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Captain Max Robinson
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Concorde Pilot
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Captain Max Robinson says flying has always been in his blood. As a child, pictures and parts of planes where all around the home, purloined by an uncle from the Great War and his father a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot. As a schoolboy the obvious choice was the RAF section of the Combined Cadet Force. This led to flying Cadet gliders and, via the Flying Scholarship scheme, to a Private Pilots License before he finally managed to pass his motor vehicle driving test! Then to the College of Air Training at Hamble and on to BOAC as a second officer in 1967.
Having employed Max as a pilot for the VC10 fleet, BOAC promptly decided that he should become a navigator and was posted to the B707 to learn the dark art, "Just a temporary move Old Boy".
In the following 14 years he moved round most of the 707 cockpit seats, becoming a 707 Captain in 1977 and spent a happy 15 months seconded to Singapore Airlines as a 707 Commander. The temporary 707 time ended in 1981 with the start of a 12-year stint on the B747 classic during which time British Airways encouraged a change to Route Training Captain. Then in 1993 the most enjoyable part, for 7 years, flying British Airway's flagship Concorde. The time on Concorde included trips to Greenland, Oshkosh, Marrakech and an Around the World Charter when a number of Royal Aero Club world speed records were obtained. Such a great airplane and so much fun to fly is Max's lasting memory of Concorde.
After retirement from British Airways Max continued to fly; mostly for pleasure in a 1951 Luscombe Silvair and on occasions, as a pilot for a privately owned B747.
Copyright SWA Fine Art
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