A ‘ferry flight’ is one when company pilots go to Toulouse/Sharjah to fly the aircraft home once it’s rolled out from the plant. It’s an experience akin to taking ‘a new car for a spin’. Recently, I had that rare opportunity with Capt. S.A. Tan ferrying 9M-AHG from Sharjah-Kuala Lumpur. Although Sharjah has its fair share of sights and sounds, it was a tad boring for us. So we attempted to ride a camel across the freezing desert while awaiting the aircraft to arrive from Toulouse! This post documents our brief journey and subsequent elevation as certified Airbus pilots cum camel jockeys.

First things first, the 'chain-of-command'. Despite Capt. Tan’s vast experience as a commander, we both decided that commanding a camel is more suited for one as obstinate as the camel itself. So he asked ME to be Captain while HE volunteered to be my FO atop the camel! Since I had no problems accepting an early promotion, we got down to business immediately. After the pre-departure briefing, I commanded my camel to rise. She didn’t! I asked for the checklist again. Nose peg? Check! Hump Seat? Check! Foot Harness? Check! (read more...)