Ascend Airways pilot fulfills lifelong dream as she grows from operations to the flight deck

"It doesn't feel like a job." Having completed eight 737 charter flights, Charlotte Rogers is loving life on the flight deck, a job she has been dreaming of since the age of six. The Ascend Airways First Officer is working on the airline's summer ACMI contract based out of London Gatwick. "So far, I've flown to Corfu, Faro, Chania, and Lanzarote - all the sunny places. I love every second of it." 

Achieving this dream is something Charlotte has worked extremely hard towards. She has been supported by colleagues and trainers on a career pathway that has taken in operations, training and cabin services, and now the flight deck.

A childhood dream to fly

"Becoming a pilot was always my dream," says Charlotte. "Obviously, it's difficult to say exactly what motivated me, but I do remember one of my Mum's best friends was a 777 and 747 captain. That definitely made a big impression on my six-year-old self."

Charlotte tailored her education and early career towards becoming a pilot. She completed a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering while working as a Tower Assistant at Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire on weekends. It was here that she came across Synergy Aviation, a UK-based aircraft charter company that has now become Ascend Airways, part of Avia Solutions Group.

"I joined Synergy when I was 18," Charlotte explains. "We had a small fleet of private jets - King Airs and Cessna Citations. I was in the Operations team, and as we were only a small company I was working on everything to get the aircraft into the air. This included the initial quote to the client, flight plans and fuel plans, rostering, mass and balance calculations, customs documentation, ground handling, and liaising with the flight crew. I even, on occasion, escorted clients to the aircraft."

This all-encompassing role was the perfect introduction to the world of aviation. "It was a great way to get a working understanding of aviation," Charlotte comments. "I took in everything I could. When I observed the pilots at Synergy, I noticed that those who had worked in different parts of the industry previously to their flight deck role were more well-rounded and had a better understanding of the entire process. So, I saw this as an invaluable part of my journey towards becoming a pilot."

While working at Synergy, Charlotte started her training as a pilot, gaining her Private Pilot’s Licence in 2021.

Ascend takes flight

In 2023, Avia Solutions Group acquired Synergy Aviation and took it in a new direction, relaunching as Ascend Airways and focusing on wet lease and air charters. "On day one of Ascend, the team was just the new CEO and myself. It was a huge transformation. Going from small jets based at Blackbushe to Boeing 737’s flying from Gatwick meant that everything had to change. We started with developing a new HQ in Bishops Stortford and then building a team," explains Charlotte.

For the first few months, Charlotte was fully immersed in bringing this new airline to life and her pilot training naturally took a back seat. "The start of Ascend was the creation of a new company and it was something I really wanted to be involved in. So, I took a bit of a gap with my ground exams," she explains. "My initial goal had been to complete my ATPL ground exams in six months, but it ended up taking 18 months." 

Initially, Charlotte worked solely in operations at Ascend. She then had the opportunity to continue expanding her knowledge in a new role. "I wanted to continue expanding my range of experience, so I opted to work within the training and cabin services departments," Charlotte comments. "This really gave me the 'big picture'. I worked on simulator scheduling for the flight crew, and documentation management for the flight crew and cabin crew. Being part of cabin services taught me a lot about the training requirements for cabin crew and what goes on beyond the flight deck door."

Ascend scaled quickly. "I was working closely with the new Head of Training and was heavily involved in establishing Ascend's base in Gatwick," Charlotte continues. "Our team grew very fast as we recruited all the flight crew needed to operate two aircraft for the first year. Our first aircraft came online in March 2024, and we added another in April. Both of these flew from Gatwick on an ACMI contract last summer. We then won contracts with national carriers in North Africa and the Middle East for the winter. Our fleet has now grown to four B737-8 MAX’s and one B737-800NG - with two further B737-8 MAX’s being delivered in the next few weeks.”

Completing pilots training

"As Ascend was turning into this amazing company, and as I started seeing more and more flight crew around the office, my motivation to continue my training kicked in," explains Charlotte. "I got encouragement from my line manager Spencer Ainsworth, Head of Crew Training, who supported me in taking five months of unpaid leave. I completed my multi-engine piston rating, my instrument rating, and then did my Commercial Pilot’s Licence, my multi-crew cooperation course (APS MCC), and my upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT)."

By January 2025, Charlotte had completed her Commercial Pilot’s Licence and she then started training on B737s in March. "I did the simulator training and the ground school elements of the type rating and completed it with my base training in June. This comprised six take-offs and landings - my first time flying the jet - and I was then qualified to fly the aircraft with passengers." Charlotte has now flown eight commercial flights on Ascend Airways' Gatwick-based ACMI contract this summer as a First Officer.

The motivation to keep going

Charlotte's journey to the flight deck has been a long, and at times intense, one. "One of my biggest challenges was staying motivated because I was working full time whilst studying," Charlotte explains. "My friends in aviation and my colleagues played a big part in encouraging me to continue my training. Having that network of people was exactly what I needed."

Connecting with her intrinsic love of flying also helped. "Midway through my ground exams, I took three weeks off work to complete my hour building," says Charlotte. "I hired a Cessna 172 from a little airport in Bordeaux called Saucats. I did about 50 hours in those three weeks and got to fly in some amazing locations. I flew over Gibraltar, landed on dirt strips in Grenada, and experienced bigger commercial airports like Bordeaux and Seville. Not only did this boost my motivation, it also gave me a lot of confidence as a pilot."

"Ascend is a company that is so varied, there is so much opportunity within it. I’m really excited to experience all of the different flying involved from ad hoc charter and short haul European ACMI contracts, to overseas ACMI contracts in the winter," says Charlotte regarding her plans now that she is qualified.

Inspiring women in aviation 

Charlotte is well aware of the gender imbalance in aviation - according to BALPA, only 6% of pilots in the UK are women. And she is keen for her own success story to be an example for others. "I'm passionate about increasing this number, and I would love to be a role model to any young women who are considering a career in aviation," says Charlotte. "11% of our pilots at Ascend are female, and that has helped me to feel confident.”

As Charlotte's example proves, gender is not a barrier. "I started flying four years ago with my Private Pilot’s Licence, and now I fly a B737-8 MAX. For me, flying is the most amazing thing in the world," concludes Charlotte.