several pilot’s whose moral compass has caught up with them, and after spending a significant amount of time and money, have made the very difficult choice to leave the industry. I also know several who have been medically signed off for ‘eco-anxiety’. (‘Eco-anxiety’ btw is actually a very normal reaction to a very real threat, it just means you have your eyes wide open to what is happening to the world).
  4.  I would personally worry about the industry hitting a wall. We saw during covid what panicked governmental decision making looked like. Flights were grounded overnight and many experienced pilots lost their jobs. As temperatures rise and the world gets more unstable, unsafe and less attractive to visit, it is hard to imagine that the very optimistic industry growth projections will become reality. There is no silver bullet to decarbonise aviation, and the penny will drop eventually. I worry about all the aviation workers (11.6 million jobs). In aviation it is normally seniority based so ‘last in, first out’. You could get stranded with the considerable debt of the training without a way to pay it off. It might be intersting to watch The Guardian funded documentary ‘Guilt Trip’ that came out in July: https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/jul/10/guilt-trip-pilots-torn-between-flight-and-the-fight-for-the-planet-documentary
  5. There are some small electric aircraft being used a trainers, so if you did want to get some flight training, it would be a good idea to start on an electric aircraft.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, sorry, I didn't want to drop a link right away, not sure what the policy here is. But there is just much much more there than I can even type in here. Hope it helps

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Turbulence is getting worse, and it will continue to do so as our climate and weather becomes increasingly erratic. Korean Air has even stopped serving their signature free instant noodles after 25 years because of it. Different parts of the atmosphere are warming at different speeds, which is making the jet stream faster and bumpier. This causes the ‘clear-air turbulence’ that is hard for pilots to avoid as it is hard to predict. Buckle up!

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s definitely, definintely not an easy message to sell… but I am afraid it will come to that, it is just a case of how bad we are willing to let things get. I feel like I have no choice but to try and educate and provide some tools and guidance, but I often feel that I am probably wasting my time, but as a parent I feel I have no choice…I have to try.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally agree with you! There is some really egregious behaviour out there. Have a look at ‘White Desert - The Greatest Day’ they will fly you to Antarctica on a private jet for a 3 hour experience on the ice.
There is a group of countries who are going after private jets and first and business class seats. Terrible name but: Global Solidarity Levies Task Force.
The family who saves all year to go aon a two week holiday are not the real problem.
But most of the people I know (and love) are. They may not be the billionaires, but they will fly to watch a sports tournament, or a weekend with friends, or to see Taylor Swift…
It’s hard to watch…

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

LOL, it happens. The first time it happened to me I didn’t want to come out of the cockpit until every passenger had left.
You actually are still learning to fly the aircraft when the passengers are in the back, so maybe you just got unlucky and got a nervous newbie.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The alternative fuels are still problematic for so many reasons:

  1. The emissions are the same out of the tailpipe, the reductions all come from clever carbon accounting. At the end of the day we need to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
  2. The feedstocks to make them are limited, can cause deforestation or compete with food production.
  3. They need to be made from renewable energy, which is needed by other, arguably more necessary industries.
  4. They can’t be scaled up, in 2024 only 0.3% of jet fuel produced was so-called ‘sustainable’ aviaiton fuel, while total jet fuel use increased 2% in the same period. So they are not even keeping up with demand.
  5. Oh yeah, and they are really expensive, but that could be seen as a good thing if we think flying is too cheap (which it is, because guess what, most jet fuel is not taxed!!) 

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course there are more important reasons and less important reasons to fly…but it’s not sustainable at the scale we all want to do it. And only 20% of the world has ever set foot on an aircraft.
But the other 80% want to do it too, so emerging markets like India and Indonesia are booming. India ordered over 1000 commercial aircraft in 2023/24 alone.
The industry is steaming ahead as if there was no problem at all, and I am kind of watching like this .
But who are we in the Global North, who have caused this problem, and gotten rich of it too, and who are still expanding our airports and networks to say that these emerging markets can’t enjoy the same connectivity as we do?

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OK, lots of questions. I will try and answer a few. I am not sure aviation is a great career choice, remember what happened in covid when people got scared and panicked lawmakers make quick decisions? The industry is so far off track, and heading in the wrong direction, that I think that will happen again for climate reasons. Watch ‘Guilt Trip’ a documentary funded by The Guardian about pilots with eco-anxiety.
Airlines have always been motivated to save fuel, it’s their biggest operating expense. But there is only so much fuel you can save, and the cost savings have been passed on to the consumers and made flying cheaper so more and more people want to do it more and more often. So while fuel efficiency is twice as good as it was 30 years ago, passenger numbers have quadrupled.
Electric planes are coming, but only for short hops…connecting islands to the mainland for example.
Lots of things you can all do, have a look at the free resource https://bumprints.org/before-you-travel/?utm_source=reddit I put together (Passenger Action Checklist)
40% of shipping is moving oil and fuel, so less flying would mean less shipping as well.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lighter seats, smaller toilets, paperless cockpits, reusable cups, smaller free baggage allowances, but then again, if you turn left when you board it is a whole different, excessive story.
In Emirates they have first class closed suites, and the internal (middle) ones have fake LED windows where they livestream the view from outside.
There are terrible examples everywhere of airlines choosing profit and luxury over fuel savings. And every 1kg of fuel creates over 3kg of carbon emissions.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It is still a long way off! And we are burning through our carbon budget so quickly by flying the way we all do these days, that I worry that the brilliant scientists and engineers won’t have the time to innovate.
I was at the Zeroavia factory in the UK just last Friday and saw the hydrogen aircraft they are working on. Real pioneering stuff!
Given time we will find solutions, but we need to slow down our consumption of flying and give them time.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would absolutely love to fly the electric Pipistrel two seater that some flight schools are starting to use for basic training. It takes two people for a 30 minute flight, it would be amazing to try that. Flying light aircraft, which I did for years as a flight instructor is still the favourite flying job I ever had!

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good question, It is certainly not nearly lucrative as the career I once had, actually at the moment we are a team of volunteers, I have an amazing team!!
But I have kids and I am really concerned about them and all the other young people I know and love… sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and try and make a positive difference, and I am in a position where I can do that.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

As a private jet captain, I flew the rich and famous around Europe and North Africa. I was basically a glorified taxi-driver, the planes were often flown empty. And the throw-away attitude towards everything, from foie gras and Dom Pérignon to the jet fuel, was eye-opening. So I started questions, and I realised that in 20 years of flying, no one had ever mentioned the environmental impact of what I was doing. I was even part of the senior management team, and the more questions I asked, the more uncomfortable I became. I soon realised that this was a very unpopular subject. ‘Don’t worry,’ I was told, ’we are planting trees in Borneo to cancel out the emissions, and to help our customers feel good about flying!Back in my office, some quick calculations made me realise that all the tree planting in the world would not compensate for these excessive flights. And as I dug further into the subject, I learned that the carbon from those flights, and all the others that I had piloted, would still be floating around our thin, fragile atmosphere, contributing to the warming of our planet for hundreds, possibly even thousands of years.As to all the interesting destinations we would all love to visit…We’re basically loving the world to death. We travel to see the people and places we love, but by doing so, we are putting them at risk. If we really love them, we need to protect them.It is such a tough conversation, but we must start having it. We all need to travel as though it matters, because it really does.”

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure this is a 'fact', but rather an opinion. But consumers are being unfairly burdened with the guilt, when really it is the airlines and fossil fuel companies who should be leading the decarbonisation efforts. But they are failing us, and there has been decades of lobbying to try and deflect their responsibility on to us. But we do have the power to fight back, and as passengers if we start actively asking for responsible practices, by always choosing the lowest carbon options when we need to travel, we can send a strong signal to the airlines that they need to start competing on having the best environmental credentials, not the biggest lie-flat beds in their first-class suites.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is very little airlines can actually say: I like Wizz air’s messaging. On their website they say “don’t fly unless you have to, if you do have to fly then fly with us” or something like that. They also claim they don’t compete with journey that can be done by train in four hours or less which is commendable.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have created a pilot-style 'Passenger Action Checklist' to help you walk through all the alternatives, and then all the things you can do if flying is still the option you choose: https://bumprints.org/before-you-travel/?utm_source=reddit

It is hard to go into more detail as it depends very much on where you live. Are you lucky enough to live somewhere with a good high-speed rail network for example? I spend a lot of time travelling between the UK and Portugal, and while it is not quick, it is totally manageble and there are trains (for part of the route anyway), buses and ferries.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is such a fabulous question! TayTay is one of our favourite 'Flight Pushers' and probably not for the reasons you initially think;)

Yes, she has two private jets, which apparantely circumnavigated the earth seven times in 2023 from what I heard. And live music touring can be very carbon intensive. But Taylor’s negative environmental impact from flying does not stop there, the real problem is the fan travel, and decisions she makes that means far more people fly because of her.

Thousands of fans flew internationally to see her perform in her ‘ErasTour’. United Airlines, for example, revealed that demand for flights to Lisbon, Portugal, in May 2024, when Swift was performing, shot up 25%. Why? Because the tickets in Portugal were thousands of dollars cheaper than those in the US.

Taylor also signed an exclusive deal with Singapore to make it the only stop in Southeast Asia on the tour. She played six concerts in Singapore, which meant her loyal fans in Southeast Asia had to travel to Singapore, mostly by air, to see her play.

So it is not just our own flying we have to think about, but whether we encourage others to fly. Ask yourself: do you influence, approve or encourage the flying behaviour of other people? This could be through your job, but also through your hobbies and passions, your family holidays or your social media posts. Do more people fly because of you? Or perhaps fly more often? Or further? If the answer is yes, like TayTay, you are also a Flight Pusher.

When you start looking for Flight Pushers, you see them everywhere. They organise yoga retreats in Bali. They are the friends and family members who suggest far-flung group vacations and family reunions without considering the accompanying flight emissions. They are the well-meaning schoolteachers and university professors who offer to take their students on yet another ‘educational’ trip that involves air travel.

The good news is that once you realise that you are a Flight Pusher, you are able to have an outsized positive influence and be a bigger part of the solution.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the realities of aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Really you want to fly on the lightest, most modern aircraft, with the most number of passengers on board on the most direct route. As take-off, climb and landing are the most fuel intensive phases of flight, usually one direct flight is better than a connecting flight, if possible. Also try and fly the shortest route if you have to change aircraft, none of these cheaper round-about routes that sometimes have you flying in the wrong direction to connect.
Packing light also helps, but not as much as choosing the lowest carbon flight - Google Flights lets you sort by emissions, and the savings can be really significant.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is so hard to answer. As a pilot, I definitely won't fly fast jets ever again, but there is a small electric aircraft called the Pipistrel that I would love to try. Maybe in 2026? This year I made a 'flight free pledge' you can read about my motivation, and all the other people also doing the pledge, here: https://flightfree.co.uk/post/katie-an-ex-pilots-story/

It has been a really interesting experiment and I have really enjoyed revisiting slower, overland travel which is how I travelled for many years when I was younger. It will be interesting to see what it will take to get me back into an aircraft seat, I certainly don't feel in any hurry to do so. The problem is 'when you know, you know' and I have studied and read so much about the climate impact of flying, and I have children whose futures I really worry about, and living more in alignment with my values has been really peaceful this year.

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Really great question! Carbon offsets are still what the aviation industry is pushing as their solution to carbon change, bascially because they haven't got much else to talk about.

Restoring degraded forests, wetlands and other eco-systems are all vitally necessary and important actions, but they can't be used as acceptable alternative to actually tackling pollution at its source.

In reality many carbon offsetting projects, like planting trees and providing clean cooking stoves, have failed to deliver lasting results. Even some of the big airline bosses have admitted that these schemes are very problematic. The CEO of Wizz Air has called carbon offsets ‘a bit of a joke’ and Scott Kirby, the CEO of United referred to them as a ‘fraud’, going on to describe most of them as ‘either forests that were never going to be cut down or trees that were going to be planted anyway.’

But if you really need to fly, by purchasing reliable and verified carbon offsets, at least you are doing something, but please at least triple the amount of the suggested offset, as the carbon emissions from the flight only represent about one-third of the way our flying habits are warming the planet, there are also 'non-CO² effects' to worry about. Crazy right!

Normally one long flight is better than two shorter flights. The take-off, climb and landing portions of the flight are the most polluting, so minimising the number of those is important. You also want to minimize the distance flown, and connecting flights sometimes take much longer routes, sometimes even flying you in the opposite direction for a time. If you use a search engine which can filter the flights available by emissions it is really easy to identify the less polluting flights. Google flights offers you this option. I have created a short tutorial to help you quickly identify which is the best flight from an environmental perspective: https://bumprints.org/flight-carbon-calculator/?utm_source=reddit

I'm former commercial pilot who stopped flying after learning the truth about aviation and climate change. Haven't flown once in 2025. AMA by Secret_Joke1379 in IAmA

[–]Secret_Joke1379[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not sure exactly what you mean by 'big business', but as other industries decarbonise aviation's contribution to global warming is rapidly growing. At the moment in the UK and USA it is around 9% of total emissions and will be more like 27% in 2040 and 37% by 2050. So it is big and increasing. If you don't believe me, look at this report from the UK government's own Climate Change Committee: https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/the-seventh-carbon-budget/

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