If I have looked further-Sir Isaac Newton

Our airline inducted two wide body aircraft (DC-10 and B747) in 1974 and 1976, and while waiting in the crew transport at the airport one day after returning from a 14-day New York flight pattern, I was told that my name was on the list for the big Boeing. I would be going shortly to the United Airlines Training Facility in Denver, CO for the transition course.

While we had an airline ground training centre in Karachi, it was nothing compared to the training aids available at Denver. The method of instruction, helped by videos, cockpit procedures trainer (CPT), full flight simulator and aircraft flight training ensured a good grasp of the airplane characteristics and handling.

This training formed the basis of a continued interest in professional learning, maintained throughout my airline career, and remains with me today. Later the experience of flying this jet with senior captains of our airline helped me a great deal when my time came to captain the B707.