Good luck Old Boy!!!

[Desk Driver]

I hope PPRUNE can indulge just the once.
But I would like to make my tribute to my hero.

After over 40 years in the air Captain Peter Bates is hanging up his wings this month. During his career he has flown amongst others
Hastings & Herc's for the RAF
Heralds for (The Old) BIA
1-11's for Air UK & BIA
Comet 4 for Dan Air
MD82's for BIA
F100's for Air Europe
A desk for the CAA
and finished on ATR's for CFE/BA.

Congratulations on a great & remarkable career. The sky's will be a little different now.All that know you are very proud of you.

Enjoy your retirement you've more than earned it.

[Horatio]

Hear, hear Desk Driver, congrats to Old Boy. Spoken to him many a time on Chat. Didn't know who he was, but was always a good wit and a very pleasant guy to exchange humour with.

Unwittingly, he's probably chosen a good time to gracefully exit the aviation scene, given current events, and I hope he will enjoy a long and peaceful retirement.

All I would say is that if I were following his footsteps now, with the benefit of hindsight, I would have chosen the exact opposite course of employers that he did, because most of the airlines he worked for ended up putting their pilots out of jobs. He must have experienced some harrowing times; pleased he came out the other end unscathed. Good luck Old Boy<s>

Hope to meet you and have a beer or two some time, even if you are an old timer!! We can compare notes on Alcatraz.

[PPRuNe Radar]

Horatio,

I think it might be a different Old Boy.

[Desk Driver]

Sorry to confuse. He's not our "Old Boy" he just is an Old Boy.

[Sid's Stars]

The 'Old Boy' I know lives on Fraggle Rock!