BA captain’s children’s books about Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie has become a YouTube cartoon series

BA captain’s charming children’s books about the adventures of two pilots, written to reduce fear of flying, has now taken off as a YouTube cartoon series

  • Long-haul pilot Rob Johnson penned kids books about pilots Ollie and Polly h
  • He invented them to help his sons understand his job as a BA Captain 
  • Rob says the TV series will enable kids to see places they can’t visit for real

A British Airways captain’s charming children’s books about the adventures of two young pilots, Polly & Ollie, written to help reduce fear of flying, has now become a YouTube cartoon series.

In ‘Let’s Go See’, by Rob Johnson, the pilots travel to famous global landmarks accompanied by the ‘Junior Jets’ – an eclectic gang of children that act as role models to young people.

Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie kicked off their animated adventures this week with a trip to the Pyramids of Egypt. The series will then see them travel to New York, the Amazon Rainforest, Machu Picchu and Uluru – all aboard their very own solar-powered jet plane, JJ-1.

In ‘Let’s Go See’, by Rob Johnson, Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie travel to famous global landmarks accompanied by the ‘Junior Jets’

Long-haul pilot Rob started telling his children bedtime stories to fill the gaps when he was working away from home.

The stories then became a series of bestselling books about the adventures of two Pilots – Polly & Ollie.

Rob said: ‘When my children were young it was difficult for them to understand where I was when I disappeared on a long-haul flight. I invented Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie to help them understand my job as a BA Captain.

‘The boys loved the stories, so we decided to publish them as books and, tens of thousands of sales later, the Pilots have made it onto the small screen in their first animated series.

‘The books aimed to explain how flying works and what happens at airports. In the animated series we get to see different countries and cultures in the backdrop of some of the world’s most famous places.

‘Our objective has always been to entertain but also to educate and inspire young people – and the animated series shows viewers a world full of wonder.

‘They can visit the pyramids in Egypt or head to New York and experience places they can’t see in real life right now.’

Long-haul pilot Rob started telling his children bedtime stories to fill the gaps when he was working away from home. The stories then became a series of bestselling books about the adventures of two Pilots - Polly & Ollie. Rob is pictured here with his two sons

Long-haul pilot Rob started telling his children bedtime stories to fill the gaps when he was working away from home. The stories then became a series of bestselling books about the adventures of two Pilots – Polly & Ollie. Rob is pictured here with his two sons

Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie kicked off their animated adventures this week with a trip to the Pyramids of Egypt

Pilot Polly & Pilot Ollie kicked off their animated adventures this week with a trip to the Pyramids of Egypt

Accompanying the TV series is an app where children can use augmented reality to look at and interact with famous global landmarks, colour pictures of characters from the series, play games, and watch the adventures of the pilots – all in a safe and secure online space.

Rob told MailOnline Travel that he has been flying cargo around the world, but can’t wait to welcome children back on board again.

He said: ‘Travelling somewhere new is an exciting and magical experience for children and welcoming them onboard again is something I’m looking forward to. They get so excited when they come and visit the flight-deck and see all of the dials, switches and computer screens we have – and love to ask questions.

‘Whether it is business or leisure, the flying experience is often the gateway to something new and for me as a pilot, I love being part of people’s adventures.’

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