Post by Stephen G.

For those who have stayed for more than just the video, here’s the story behind it. Last year, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity, alongside James Smith, Dominic Z. and Liam Cunningham, to become the first pilots to fly an Airbus A340-600 onto an ice runway in Antarctica 🇦🇶. I may have been sitting in the flight deck, but this achievement belonged to an entire team. From Flight Operations, OCC, Crewing, Engineering, Ground Operations, Safety, Commercial and everyone working behind the scenes, it took an extraordinary amount of professionalism, expertise, dedication and adaptability to turn an ambitious idea into a successful operation. A flight like this is never about one person. It is the result of hundreds of decisions, countless hours of preparation and the commitment of people who consistently find solutions to challenges that have never been faced before. Looking back on it has given me cause to reflect on just how capable the team at European Cargo really was. I remain immensely proud of what we achieved together, not only in Antarctica, but across every challenge we took on around the globe. Operationally, European Cargo was very much “The Little Engine That Could”… albeit powered by four very large Rolls-Royce Trent engines. To all of my colleagues at European Cargo, thank you for making opportunities like this possible. I have no doubt that wherever your next destination may be, you will bring the same professionalism, resilience and teamwork that made achievements like this a reality. It was a privilege to lead and support such an exceptional group of people, whether in Crewing, OCC or on the flight deck. Watching so many individuals step up, solve problems and deliver under pressure has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. When I last lost my job, someone shared something with me that has stayed ever since: “An arrow needs to be pulled back before it can fly.” It feels just as relevant today. To those organisations looking for exceptional aviation professionals, there is now an extraordinary pool of talent available. If my colleagues at European Cargo are anything to go by, you’ll be recruiting dedicated, resilient and highly capable people who have consistently delivered in one of the most demanding operational environments imaginable. It was an absolute privilege to be part of that team. Ed Dark giles smerdon European Cargo #airline #flightoperations #recruitment #careers #ukairlines #europeancargo

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