Yes, squeezing into a pressurised chunk of flying aluminium tubing is alien to humans. You do it out of necessity (and hopefully still with some degree of pleasure). He does it because he loves it. He has the best ‘Office’ in the world, and is intensely proud of his industry and of the fantastic colleagues with whom he has shared his lifelong affair with aviation.

Divorced, with two adult offspring and four grandchildren, he shares his love of flying and of travel with his partner, Lizzie. He is an accomplished chef who can concoct a better King Prawn Biryani than your local Taj Mahal. He delivers career advice lectures to schools, and explains the mysteries of aviation medicine to groups of doctors in General Practice. He is also a Member and Past President of Toastmasters International, and is highly acclaimed both as an after-dinner