A life dedicated to aviation
“As a young boy, I always wanted to fly, but I thought I wouldn’t make it.” A sentence that now seems almost casual, given Peter Wild’s career. What started as an apparently unattainable dream evolved into a career in aviation. While still studying, Peter was already flying on the side, earned his private pilot’s license and worked as a flight instructor. A chance conversation at the airfield eventually led him to Rega and thus to his professional entry into aviation.

He flew jets there for four years before moving on. “Flying something bigger would be nice,” Peter recalls thinking at the time. He applied to Swissair, started on the MD-80 and quickly transitioned to larger aircraft types due to high demand for pilots (B747, MD-11, A330 & A340). Later, he became a captain on the Airbus A320 and was eventually part of the small group that introduced the A220 at SWISS.

From airline pilot to instructor
Today, Peter is still flying the A220 not only as a pilot, but primarily as an instructor. As a Senior Type Rating Examiner, he belongs to a small group of specialists who train and assess first officers, captains and even instructors. In the simulator, emergency procedures, system failures and complex weather situations are practiced; in the cockpit itself, the focus shifts to operational questions: How is a flight organised? How does collaboration work within the crew and with ground teams?

For Peter, however, people are what matter most: “On the first day, I ask myself: who are my trainees?” Recognising strengths and weaknesses early on and tailoring the training accordingly is key. Although trainees share a similar profile due to the selection process, their learning styles can differ significantly. This is exactly where his work begins: delivering content in a way that truly resonates.

Over the years, this ability has become increasingly intuitive. Beyond technical flying expertise, it is above all about sensitivity in dealing with people. “The success of my trainees is also my success,” he says, summarising his own professional standard.

Today, he spends most of his time in training. Flights without an instructional role have become rare but all the more special: “One or two days a month, I just fly from A to B that’s almost like a holiday,” Peter says. “The nice thing is, you don’t have to watch anyone’s every move—but in the end, you still do,” he adds with a wry smile.

From the cockpit to ETH Zurich
Alongside his role at SWISS, Peter has built a second career at ETH Zurich over the past twelve years. What began with a request to develop the aviation field has grown into one of the most defining teaching offerings in this area: around 650 students now attend the courses “Aviation I” and “Aviation II”.

Peter’s approach is deliberately practice-oriented. Inspired by the credo of “real-world learning,” he focuses on real insights rather than abstract theory: “I’ve always said that I don’t want to teach theory, but what actually happens in practice,” he explains.

Excursions to Zurich Airport, insights into operational processes and guest lectures from industry are just as much a part of his classes as current topics such as sustainability. The course content is revised annually based on student feedback. The high quality of his teaching is also reflected in the “Golden Owl” award, given by ETH’s student association to outstanding courses. For Peter, this recognition is above all “a great sense of fulfilment”and proof “that we’re doing the right thing.”

A bridge between research and industry
In addition to his work in the cockpit and lecture hall, Peter is also active at industry level. As a board member of the Commission for Education, Research and Innovation at AeroSuisse, the umbrella organisation of the Swiss aviation and aerospace sector, he operates at the intersection of industry, research and policy. In this role, he is responsible, among other things, for further developing pilot training at the level of Höhere Fachschule (HF), which has recently been expanded to include fundamentals in economics and business administration.

As so often in his career, Peter’s involvement with AeroSuisse came about rather casually: “I was asked once and then I just went for it.” He later took over as chairman of the commission. Today, he represents a network of around 130 companies and is closely involved in key industry issues such as the next generation of pilots and new professional profiles in aviation. Initiatives such as a Youth Congress or the Academic Aviation Day aim to attract young talent to the sector.

At the same time, Peter sees untapped potential in the collaboration between research, government and industry. Especially in the field of sustainability, closer cooperation is essential: research needs clear impulses from industry and the necessary support from the state - only then can long-term progress be achieved, says the aviation all-rounder with a clear view of the future.

A pilot remains a pilot
Despite his many roles, Peter has remained one thing: a pilot. Even though the proportion of pure flying has decreased, it still forms the core of his work and motivation.

His career shows how diverse a path in aviation can be. He developed from the cockpit to training, academic teaching and industry policy. What remains is the impression of a grounded, reflective expert whose journey is less the result of a rigid plan than of a consistently lived passion for flying. A passion that has driven him and that he now passes on through his work in training.