Having just completed another rotation across the Atlantic — and another personal lap around the Sun — I found myself reflecting during a quiet hour around Thirty West.

From the moment I first imagined myself in a cockpit as a young boy, I thought I had a clear idea of how my ideal aviation path would unfold. But reality had other plans. What followed was a winding journey that offered far more challenge, depth and experience than I ever anticipated — and shaped me in ways I’m only starting to understand.

It started with long days on the ramp and short hops in modest general aviation aircraft, followed by my first airline job on the Fokker 50 with a long defunct ACMI airline called Denim Air, flying across Europe, West Africa and Afghanistan. Wild times, unforgettable memories, amazing stories.

I still remember my first type-rating for that Fokker 50 — two weeks of self-study through dozens of manuals, followed by a relentless barrage of exams, memory items, system knowledge, legal minutiae and a bare minimum of back-to-back simulator check rides. Fail twice, and you're out. Welcome to the real world of airline flying.

Then came the Boeing 737, and not long after that, the mighty Boeing 747. A type-rating course that was so extensive and rigorous, I’m still grateful for every bit of it today. In 2021, I was offered my Command Upgrade on the Boeing 747. The moment every pilot works towards — and dreads to their bones. The ultimate litmus test. Most airlines give you just two attempts, at most. I'm glad I passed on the first attempt.

It’s the moment I’d been working towards for two decades. And whatever comes next, no one can ever take that magnificent milestone away from me.

Three type-ratings, close to 11,000 flight hours, and nearly 7,470 of them on the 747. Still counting. Still flying. Still in awe with the views and my job.

Ad Astra.
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Photo 1 = Fokker 50 flightdeck
Photo 2 = Boeing 737-800 flightdeck
Photo 3 = Boeing 747-8 flightdeck