The audiobook The Captain Speaks to You contains the story of pilot David Hecl in the form of an interview. The questions were asked by journalist Martin Moravec.
Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up, because you're in for a real treat.
I still get goosebumps when I think about it all. Back home in Dubai, I set a few alarms on my phone so I wouldn't fall asleep. In the end, I didn't even need them because I was tossing and turning all night and couldn't wait. As we approached the ground in Prague, I noticed the amount of people behind the fence and my knees got a little wobbly. "You have to land nicely," I repeated to myself. There were other people standing on the airport terrace and I knew there were parents and girlfriends among them. I could imagine what that moment must have meant for my dad. The boy with whom he used to glue airplanes and who didn't want to go to an aero club, brings the biggest transport plane in the world in front of his eyes. When I saw him afterwards, his eyes were still wet with tears. That's when I realized I had really accomplished something.
It's been more than thirty years since David Hecl first sat in the cockpit. He was a bit startled by the engine noise and hardly thought that one day it would be him who would bring the world's largest transport aircraft to Prague. He was the first Czech to become a captain on an Airbus A380 in two global airlines, Emirates and Korean Air. He has visited dozens of countries, collected a lot of experiences and now, in an engaging book interview, he tries to answer everything you have ever wondered about flying. And maybe even things you never thought of.
Why is a smooth landing not quite good enough? Do pilots like applause? What's the use of handcuffs on board and what's the use of an axe? When are passengers not being told the full truth? Which passengers were Prince Harry or Karel Gott? How are animals, organs, gold or human remains transported? Where do pilots sleep and what do they eat on a long flight? What is illegal on board and why is it illegal to have sex in the toilets? Both serious and non-serious topics await you. Professional and lay. There will be turbulence, emergency landings, hijackings and health problems on board. Flight connoisseurs and those who just enjoy flying will find it to their liking. And, in fact, those who are still afraid of him.
The questions were asked by journalist Martin Moravec, whose previous book interview with neurosurgeon Vladimír Beneš was awarded in the Book of the Year poll.
