Road to the Left Seat: Goodbye ASL
After having sat in the right seat for nearly 9 years, it’s time for the next step in my career. I look forward to taking you along on this new adventure of mine and to share my unfiltered story with you once again. Welcome to my ‘Road to the Left Seat’!
On September 26, I received the e-mail that changed my life.
“Dear Mr. Geuens.
As a result of your interview with our selection committee on September 24th 2019 I can inform you as follows. The committee has come to a positive conclusion with regards to your suitability for a role as an airline pilot within our company. I have adopted this advice.“
I was now officially hired by KLM and would soon receive a start date, as well as my assigned aircraft type. Exciting stuff! KLM offers a wide variety of starting positions: Second Officer on the B787/B777 or A330, or First Officer on the B737 or Embraer. For two weeks, I patiently waited for more information. Then, an unexpected e-mail popped up.
“You have been placed on the waiting list as we have no open positions available right now.”
I was surprised, mainly because of the contrast with the first e-mail I had received. So, I called KLM to ask what was going on. Unfortunately for me, all positions for 2019 had already been taken. All I could do was wait for a date somewhere in 2020, a year that would bless the aviation industry in all the best ways possible.
NOT.
About three weeks later, I was hauling cargo all over Europe again and, after a well-deserved beauty sleep in Madrid, I woke up to a missed call from a Dutch phone number. Well well well… Who could that be?
KLM: “One more spot has opened up on the B737 this year. Would you be interested?”
Me (but not really): WOMAN, THE QUESTION IS WHEN CAN I START.
KLM: “Start date would be November 26th, five weeks from now.”
Me: “But wait… My notice period is five weeks. That means I have to resign… tomorrow?“
KLM (but not really): “Better make up your mind then.“
Thursday was my only day off that week and, in order to resign in time, I had to act quickly. But hey, when life gives you lemons…
I found myself writing my resignation letter, realizing how quickly things were suddenly going to change. Now things got real. Very real.
It felt strange knowing that I would soon say goodbye to the company that had helped me realize my childhood dream. And after a very short night, on October 15, 2019, I drove to Liège to hand in my resignation letter. No way back now.
Now all there was left for me to do was enjoy my last few weeks flying Miss Stubby Wings and prepare for the next chapter in my flying career.
“The Last Dance”
November 22nd, 2019 marked my last night at ASL and consisted of a nice day in Edinburgh and a two-sector evening back home to Liège with a quick stop in Paris.
It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing I would never fly the good old B737-400 again, but I enjoyed it right until the very last second.
I’m eternally grateful and proud to have flown for ASL Airlines Belgium, and I look back at those two years with a lot of joy. The colleagues I had the pleasure of flying with taught me a lot, and I’m sure that without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Thank you, ASL Airlines Belgium. Thank you, Miss Stubby Wings.
As I write this blog, I’ve learned that the aircraft I performed my last flight on, OE-IAT, was involved in a tragic accident while being operated by K2 Cargo on July 7th, 2026.
It’s a strange feeling, knowing that my Captain and I had such a great time flying this airplane, while years later, five other pilots would lose their lives in it.
May they rest in peace.
Captain Muhammed Rizwan Idrees
First Officer Faisal Jatoi
Loadmaster Towfiq Khan
Engineer Arif Siddiqui
Engineer Mohammed Hamid
Thank you for reading Part 2 of my Road to the Left Seat. Next time I will give you an overview of my past few years in blue, as well as an insight into the first steps I took towards the left seat.
Should you have any questions whatsoever, don’t hesitate to get in touch via my Instagram: @bobthebelgian
