Please forgive me if this is in the wrong place, but I came across this NYT article by a 744 pilot, and somehow felt that it would be appreciated here in the context of Rob's recent update.  Seems rare to find such a romantic perspective on airline flying these days.  Enjoy.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/14/opinion/14-in-flight-mark-vanhoenacker.html?_r=0

 

 

 

Andrew Jones

beautifull

 

 

Seems rare to find such a romantic perspective on airline flying these days.

 

I could be wrong, but in order to fly the left seat of the 744 for BA, you have to be relatively senior. With that would come stories from the more romantic past of aviation. Dovetails nicely with the book I'm reading (SKYGODS - not the best writing, but an interesting story nonetheless).

 

Nicely written piece. At first, I was surprised by the accuracy and attention to smaller details, but then I remembered that it was a pilot writing it. Nice to see the US Airspace map and FRDMM arrival featured so prominently (though the FRDMM arrival still seems a little over the top, at least for my tastes).

 

 

SKYGODS - not the best writing, but an interesting story nonetheless).

 

I found SKYGODS last year and couldn't put it down, not as you say because of the prose but because the story is so dramatic and seeped in aviation lore. Pan Am is a true American legend, created by genius and destroyed by politics.  Good story.

Just posted this in the Hanger Chat thread - the article is adapted from a book that's due out June 2.  Available for pre-order on Amazon.  Really fine writing and I've got my pre-order in.