Q & A With Shaun Wildey, A340 Pilot for Etihad

You recently joined Etihad Airways. What do you fly, and on which routes?

I fly the Airbus A340-600 and -500, but should also become qualified on the A330 within a few months. I have been to Beirut, Islamabad, Lahore and Paris, and our line-checks are sometimes short hops to Muscat. However, I would generally be rostered to Chicago, London, Melbourne, New York or Sydney.

Which aircraft have you most enjoyed flying?

I've flown 67 types. Highlights include fully stalling the Boeing 707 and taking it to 95° angle of bank, flying a Bombardier 415 from a lake, and seeing whether the g-envelope protection of the Dassault Mirage 2000 could be exceeded. My favourite was the Saab Gripen, on which I was an instructor at ETPS. It is beautifully easy to fly with fantastic performance.

(Photo: Etihad Airways)