Wow... What an interesting character to talk to indeed. For some weird reason the only persons who ever sit around me in an airplane are either crying babies, elderly women who, while being really nice otherwise, insist on telling you about their latest medical history in minute detail or people who are so incredibly afraid of flying they actually start to pray when the speedbrakes are deployed, because "oh my god, the wing is falling apart, we are all going to die!" (had that one on a recent trip on a B752 from EGLL to EDDL. I felt sorry for her but had to chuckle nevertheless).
Anyway, thanks for the link to the book, I plan on ordering a copy as well. Canīt get enough of that kind of reading.