Captain swapped the deserts of Africa for drama of the Highlands

Colin McAllister FROM the Okavango Delta to Orkney, Captain Colin loves flying in a dramatic landscape.

The Scottish pilot quit Botswana, where he was surrounded by a sand, for the epic landscape of the Highlands in his homeland.

Having started as an air ambulance pilot for Loganair, Colin moved to Orkney in 2004, from where he now flies scheduled services to six islands.

His schedule includes a 15-minute flight to North Ronaldsay and the world’s shortest flight, between Westray and Papa Westray, taking just over one minute.

“Flying in the islands also has the element of dong something that is worthwhile,” he says.

“It is a lifeline service for islands like North Ronaldsay, which in the winter gets one ferry a week. When that’s cancelled the only way off is by plane.”

Flying a Pilatus BrittenNorman Islander is a single-pilot operation so Colin describes his role as captain, first officer and flight attendant all rolled into one.

With no screen between him and his eight passengers, Colin gets to chat to everyone.

“It’s a very social job and that’s what I like about it, rather then being locked away in the flight deck,” he says.

When he left Africa with wife Jane and daughters Mia, 17, and Rowan, 11, he knew he wanted an equally impressive view from the cockpit.

His favourite views flying

It’s a very social job. I enjoy the banter and finding out a little bit about my passengers

in Scotland include the Northern Lights and orca from the air but the people he meets are also a highlight.

“I enjoy the banter and finding out a little bit about passengers’ lives,” he says.

This festive season he intends to make sure all his passengers are delivered home safe and sound by Christmas Eve and on the 25th he will spend the day at home, in front of the fire, with his family.