RSL Ch 23

The A320 entrusted to his hands landed safely at Kansai International Airport. Since we had to return for a turnaround flight in two hours, we remained in the cockpit.

After refueling, a maintenance worker came in. Captain Park Jong-dae conversed with him in Japanese. The Japanese maintenance worker seemed pleased with their friendly conversation, nodding continuously. After he left, I asked what they talked about. I was curious.

“Well, I complimented the airport here. The maintenance is always neat and done according to the manuals, making it comfortable every time we come. We only check once before takeoff, but that gentleman must have come to the cockpit over ten times today alone. Some pilots don’t even bother to look, you know? Flying is not just about piloting. When you say things like that, I’m sure he’ll take a closer look at our airplanes in the future.”

I agreed with him. Flying is not just about piloting. I wondered if I was lucky to be on call today. I felt bad that I didn’t get to learn more. The passengers began to board.

Since the A320 was still unfamiliar to me, I had to check the Jeppesen charts one by one, sweating to finish within the departure time we secured. If we missed the given time slot, we would be pushed to the back of the line by the next scheduled flights.

I focused all my attention on checking the engines and instruments, reporting to the control tower. Fortunately, we were assigned first priority. Captain Park Jong-dae nodded approvingly. I was doing my best not to be a hindrance on his last flight.

The plane took off again, and the final flight to his homeland awaited him.

“Autopilot set.”

As I disengaged the manual controls, the cabin manager entered at the perfect moment. She had prepared a special in-flight meal for the captain and instructed him to close his eyes.

Closing his eyes, Captain Park Jongdae was handed a military-style ration pack by her. He laughed and asked her how she got it, since it’s illegal for civilians to carry it. She replied not to ask, as the process had been quite challenging, and then left the cockpit with a smile.

He stared at it for a long moment, as if reminiscing, then tore it open and activated the heat pack.

“You should have one too, Captain.”

He handed me a pack of sausage stir-fries, and as he did, I tugged on the bottom loop and they began to heat up. It was a strange experience for me since I have not been in the military. I grabbed the puffed-up packet, tore it open, and tasted a spoonful. The sodium content was staggering.

“I used to eat a lot of these during marches. They tasted like heaven back then, but now they’re almost inedible.”

“I’m going to get G-LOC (G-Induced Loss of Consciousness, which refers to training to prevent gravity-induced loss of consciousness) training after eating this. I’m going to throw up.”

“Goodness, that sounds awful. Haha.”

Neither of us could finish halfway through. After quenching our thirst with water, I tore open another packet containing chocolate balls. Those were more palatable.

“How did you end up wanting to be a pilot, Captain?”

It had been a long time since I shared my old story with someone.

“I was adopted to Germany when I was eight years old, and I’ve never forgotten the first plane I ever got on, so I’ve been thinking about it ever since.”

“Ah, self-made man.”

“No, the adopted family provided well. It’s all thanks to their care.”

“Still, it’s not easy. You’re both charismatic and skilled. You’d make a perfect son-in-law. But I don’t have a daughter. Haha.”

“That’s a shame.”

We laughed at our inane jokes. When he asked me about my first flight, I got all sentimental. While the two pilots were reminiscing, the plane was already over South Korea. As the two pilots reminisced, the aircraft had already entered South Korean airspace. The captain called the cabin manager.

“Can I make the landing announcement?”

“Of course. Go ahead and do it yourself.”

As if expecting it already, the cabin manager handed him the microphone. I tuned the radio to the Gimpo Airport common frequency to prepare for landing.

-Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. Thank you for choosing Coreana Airway once again today.

He began the announcement slowly.

-Our plane is now flying over South Korean territorial waters at an altitude of 24,000 feet and we have about 15 minutes to go to our destination, Gimpo Airport. The weather at our destination is clear, and there is no time difference from our departure point, Osaka. …Today marks my final flight.

He paused to clear his throat.

-I have been flying for the past 40 years, 23 of which were spent here at Coreana Airway. My goal has always been to safely transport you, our passengers, to your destination, and I am happy to fulfill that mission for the last time today. Although my flying career comes to an end, I assure you that our junior pilots and crew members will continue to do their best to ensure your safety. Please continue to support Coreana Airway in the future. Thank you. Have a safe journey to your destination.

-Goodbye everyone. This is your captain speaking, thanks for using Coreana airway…

The altitude was now down to 20,000 feet. He could see the tower lights of Gimpo Airport with the naked eye, ready for him to enter the landing callout.

-Cabin crew, stand by for landing.

We were assigned runway 7, a nice number. When we were cleared to land, the captain grabbed the controls and signaled me. I put my hand on the landing gear.

“300.”

The runway comes into view.

“Approaching minimums.”

The necessary conditions for landing are met, and the wheels descend.

“200.”

We’re at the point of no return.

100… 70… 50… 20… landed.

The rear wheels hit the ground and skidded. The flaps opened, making a slapping sound against the headwind. The captain’s hand trembled slightly as he reached for the trust lever. He pulled through the taxiway, up to the gate, and engaged the parking lever.

As the plane came to a complete stop, I heard applause from outside the cockpit. The passengers were congratulating him on his retirement. He leaned back in the cockpit and took a long breath. Then he looked at me and smiled.

“You did a great job.”

“I was far from perfect.”

“No, you did great, even though this isn’t your main aircraft. Thanks for ending it with a decent flight.”

“It was an honor to fly with you, sir.”

He patted me on the shoulder and offered to shake my hand, our clasped hands tightening.

“Would you mind coming with me? I’d like to say hello to the passengers.”

“Sure.”

I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed him out of the cockpit, where he bowed and greeted each passenger as they exited the gate. Next to him were me and the flight attendants.

‘Flying is not just about piloting.’

I realized once again what those words meant.

When I got home, it was after 11pm. I expected Han Jae-yi to be sleeping, but he was still working. He shrugged it off, saying he couldn’t help it if he got fired, but his workaholic personality wouldn’t let him go.

I had another flight tomorrow morning, so I needed to get to bed early. Being able to fall asleep when you need to is one of the benefits of being a pilot. Overthinking only worsens my condition.

“I’ll sleep first.”

“Yeah.”

I closed the door and returned to my bedroom. After a moment’s thought, I left the door slightly ajar. It was a way of saying that he was welcome to come in and sleep with me anytime.

I closed my eyes and laid down, but soon after, Han Jae-yi came in. Seeing that he was still wearing the same clothes, it didn’t seem like he came in to sleep, but I wondered if he had something to say.

“I just don’t want to work.”

He lay on his back with his head on my stomach.

“You’re heavy.”

He lifted a pillow and lay back down. The cushioning of the pillow absorbed the pressure, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable, but I frowned. I didn’t expect such unwanted physical contact to feel so awkward.

“How long has it been since I came here?”

“Um, I think it’s been less than three weeks.”

“Time really flies, huh?”

“You’ll have to leave soon.”

“When’s your next layover? What are you going to do now?”

Seemingly unwilling to talk about the plans to leave, he changed the subject without responding to my question.

“I’ll stay in Shanghai for a day. I’ll pick up a new car on the way back. Wanna go for a drive? I’m off for three days after that.”

“Okay. Let’s go see the sea.”

It wasn’t something unusual, but his suggestion appealed to me. It had been a while since I last saw the sea. Although I enjoy swimming, I’m not fond of beach activities. I always preferred swimming in pools, so it had been over a year since I visited a beach. Even in Jeju Island, the sea felt like a distant painting.

“Are you going to bed?”

“Yeah, I should. Got a show-up at 8 am tomorrow.”

“Sleep well.”

“You’re heavy. Get off.”

Han Jae-yi smiled and stood up. He closed the door behind him and went to the living room. I put the pillow on my stomach back in place and went to sleep.

His remaining time seemed shorter than the time he had stayed. His mention of a bachelor party seemed like a farewell trip. I felt melancholy knowing that I had to spend time with him aimlessly and prepare for the inevitable parting.