Aviation is a complex, ever-changing business. Crew schedules, route network, customer service or staff management. Every aspect of it is subject to sudden changes and continuous adjustment. Airlines sometimes find it difficult to strive in this ultra-competitive world. Mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies are no strangers to many airlines. We, the people behind this circus, are sometimes caught in the middle of it all.

This is a tale of a pilot’s last flight for an airline.

It hasn’t been an easy summer. Rumours in the office, cockpit talks, hints on the news… We all know something is cooking. Some colleagues are already searching for a way out, others keep the faith and will stay. During this week my schedule has changed several times. The airline is adjusting and re-adjusting the flights, some aircrafts have been impounded by their owner, the lessor. Others are still on maintenance. It looks bad, but we’ll keep on fighting until the end.

I check my roster and my flight has been changed. I will fly to Tirana, stay the night and come back in the morning. As I drive to the airport, I can’t help but think it can be the last time. I’m going to enjoy this flight like it’s the last. I will try to remember every little detail and make the best out of it. When I make it to the office, the captain is nowhere to be seen. Our aircraft is late by more than an hour and he will probably show up right before it lands. I take the flight briefing folder and start to prepare the flight. The office is quiet, nobody dares to speak more than the necessary, everyone suspects we won’t be around much longer. Finally, the captain arrives and, we brief the flight together. It’s looks like a smooth ride over the Balkans on our way to Albania. We check the technical status of the aircraft and decide how much fuel we will take. It looks like the flight is further delayed, so the captain decides we won’t have time to go to the hotel in Tirana. We will stay in the aircraft, as we will have a little longer than two hours until we will have to come back to Ljubljana.

We make our way to the terminal, pass the security control and walk to the aircraft. The apron is quiet, we can see three of our airplanes grounded, sealed. It’s sad we won’t see them flying anymore. We agree he will fly the first leg and I will fly the way back tomorrow morning. Finally, we arrive to our Bombardier CRJ-900. S5-AFA has only been with us for 2 years. It came from Air Nostrum, where it was registered as EC-JNB. We open the doors and I start with the initial checks.

One hour later, we are cruising at FL350. A moonless night brings us wonderful views of the milky way. The purser brings the dinner to the flight deck. I’m not hungry, thoughts race through my mind, I feel uneasy. Nevertheless, this might be the last dinner onboard, so I decide to eat. The flight progresses as usual. We land in Tirana and passengers disembark the plane. It’s 1:30 AM and the captain is powering down the aircraft. Meanwhile, I close the door and set the alarm.

Wake up call. The screen of my phone illuminates the passenger cabin, pitch-black, it’s 4 AM. Swollen face, red eyes, better make some coffee. I pick up the ATIS, prepare the route and calculate the performances, as the passengers start boarding the plane. They probably have no idea of what’s going to happen with the airline and some of them might not be able to come back home after their holidays. Captain asks for the checklist and we start up the engines. “ADRIA727, wind is 020 at 2 knots, runway 35 cleared for take-off”. AFA starts rolling, illuminating the runway as speed increases. “V1, rotate” and I gently pull the yoke to lift up the nose. The aircraft leaves the asphalt slowly and starts climbing into the dark of the night.

It’s 5:30 and the stars are disappearing in favour of a dark blue twilight. The weather is perfect in Ljubljana and we will be the first inbound flight this morning. One of the cabin crew brings coffee. You can’t say no to a cup of coffee with the best views in the world.

As we start our descent, the sun rises over the Balkan skies, calm as ever. We can’t talk to each other, gutted.

“Gear down”, we feel this could be our last landing in Ljubljana.

“Adria 727, Cleared to land runway 30, wind calm”.

“50, 40, 30 – Thrust idle – 20, 10 – Flare…” And we kiss the runway for the last time.

A smooth approach and landing put an end to it. As always, we bring our passengers home, safely, but this time, it feels different. As I step out of the cockpit, I look back and take a last glance at it. Here is where it all started. This airline gave me my first chance, my first job as an airline pilot. I learned how to fly a masterpiece of an aircraft.

Two days after Adria Airways ceased operations temporarily. A week later, on September 30th, the airline filed for bankruptcy. This article is dedicated to the people of Adria Airways (1961-2019).

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Edgar Domenech Llinares is an airline pilot rated on Bombardier CRJ700 and 900 series. He has been based in Slovenia flying for Adria until vert recently.

He started his career as a cabin crew. He worked for 6 years based in Palma de Mallorca where he managed to get his pilot licenses and ratings.

His passion for aviation drove him to make his dream to come true, learning a lot in the process, and looking forward to learn more in the future.

In august 2.018, ASL Ireland took a strategic decision of closing freighter company Pan Air. Pan Air which started operations in 1.988, had a highly demanded speciality in their portfolio thanks to their professionality and aircraft used: To transport racehorses onboard.

During spring and summer months, is very characteristic to see in United Kingdom and France racehorses in the weekends. It is a billionaire event thanks to bets and draws many people. Horses are product of best breeds and stables, descendants of champions. It’s value ranges from 5 to 10 million pounds.

Most of Pan Air flights were done from Shannon, in the west Irish coast. Very close is where the most important stables of Europe are located. Due to the highest value of horses and distance from Farnborough, Deauville, Cambridge or Edinburgh, transport by plane worth it.

The airplane.

BAe 146 has been the most accepted model amongst the customers for this specific purpose. It’s a regional four jet engine aircraft manufactured by British Aerospace in the beginning of last decade of twentieth century.

The airplane was designed to land in short runways and, for that purpose has a very characteristic airbrake in its tail cone, a very strong landing gear and very efficient brakes.

It’s also relatively quiet, and its cockpit is wide and very comfortable.

Because it’s a freighter airplane, there are no seats in the cabin. Instead, there are some rails and metal locks to move and fix pallets and freight containers to the floor.

Cargo is loaded into the plane through a big hydraulically operated door on the rear left side of the fuselage. It’s the way horses use to get on the plane as well.  

To adapt the cabin for livestock, up to seven single stables are installed alongside the cabin to make horses as if they were at home.

A pallet of seats is installed in the area between de freight door and the rear part of the airplane. These seats will be designated to all people who travel besides horses: veterinary, loadmaster, and engineer, and grooms.

Because seats are in the rear part of the airplane, horses are facing backwards in order to have visual contact with their grooms.

Very sensitive guests.

Special considerations have to be taken when carrying racehorses onboard of an airplane. The goal is to take them to a race and that is the reason why they are given no substance to make their flight more comfortable. Otherwise, their capabilities could be diminished during the race.

Unknown people are not permitted to get closer in order to avoid they get nervous. Only their personal grooms, veterinaries or, even another animal who travels besides as a companion such as her colt if her/his mother races. Usually, two or three horses are carried and maybe only one or two will race.

In addition, to avoid the get nervous, airplane noises are reduced to a minimum. The APU Will be started once the freight door is closed and engines are about to be started as well.

Moreover, getting into the cabin yelling or making noise is absolutely prohibited. For this reason, unless in case of an emergency, the used of PA (Passenger Addressing) through speakers is restricted. All messages take place through interphone with Loadmaster who plays the role as a purser in fact.

During flight, only grooms are authorised to stand-up and stay beside the horses to keep them calmed if necessary.

The operation.

Given customers are more sensitive than usual, flight operation has to be very smooth.

Trailers to move horses are more like luxury caravans rather than typical animal transports. Trailers are parked just in front of the airplane’s freight door and their grooms take them into the airplane thanks to a special ramp designed for animals. When this operation is taken place nobody else is allowed to get closer to animals as they could be afraid of a stranger.

One they settle in their respective stable, doors are closed, ramp is disassembled and put into the belly holds of the airplane, and airplane’s freight door is closed.

As we mentioned before, noise could disturb animals. So, APU is started once all doors are closed and just before engine start.

BAe 146 has four jet engine but, its start procedure is quite fast, and there is no need to wait for so long to start taxi.

Even this is not a long airplane, is able to turn very close. Because of this, to leave the parking area have to be done with special care and very slowly to avoid high speed turns that could disturb horses. Furthermore, taxi speed is slower than usual and air traffic controllers, who are familiar with this type of operations, advice other airplanes we are carrying “livestock on board”. Basically, to ask for understanding.  

When take-off is about to take place, power is applied progressively and slowly, adjusting take-off power just before a certain speed. To avoid a high speed rotation and a very steep climb, flap position is selected in a very high deflection (30º).

As in take-off, climb gradients do not exceed 1.000 feet per minute in order to avoid steep climbs. This allows animals not to make too much effort with their legs. Flight levels chosen are around 20.000 feet in order to keep the pressurisation system working with a relatively low cabin altitude. Then horses will not suffer any adverse symptoms during race. Besides, in the unlikely event of loss cabin pressure, breathable atmosphere would be reached very soon and there would be no risk for the animals.

When descent and approach is initiated, air traffic control coordination, again is very helpful an essential. Even is contained in our flight plan and controllers are familiar with this kind of flights, we give this information on the radio when we have the first contact on their frequency. Descent is initiated to with time enough to plan it slight.

Approach is flown very smooth. When reducing speed, airplane tends to raise it nose, increasing it angle of attack. To avoid it, we select flaps earlier than usual trying to ease nose up momentum. Moreover, turns to final approach are done with lower angle and at a distance of 15 NM, which is longer than usual.

When landing is about to come, autopilot is disconnected and, as my friend Rafa says, is “when technology ends and art begins”. Overflying runway threshold, tailcone airbrake is deployed smoothly and firmly. Touchdown must be done flat, almost allowing to land with main landing gear and nose landing gear at the same time. Captain’s gold hands are necessary at this time. The Bae 146 is very appreciated after a smooth touchdown and commences to decelerate easily with wing mounted spoilers and its full deployed tailcone airbrake.  

Braking is done manually and progressively, using the full length to stop the airplane.

Once parked on stand, a convoy is waiting to take horse to their destination: the race. Before opening freight door and assemble the ramp, engines and APU must be switched off.

When horses are being taken to their new ground transport, number of inquisitive ramp workers are attracted to the plane asking about the animals… Bets move a lot of money.

End of service.

 When this first sector is finished, the whole crew goes to hotel until daily races are over. Then, we’ll start again to take them back to Shannon.

Crews are ususally infected with groom’s joy after winning races. Meanwhile, jockey is back on his A319ACJ with horse’s owner.

After a series of flights a bond between crews and people who works with horses is created. There is an empathy with horses and grooms which has been translated into a relationship of more than 25 years. A lot of gratitude has been received thanks to the very good crew’s attitude, high experience and professionality.

For many years Pan Air pilots has shown their value. Even up to their last day. Their commitment has always been showed when situation was very far from being favourable.

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I’d like to dedicate this short article to whom they were may colleagues in Pan Air Líneas aéreas for almost a decade. Therefore, serves as a tribute to all staff in the company: administration, maintenance, flight operations, ground operations and, my beloved friends and cockpit colleagues, the pilots. Many names are coming up to my mind, some of them retired some years ago.

All of them in a new professional stage in other airlines but, we’re always will be “Paneros”.

I wish you very happy flights Paneros!