The Interview with Virgin Atlantic’s Captain Chris - The Life of a Pilot during Covid Times
Who is Captain Chris?
When I was writing a previous blog about what it’s like flying long-haul in Covid times and the additional steps needed to gain approval for entry into the Seychelles, I thought it would be informative to get a pilot’s view on how the current pandemic has impacted travel. I reached out to Captain Chris (Instagram @CaptainChris) to ask him some questions.
Addendum
I originally posted this interview in January 2021, at the height of Covid. Since then (now August 2023) Captain Chris’ Instagram profile has multiplied exponentially and now has a following of 377,000 and growing by the day, now definitely an online phenomenon. Not only is he a huge ambassador for Virgin Atlantic and the Airbus A350 to satisfy all the avgeeks like me, he has also started some viral trends like #cabinpush and #wingtipwednesday which I regularly like to take part in.
Captain Chris Pohl is a Senior Captain with Virgin Atlantic, and is responsible for training other pilots on the Airbus A350 aircraft (a long-range, wide-body equivalent to Boeing’s Dreamliner). He qualified at the age of 19 in Australia and started working for Virgin in 1993 but had moved to the UK earlier (in 1990) following an Australia-wide industrial dispute. He is probably most notably known (laterally) for establishing the strap line “Buy airline tickets like you bought toilet paper” which went viral on social media and has earnt him his own GIPFY on Instagram. He currently has over 62,000 followers on the social channel but this is growing on a daily basis through high quality engagement posting excellent aviation photographs and amusing videos of him at work, as well as stunning time-lapse videos of take-offs and landings.
Virgin Atlantic Landing
The Private Traveller was able to put some questions to Captain Chris and this is what he had to say.
At the start of the initial UK lockdown (March 2020), did you ever anticipate that there would be such a dramatic impact on travel?
At first (like most people) I thought that Covid-19 was a particularly nasty and temporary flu and that once we get to Summer, life would be back to normal. I initially enjoyed the first month at home with my son, although the unease grew during April when everything began to shut down. I live in SW France and found myself unable to travel to the UK until June, by then Virgin Atlantic had grounded its 4 engine fleets of 747’s and A340’s and also the A330’s. Pilots who flew those aircraft were also immediately grounded UFN (until further notice). I used my time at home using Instagram, to promote Virgin Atlantic, support the Airline and Travel Industry with my viral (bad pun) #buyairlineticketslikeyouboughttoiletpaper meme and to send positive messages to crew and colleagues worldwide, who found themselves grounded through no fault of their own. I was brought back in June, to operate cargo flights as part of a Critical Pilot Workforce.
I heard from a live broadcast you did with a fellow influencer that you often fly cargo flights - has the mix between cargo and commercial flights changed dramatically in the lockdown period?
All of our flights carry cargo, although since we had so few passengers over the summer, autumn and now winter, we had cargo-only flights which departed each day to various destinations and we also had passenger flights, but filled the cargo hold to the equivalent weight of the empty seats. For example, pre-Covid, if we filled every passenger seat of an A350 (336 seats) that would be the equivalent of approximately 35 tonnes of people, baggage, catering, duty free, etc. So we could also carry a further 15 tonnes of cargo in the cargo hold.
With the absence of passengers and less flights those 15 tonnes of cargo still need to travel on less flights, therefore with no passengers, or just a few, we could load up to 50 tonnes of cargo.
What’s involved in terms of Covid-testing for pilots and cabin crew - has this evolved over the course of the pandemic?
Initially there was no testing and this was the same throughout the UK and the World. China was one of the first countries to demand all crew take a Covid-test on arrival and crew were then quarantined in their rooms for the remainder of their layover. Other Governments and airlines have now ruled that all passenger and all crew must take a Covid-test with proof of a negative result before boarding. Virgin Atlantic do this for ALL of our flights; passenger or cargo-only.
I assume you also have to train, and train others, using simulators - I imagine now technology is at the point when it’s as real as flying can be. When did you see the biggest leap in simulator technology?
Simulator technology has evolved just like the rest of aviation, from very basic trainers to the todays sophisticated full-flight simulators, there’s been no big leap, more gradual improvements. Today’s simulators are so realistic, it’s difficult to imagine any future improvements.
What’s better - cargo that doesn’t talk back or makes a mess of your aircraft; or having a plane full of people?
I’ve really enjoyed the cargo flights for the ability to pushback on-time or early, plus not having to worry about schedules for passengers connecting flights. Although it’s a been a novelty, the novelty is wearing off. I miss walking into a busy airport with throngs of people excited to be travelling to the other side of the world, I miss the check-in staff and everyone else who works at a busy airport. I miss my crew and mostly I miss my passengers. Everyone has pride in their work, no matter what they do for a living and my personal job satisfaction comes from flying people safely and efficiently across the World.
And finally, a quick-fire Top 10:
(1) What’s your favourite route? And why?
London to Hong Kong, because I’ve been there over 250 times and never once got bored.
(2) What’s the best place for a long layover?
Anywhere in the Caribbean or Cape Town.
(3) You said you’d have loved to have flown Concorde. Do you think in our lifetime there will be something as iconic as Concorde to rival this, to fly?
Yes, Richard Branson is working with a company called Boom Supersonic to develop a new Supersonic airliner. It may arrive too late for my career, but hopefully I get to fly on it in retirement.
(4) Sunrise or sunset cockpit view?
Both look similar from the flight deck, but psychologically the sunrise is best, as it offers new hope with a new day, especially during this pandemic.
(5) Who or what do you miss the most when you’re away with work?
Obviously my family and special family events, although they’ve learnt to live without me, plus FaceTime is a daily event.
(6) I assume you’ve flown with family on board, is that reassuring or does it make you nervous?
My family are very seasoned travellers and I love seeing them on board one of my flights. They always asks who does the Captains PA, as they don’t believe it’s me.
(7) Do you like to travel for leisure, are you a nervous passenger (when not flying the plane yourself)?
Absolutely, I love someone else to fly me on my holidays. I’m the opposite of nervous on a Virgin Atlantic flights, I fell very relaxed and secure, as I’ve trained or checked most of the pilots who fly me.
(8) Is there a country or airport you wish Virgin had as one of their routes which is on your landing bucket list?
The only Continent I haven’t flown to yet is South America, I would love to fly the approach in to Rio.
(9) You mentioned that you have had Princess Diana as a passenger on one of your flights before, who’s been your best celebrity passenger recently, if you’re allowed to say?
In the years before 911, we regularly invited people to the flight deck, for a look and a chat. We invited any of our passengers, especially kids, not just the celebrities. It was a visit to the cockpit of a Boeing 727 when I was 12 that inspired me to become a pilot. I’ve had many ‘big name” celebrities in the flight deck with me, but I’ll leave the names and details for when I write a book.
(10) Where’s your next trip?
I’m currently in New York for 24 hours, on a cargo-only flight layover. My next trip, next week, is a passenger flight to Los Angeles. Every trip I do is a Training trip. On this flight I checking a Captain and First Officer and next week I’m training another First Officer returning from furlough.
First of all I’d really like to thank Captain Chris for his time today in speaking with The Private Traveller and wish him all the best for his campaign to encourage passengers to still fly and “to buy airline tickets like they bought toilet paper.” If you don’t already follow him on social, and have an interest in aviation or travel, I’d suggest you do so to keep up-to-date with his great posts, reels and videos.
Virgin Atlantic's Captain Chris
