I work with schools, colleges, community groups, families, and industry partners to raise awareness of aviation careers and help more people see aviation as a sector they can belong in.
As a Department for Transport Aviation Ambassador, my role is to support outreach, champion the aviation sector, and help inspire a skilled, diverse, and sustainable future workforce through events, talks, activities, and engagement.
Through my wider work in education, immersive learning, and flight simulation, I aim to make aviation more visible, more accessible, and more exciting for the next generation.
I’m Ken Eckersall, Director of KenEck Ltd, founder of FlightDeck PC, and creator of immersive aviation experiences designed to inspire people of all ages.
My career has included aviation, education, and digital innovation. I began in aviation as a crewing officer and senior cabin crew for a major UK airline before moving into education, where I progressed to Deputy Head of School at a Further Education College.
Today, I bring those worlds together through outreach, simulation, and hands-on experiences that help young people discover what a future in aviation could look like.
I am especially passionate about widening access to aviation through immersive digital technologies, practical engagement, and career-focused experiences.
The Aviation Ambassadors programme brings together volunteers from across the aviation sector to work with industry, business, and education organisations to raise the profile of aviation careers. Activities can include speaking at schools, colleges and community events, supporting media opportunities, hosting workplace events, using social media to raise awareness, and delivering presentations to industry audiences.
As part of this work, I can support:
My focus is on helping people understand that aviation is far bigger than just being a pilot or cabin crew. It includes engineering, operations, digital technology, customer experience, safety, logistics, training, leadership, and future mobility.
Aviation offers exciting, rewarding, and varied career opportunities, but many young people and underrepresented groups still do not see the sector as accessible to them.
That is why outreach matters.
The wider Generation Aviation programme was launched to raise awareness of aviation careers, increase interest in the sector, and improve visibility of training and career pathways. Aviation Ambassadors play an important role in that outreach and sector championing work.
My aim is simple:
to help more people believe that aviation could be for them.
I use a mix of live speaking, practical activities, and immersive technology to make aviation careers engaging and memorable.
This can include:
By combining real aviation insight with immersive experiences, I help learners move from curiosity to confidence.
FlightDeck PC is my immersive flight simulation platform, designed to help bring aviation careers to life.
Using fixed and portable flight simulators, FlightDeck PC supports outreach, education, and public engagement by giving people the chance to experience aviation in a practical and inspiring way.
It is ideal for:
My education work supports schools, colleges, and learners through immersive and career-connected experiences.
With a background in teaching, leadership, curriculum development, and digital transformation, I understand how to create sessions that are engaging, inclusive, and meaningful for learners.
Education partnerships may include:
The Immersive Hub is a space where technology, learning, and experience come together.
It provides a venue for aviation experiences, digital engagement, gaming, skills development, and community-focused activities. It also creates opportunities to host outreach sessions, school visits, family experiences, and special events in a more immersive environment.
I welcome opportunities to work with:
Whether you are planning a careers event, enrichment day, skills activity, family event, or aviation-themed experience, I’d be pleased to discuss how I can support.
If you would like to book a talk, discuss an outreach opportunity, explore a partnership, or find out more about aviation engagement through education and immersive experiences, please get in touch.