From Hobby Glider Pilot to Professional Pilot

Garret was fifteen when he first stepped into a glider. Hanging in the air, he knew: this is what I want. After a few detours—through top-level sports and a degree in commercial economics—he finally chose flight school. For the past 6.5 years, Garret has been working with great pleasure as a pilot at KLM. Alongside his work, he contributes as a Connecting Colours ambassador and D&I lead to a diverse and inclusive organization.

Spotting F-16s

“As a child, I lived with my parents in Tilburg. I often went to Gilze-Rijen airbase, where you could watch the F-16s take off into the sky. On weekends, there were always people gliding. When I was about fifteen, I started doing that too—just as a hobby. I quickly got my license to fly solo,” he says with a laugh, “Even before I was allowed to drive a car!”

“Later, I started playing American Football at a high level,” Garret continues. “I was even on the national team for a while. I combined that with a degree in commercial economics at the Johan Cruyff University. Until I got injured and started wondering: what do I actually want to do with my career? That passion for gliding was still there in the back of my mind, so I decided to apply to the Martinair Flight School. After graduating, I flew for two other airlines before joining KLM 6.5 years ago.”

Colleagues First

“The main reason I wanted to work here was stability. I got a permanent contract, a reliable collective agreement, and very favorable conditions. At KLM, they treat people well—I noticed that immediately. They listen to your scheduling preferences and always make sure your work-life balance is in order. If you need rest, have things going on at home, or want to temporarily work less for any reason, it can always be arranged.”

What Garret also appreciates is the opportunity to grow. “If you say you want more challenges or want to take a certain training, they listen. I’m ambitious and always want to learn new things. Flying a Boeing, for example, is totally different from flying an Airbus 330 or Embraer. I enjoy discovering new aircraft.”

More Than Flying

The love Garret had for flying as a child is still there.

“I really enjoy—and value—the social, human aspect of this job. Say we have a passenger on board with a fear of flying. Then I sometimes walk by to give some explanation. I’ll tell them that in five minutes we’ll be taxiing, that we’re taking off to an altitude of eleven kilometers, and that there’s little wind. Occasionally, I even take such a passenger into the cockpit before departure. People are quickly reassured—often their fear stems from not knowing what to expect.”

From Awareness to Action

In addition to his work, Garret is Diversity & Inclusion lead within the Flight Operations department, together with a female colleague pilot. “For a long time, people had a standard image of pilots,” he explains. “Fortunately, that’s slowly changing. We’re doing everything we can to recruit as diverse a group as possible. More and more female pilots and pilots with a bicultural background are working at KLM.”

“In a working group—including some HR colleagues and managers—we discuss how our division can become more diverse, and how we make sure everyone adheres to the codes of conduct,” Garret continues. “Our goal is to prevent any form of undesirable behavior. Bullying, gossiping, exclusion, discrimination, and inappropriate behavior are not welcome at KLM. If pilots encounter issues at work, they report them to us. In the working group, we discuss the case and look for a solution together.”

Like Father, Like Daughter

Garret stays busy; he’s also an ambassador for Connecting Colours. This network strives for an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and recognized—whether colleagues or passengers. “Diversity isn’t just about skin color or gender, but also about things like religion, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, and physical disabilities,” says Garret. “Everyone who flies with or works at KLM should feel at home.”