A YOUNG South Cumbria pilot who landed his dream career is to star in a new prime-time TV series.

Ryan Clyde, a new pilot with easyJet, features in ITV's new two-part series easyJet: Inside the Cockpit which airs on Monday August 14 and Monday August 21 at 9pm.

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The just-turned 21-year-old, of Askam, will be introduced to millions of TV viewers in the fly-on-the-wall series which opens the door into the cockpit to follow rookie pilots taking the first steps in their airline careers.

This year easyJet, the UK’s biggest airline, launched its largest ever pilot recruitment drive. It included a focus on encouraging more women to apply for this career where females make up only three per cent of pilots worldwide.

The series was filmed from the end of last year and into February when Mr Clyde was just starting out with easyJet. The scenes will show the newbies in the flight school classroom, flight simulator training, and then flying large jets with hundreds of passengers on board.

The former Chetwynde School headboy, who is now a fully qualified first officer, is looking forward to seeing the show which has been narrated by Stephen Fry.

Mr Clyde, who is based in Paris at the moment, said: "I'm a little bit nervous about seeing it, but it was a lot of fun filming it. It will be an exciting show. It was a really good opportunity to show people what the job is about.

"The filming included my first time flying the aircraft empty and my first passenger flight as well. It was a big day and I had a camera on me."

The pilot said his family and friends in the UK have seen the TV advert for the programme and are also keen to tune in.

Mr Clyde is delighted to be working as a pilot, something he has wanted to do for as long as he can remember.

He said: "It's amazing, in some respects it's everything I expected it to be, and in other respects it's completey different. There are no two days the same. Some of the days are challenging, but it's just awesome. Every time I take off and start flying it's so much fun."

He agrees that he has some of the best office views in the world. "Mornings over the Alps is definitely a favourite," he says, "but my favorite destination is Nice, because it's a more challenging approach and the view is amazing."

Mr Clyde is flying the Airbus aircraft to locations such as Milan, Tel Aviv and Marrakech.

He said: "From May I will be based in Manchester so I imagine I will be flying some familiar faces on their holidays.

"I enjoy Paris but I'm looking forward to being in Manchester and close to family and friends."

After completing his A-Levels at Chetwynde, in Barrow, Mr Clyde, spent some time working in retail before joining an aviation course in Southampton and then Phoenix, Arizona.