As a former private pilot I always enjoy Mark Vanhoenacker’s View from the Cockpit column, especially this week’s which brought back fond memories (“Who’s flying the plane?”, Life & Arts, February 10).
About 50 years ago when I took up flying, many friends asked, in the event of an emergency, would I be able to land a commercial jet. I had no idea so I wrote to British Airways and asked — tongue in cheek — if I could have a try. To my delight and astonishment they said “yes”.
I duly took the left-hand seat, as “captain”, in their latest BAC Super 111 simulator alongside Captain Gray, my charming trainer who for the test threw everything at me (winds, heavy rain and an engine failure just for fun!) for a night landing at Cologne Airport. Let’s just say that the “landing” was more of an arrival, but at least I got it down safely and in one piece!
Vanhoenacker perhaps hasn’t had time but maybe the column could do with a new picture, to reflect his “seat change”, placing him in the left seat?
Michael Falter
London NW8, UK
