I reported for a duty last week, clean shaven, my skin was smoother than the leading edge of an F22 Raptor. It was also raw and the cold weather wasn’t helping it. Nonetheless I pride myself on turning up to work prepared to, at the very least, look the part. The captain I was flying with had a different approach entirely. He was not using … Continue reading Mask On
I have at this juncture, donned many uniforms be they aviation related or not. I hate uniforms, and despite being aware of my own educational limitations, understand that uniforms are our cultural means of segregating professional and social groups, so we identify them with ease. In business this is particularly helpful because no one wants to confuse McDonald’s with Burger King or worse KFC. I … Continue reading Wear it With Pride
I’ve been wearing sunglasses for most of my aviation career. I use them in pretty much the same way as a doctor who wears a stethoscope around their neck all the time. I have them at the ready in case the sun blasts me in the eyes and I need to look good. What you would never see happen is a doctor wearing their stethoscope … Continue reading Sunglasses Are For The Birds
Day one back in work is always a pain in the hole after a break but when I arrive for the crew briefing a pretty great crew greets me. There is no sign of the Captain and when I ask if anyone knows him, I don’t recognise his name, they shrug and one of them starts to giggle. I’m very confused and when I ask … Continue reading The Art of Distraction
Christmas was definitely different this year – with the family coming down to Dubai and staying in my shoebox of an apartment. I got the sense that my folks don’t really understand why I like it here, but they are thirty-five years older than me so I don’t expect them to. What was strange, despite the fact that she is a grown up, is my … Continue reading The Muppet Show
“How would you rate 2017 in terms of success or failure?” “Excuse me?” I say in utter shock, to my Dad, as he keeps banging the self-reflection drum, “Tell me, do you think this year has been a success?” My thoughts go directly to saving the lives of over 300 people only a month earlier, and then I drift to some of the more questionable … Continue reading Back to School
Bing! The sound of the cabin attendant call bell drags me out of my malaise and back to reality; to be fair I should really be concentrating on flying the airplane. I’m distracted. I wonder what she wants? “Hey Chantelle, what’s going on?” I say in the most professionally chirpy tone I can muster. “Hi Logan. We have a request from a passenger if you … Continue reading Cash is King
So it turns out that landing a fully laden passenger aircraft all on your own, with just one engine, pretty much guarantees hero status. At least among the aviation community, because cabin crew and pilots have been sliding into my DMs like no ones business. I’m not complaining. The company have put me on hiatus until an initial review has been completed but it’s looking … Continue reading Heavy Lies The Crown
The Long-Haul Journal of Logan Jacob 