The only way is up for Richmond defender Alex Rance – and not just on the football field.

The 23-year-old backman is being taught to fly a light plane, along with teammate Dylan Grimes, by former North Melbourne and Geelong player Leigh Colbert.

Colbert, a qualified pilot who will soon relocate to Hong Kong to start a commercial pilot's role with Cathay Pacific, has been taking the pair of young Tigers in the sky for the past two months.

Join the Tiger Army in season 2013.  Become a member today.

Rance loves it after initially dabbling with a carpentry apprenticeship.

"I loved the end process [of carpentry] but it wasn't as fun as flying around," Rance told AFL.com.au.

"It's very cool. Leigh has been a fantastic teacher and it's a nice rush.

"I don't think about footy or anything else when I'm flying. It's awesome."

Rance and Grimes try to dedicate at least one day a week to their new hobby, and make sure they're both on top of the theory required to get a light plane off the ground in their down time.

They fly for hour-long stints after renting a five-seat Cessna and are on par with one another with training and knowledge.

"Right now, it's mainly about getting the technical aspects down so it's about turning, keeping the plane level. We've done a few landings and that sort of stuff," Rance said.

"It's getting a little bit more intense now, taking off, landing, doing the calls."

Rance, who married partner Georgia in Cottesloe, Perth, on December 22 last year, isn't yet contemplating the end of his football career.

However, he does like to think he'll be ready to move into the airline industry once he gets there.

With a commercial pilot requiring around 200 hours of flying experience before being considered by an airline, he knows he will likely have to fly smaller planes in remote areas to get the necessary qualifications post-footy.

But Rance calls it a "three or four-year project" after his playing career is over and remains excited about the possibilities ahead.

"I love traveling and exploring, so I think that's one of the main selling points for me," he said.

"I'm just working on my private licence at the minute and then next year I'll probably work on my commercial and after that we'll see what happens.

"I love it and hopefully by the end of my footy career, I'll have some sort of licence to be able to earn some money from it."