Capt. Grandad Retired - Not Tired!

He's flown his last flight, He's grounded for now.

It's time to relax.

After 44 years with British Airways Phil has retired as a Boeing 747-400 Captain with over 25,000 hours of airline flying time.

Phil learned to fly at the College of Air Training in Hamble, Hampshire (where we met) and he began his career at B.E.A. flying Trident aircraft on 1st August, 1972.

  He has also flown 737s (including a stint in Germany for Lufthansa).

and Tristars.  Phil is actually landing this Tristar. He was also a First Officer on the "Jumbo".

He became a Captain on 757s and 767s in 1995  before moving to the older Boeing Jumbo 747-100 and 200 'classics'.  He has finished his flying career on the 747-400s (you can tell a 747-400 by the winglets).  New aircraft (777s, 787 Dreamliner and A380 super jumbo) are now replacing the Jumbo's routes, which was one of the reasons Phil retired 10 months before his 65th birthday, but the 747 "Jumbo" will continue to have a special place in the hearts of those who have flown it.  Long may they fly.

Each month Phil submitted his preferences for where and when he would like to fly.  Sometimes he got what he wanted.  Some of his favourite trips on the Jumbo have been:-

Cape Town for the food, scenery, wine and visiting Table Mountain.

Hong Kong to ride the Star Ferry.

San Francisco to cycle over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausilito.

Sydney for the harbour with it's beautiful Opera House and Bridge.

Singapore to buy orchids for me!!!!!!

Bangkok for the Temples, shopping and his favourite group, the Big Boy Band.

He has been lucky enough to see in a year what many travellers would be lucky to see in a lifetime.
But after a few visits he would just look at Table Mountain, and the Star Ferry was simply the scenic way to cross to Kowloon but who would forget the landings into Kai Tak Runway 13.

 And the Golden Gate Bridge - well, the jet lag is bad from America.
But he still enjoyed the gastronomical attractions.
No-one would fly 8 or 12 hours across the world merely to sample restaurants.  Yet when flying is your work, and you've been pretty much everywhere more times than you can remember, a favourite restaurant is as good a reason as any to bid for one route over another.  He will certainly miss Cape Town (as I will too) for the Chocolate Block wine, the best calamari in the world at the Chapman's Peak Hotel, the wonderful meals and view at Clos Malverne in Stellenbosch, not to mention the Whales in Hermanus in September.

However, now he is retiring from the cockpit I am sure it will be the famous bridges, mountains, scenery and ferry rides that he will remember most.

Phil's last flight was a three day trip to Nairobi.  It's customary to take along a family member for a retirement flight so Phil was accompanied by Caroline (I had previously been with Phil on his last Cape Town.  Unfortunately, Alun missed out on his trip to San Diego because Dad had a bad cold).

Caroline looked proud and excited as she left with Dad on his final voyage.

Celebrations in Nairobi included;-

A safari where they saw 3 lions, 4 rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebra, crocs, hippos, lots of different antelope, vultures and a small cat.  The view from the bedroom window was Nairobi National Park.  Followed by a steak lunch with a few fries and relaxing by the pool with African reggae.  Plenty of foot tapping.

Before he left he told me that, of course, he wanted to enjoy the trip, and hopefully, make it memorable for the crew and Caroline, but in the back of his mind, there's a dramatic voice saying "Don't screw up your accident-free career on the final flight!"

The final route home.

There was no water salute for Phil on his return to Heathrow.  Apparently, they don't do this anymore for retiring pilots, but the whole crew presented him with a signed card, a safari hat, some Kenyan coffee and a bottle of Amarula (yes, I can still make Dom Pedros).

Speedbird G BNLN (It was the same aeroplane both going and returning) has landed.

And look what an absolutely fabulous retirement cake Gemma made.

What will Phil do in his retirement?

I guess it will be back to Hamble, where it all began, for his second love - sailing - and he still gets to be called Skipper and the boat is called Speedbird!

Final word:  Always remember wives and mothers never get to retire and the trouble with retirement is that you will never get a day off.

WELCOME ABOARD!