Episode 54 - David Mackay, Virgin Galactic Chief Pilot

We talk to David Mackay, the Chief Pilot for Virgin Galactic.He tells us his journey from a young boy in northern Scotland watching the moon landing on television to his own flight into space.David, who has more than 15k flying hours, talks about testing aircraft for the British Royal Air Force, his transition to commercial airliners for Virgin Atlantic and then his move to flying spacecraft for Virgin Galactic and helping Richard Branson achieve his dream.He describes the simple joy of his first ever flight, the beautiful vistas he has captured from the cockpit of planes around the world and the thrill of flying into space and the unique experience and view.David talks through what a Virgin Galactic astronaut will experience, the types of passengers who have signed up for space travel and why he enjoys a post-flight Clynelish.And he tells us why he wants to share a whisky with Neil Armstrong.