After nearly 30 years as a pilot with Cayman Airways,
Captain Steve Scott is moving on.
The Bracker started work with the company in 1981 after
graduating from flight school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Initially employed at the
desk in Cayman Brac, he progressed to pilot in 1983.
Mr. Scott is switching to a regulatory position with the
Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority, where he will be in charge of
overseeing planes that are flying worldwide under Cayman registration.
On a memorable last day in the air, Captain Scott
received a great reception at Miami International Airport, Cayman Brac and
Grand Cayman, all of which put on the customary water cannon salutes.
And when landing at Grand Cayman for the final time as a
Cayman Airways pilot, he was greeted by an entourage including Deputy Premier
Julianna O’Connor-Connolly, senior Cayman Airways staff, and family members who
had flown in to celebrate his achievements.
Over the years, Captain Scott has flown everything from a
three-engine Trilander propellor aircraft to 727s, turboprops and the current
737-300s in the Cayman Airways fleet. He has also met many famous people.
including actor James Woods, plus he had the rare opportunity to watch a Space
Shuttle launch – from 35,000 feet up and on a relatively rare night launch.
There have been countless other noteworthy moments, he
said, such as going into new airports for the first time, and on one particular
occasion, landing in Boston, Massachusetts, in the middle of a snowstorm.
“We train for it and hopefully you never have to
experience it. It’s just another element, whether a nice sunny day, rain or
snow. It becomes a little more tricky, but there are procedures in place to
follow.
“There’s also times when there’s absolutely gorgeous days
as well: watching the sunset, early mornings on a clear day when you can almost
see forever,” he said.
The travel bug has not left him. As part of his new
position, he’ll be flying all over the world to check that aircraft are
operating according to regulations – it’s just that this time, somebody else is
doing the driving.
“I feel so fortunate to have been able to have this
opportunity, to be able to live a dream,” he said.
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