On March 8, 2020, I stepped out of G-SWAY and onto the soggy British mud at Damyn’s Hall Aerodrome an hour east of London. G-SWAY is a Super Cub that belongs to one of Britain’s most famous and historic flying clubs—the Tiger Club. I was the newest member of the Tiger Club, having completed my checkout with an instructor and then soloing an EU-registered airplane for the first time since completing my EASA pilot license in Iceland. At the time, I was flying to London every few weeks with my job as a Boeing 757/767 pilot for a US airline. The future was bright and the skies were clear; but a rumbling was developing throughout the world of a new virus that would threaten our very existence.
Flying During A Global Pandemic
Key Takeaways:
- The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly transformed the author's aviation experience from international flights to nearly empty planes and stringent health screenings, leading to widespread travel bans.
- Adapting to the airline downturn, the author shifted to ferry flying within North America, encountering diverse and challenging restrictions, closed FBOs, and inconsistent health protocols across states and countries.
- Despite widespread fear and logistical difficulties, the author observed a move towards reasoned mitigation and expressed optimism for the aviation industry's resilience and eventual recovery from the temporary setback.
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