A SCOTS pilot will make aviation history by landing the world's biggest passenger plane on Scottish soil.
As a teenager Iain Weir dreamed of being a pilot when washing aeroplanes to pay for flying lessons, and as an adult he is to fly a super- jumbo into Glasgow.
Now airline bosses are celebrating the tenth anniversary of Emirates introducing flights between Glasgow and Dubai and are flying a super-jumbo A380 to Glasgow today for a three-hour visit. VIPs will be invited on board to marvel at the double-decker plane, which is fitted with shower spas and a passenger lounge with drinks bar.
The airline has chosen the former Clydebank High pupil to take the controls of one of their multi-million- pound double-decker planes and fly it to Glasgow Airport.
He could even end up flying over his home town when making his final approach.
An airport official said: "There is a 50-50 chance he will pass over Clydebank but we won't know until Thursday morning. The wind direction will determine what route is adopted."
Mr Weir always knew what he wanted to do. He said: "I was about eight years old and I was going on holiday to Majorca. I knew then I wanted to be a pilot."
Seven years later he got his first job shortly before he was due to leave high school.
"I got a job answering the phones and washing the planes at the West of Scotland Flying Club," he said. "It's now defunct, but I used the money to pay for flying lessons so that I could get a private pilot's licence."
He was still in his teens when he obtained the licence. Mr Weir sat several more exams before landing a job as a commercial pilot for Glasgow Airport-based airline Loganair.
Now the 43-year-old is married with two young sons and living in Dubai. He is no longer a teenager, but is living the dream as a member of an exclusive flying club.
There are only about 100 Airbus 380s in service around the world. Almost half belong to Emirates.
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