From the age of five, Victor King dreamt of sitting behind the controls and guiding large 767 or 737 aircrafts into major cities around the world.

For the last 30 years, he has been realising his dream, piloting many an aircraft from major airports, including the busy Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International.

Therefore, it was a feeling of tremendous pride when Captain King, originally from Atlantic Shores, Christ Church, was in the cockpit as he, along with Captain J.P. Super, guided Delta???s inaugural flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to the Grantley Adams International Airport recently.

Descending the sleek 737 aircraft’s steps, Captains King and Super joined tourism players in the Grace Adams Suite for a reception, after a rousing fanfare to welcome the airline that included steel pan music and two costumed dancers who handed out certificates to passengers onboard.

King, the only Barbadian pilot at Delta for the past 30 years, and who now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, spoke of the tremendous feeling of touching down on Barbadian soil, during a recent interview with the Barbados Government Information Service.

He said: ???As far as I know, I am the only pilot from Barbados and [this occasion] makes me feel very proud to be a Barbadian,??? he quipped.??Captain King also reflected on his journey to the skies after completing studies at Presentation College and the Barbados Community College in Barbados.

He later pursued studies in Aviation Management at Central Texas College and other flight training also in Texas, which made his dream become a reality. Captain King flew a small commuter airline for four years before he was hired by Northwest in 1983.

???I wanted to be a pilot since I was five years old. What fascinated me was the ability when I was a child to leave New York in the morning and have dinner in Barbados. It has been my lifelong dream to become a commercial pilot and I have been lucky to do it for the past 31 years, now with Delta and Northwest,??? he underlined.

Captain King and his wife, who recently returned home after a one-week visit, said they were looking forward to going to the beach, visiting friends and families and enjoying the fish at Oistins Bay Gardens.

To aspiring pilots, he had this advice: ???If you have a dream, there is nothing that you cannot do if you work hard for it. Just put your nose to the grindstone and do not let anybody tell you that it cannot be accomplished and you will accomplish your dreams.???

julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb

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