Road to the Left Seat: Life in Blue
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 November 26th, 2019 my career in blue officially commenced. Strange to think it’s almost been seven years. Being part of KLM has been an absolute privilege and today I will try to give you an insight into what it’s been like to fly for the world’s oldest airline.
Type Rating: The Sequel
When I started at KLM, I was already type rated on the Boeing 737, meaning I only had to complete a so-called Operator Conversion Course. It’s basically a shortened training since there simply isn’t a need to go through a full type rating again. At KLM they like to call this process “spraying someone blue”.
I was paired with a new Captain on the 737 however, so instead of doing an OCC, I was actually going to go through the entire type rating again after all. On one hand it felt like overkill, but on the other it gave me more time to get used to the company procedures.
That Year
My very first training flight took place on January 1st, 2020. From Amsterdam to Helsinki and back, followed by a nightstop in Milan. I still remember feeling slightly overwhelmed, but I also felt excited about all I would learn and all the new places I would discover in the future.
As my Line Training progressed, we heard rumors of some disease spreading somewhere far away in China. But as you all know, it didn’t take long for COVID to reach Europe. Passenger numbers dropped, flights were cancelled and it quickly became clear how serious this was.
On March 27th, I was scheduled to do one more flight before being grounded for the unforeseeable future. What followed were 6 stressful months full of uncertainty, but I didn’t lose my job and we stayed healthy. That last one is all that mattered, but I realize how fortunate me and my colleagues were to have been employed throughout it all.
A few months later in July, Ellen and I decided to go on a road trip through France as it was possible to do so again. And as we drove from Montpellier to Nice, I suddenly received my first flying roster after months of waiting on the ground:
Amsterdam – Montpellier – Amsterdam – Nice.
Quite a memorable coincidence.
Time Flies
As things slowly got back to normal again, I started flying more, got used to flying with passengers, the commute to Amsterdam and I got used to the Dutch way of doing things.
I can say that it’s been an absolute joy working with our northern neighbors. It’s a joyful, professional atmosphere where, even though it’s a huge airline, you don’t necessarily feel like a number on the seniority list. And sure, the Dutch can be straightforward at times, but at least you know what you’re up against and it’s a character trait I’ve come to appreciate.
In the past 6 years I’ve had the opportunity to see so many new places, meet great new people, colleagues who became friends, I’ve had memorable encounters with plenty of passengers and I got to enjoy it all from the best seat in the house, or should I say second-best now? I’m so grateful to call what I do my job and I truly feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Flying with passengers feels like the complete picture of what I expected from being a pilot. And sure, sometimes it’s pure chaos and you feel more like a psychologist than a pilot, but it’s also what makes our job so versatile. You’ll never get bored, no doubt about that.
As my career in blue progressed, the thought of what the next step in my career could be started to pop up more frequently. I had no clue what I wanted, but in the end there were two clear options: First Officer on long-haul or Captain at KLM Cityhopper.
I have never flown long-haul myself so it’s obvious that this kind of operation intrigues me a lot. At KLM we always say that on the European network you fly and on the Intercontinental network you travel. But I love flying.
In the end I decided that my goal was to become Captain at KLM Cityhopper. I still have close to 35 years of flying ahead of me and I want to experience everything that KLM has to offer. Seniority-wise I could go to long-haul as a First Officer somewhere in 2028, but I doubt that I’ll be done at Cityhopper by then. I guess only time can tell.
Now that I had decided to become Captain, there was just one minor formality to complete. The most important exam in my entire career: the BOM exam.
Thank you for reading this new chapter of my Road to the Left Seat! Next time I’ll tell you more about the dreaded BOM exam and the preparations that led up to it. Should you have any questions whatsoever, don’t hesitate to get in touch via my Instagram: @bobthebelgian
