By Chris Burns

Copyright irishmirror

It’s hardly surprising for sportspeople to explore new opportunities. Nevertheless, ex-jockey Josh Crane is poised to make a remarkable career shift as he transitions from racing thoroughbreds to flying planes for Jet2.

The 34-year-old secured ten victories as an apprentice under trainer Chris Dwyer from 2009 to 2014. Prior to his professional transformation, he dedicated a decade working alongside top trainer Charlie Appleby.

He’s now ready to launch his fresh career as he says goodbye to the horse racing yard. Crane has been readying himself for this new position during his free time over the past seven years.

It won’t come as a total shock to those closest to him, though. During his teenage years, Crane was torn between enlisting in the RAF or pursuing a jockey career.

He ultimately selected the latter option, yet flying remained in his thoughts. He’s chosen to join British carrier Jet2, whose memorable 2015 advertisement featuring Jess Glynne’s track ‘Hold my Hand’ has experienced a massive revival on TikTok this summer, reports the Express.

“I’ve had an incredible journey already with [horse racing team] Godolphin but to go from the saddle to the flight deck and now join Jet2, an airline with a fantastic reputation, is something I’m incredibly proud of,” Crane said, via The Racing Post.

On forging his new profession, he continued: “I’ll always be grateful to my mum. She organised my first flying lesson for my 12th birthday, which sparked my desire to become a pilot, and she’s supported me every step of the way since.”

Crane disclosed that obtaining his pilot’s licence was a lengthy journey. He explained: “The greatest challenge was studying at home after riding out in the mornings, especially for the ATPL [Airline Transport Pilot Licence] exams, which is 13 subjects and equivalent to a degree squeezed into 15 months.”

The former jockey publicly expressed gratitude to Godolphin for providing him the opportunity and flexibility to prepare for his fresh career in the skies, despite being contracted to ride.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a career with Godolphin, a truly world-class operation with standards second to none,” he said.

“I’ve had the privilege of riding top horses like [2021 Epsom Derby winner] Adayar, and I’ve always been proud to be part of the Charlie Appleby team. Charlie and everyone at Godolphin have been hugely supportive of my aviation journey, giving me the flexibility I needed to complete exams and flight tests while riding out in the mornings.

“I’ll really miss the horses at Godolphin. I’ll never forget the buzz of riding horses of that calibre up the gallops of [training yard] Moulton Paddocks.”

His path to the cockpit has been quite an achievement. Crane has invested a staggering €98,000 to secure his position with Jet2, alongside backing from the Jockeys Education & Training Scheme, aptly abbreviated as Jets.

“The support from Jets has been invaluable,” Crane said. “Especially the funding of essential courses and training. Lisa Delany and Phil Kinsella, in particular, have been fantastic throughout, always there when I needed help, and even anticipating what I might need before I asked.

“From arranging interview training with speaking coaches, connecting me with airline pilots to simulator sessions ahead of my airline assessment, I could see they were throwing everything at me in the latter stages to give me the best possible chance.”

Referencing his new employer’s recent popularity surge due to a Chinese-based app, Crane added: “Jet2 was my first airline interview, and I’m very excited to start with them.

“From the moment I began the process, I felt supported and welcomed, which speaks volumes about the culture there. As their advert says, nothing beats a Jet2 holiday!”.