He started by uploading stunning photos of takeoffs in São Paulo and Bogotá, flying over the Andes, Greenland, or the ice floes of Hudson Bay in Canada, approaching Tokyo, landing in Buenos Aires... He also explained online why you have to activate airplane mode while flying, what turbulence means, how to organize an emergency exit, why there are no parachutes on board, and what to do if a pregnant woman goes into labor at 10,000 meters altitude—one of the few things that hasn't happened to Ramón Vallès (Piera, Barcelona, 1966), the most viral pilot on social media with almost 30 years of experience, 28,000 flight hours, and 361,000 Instagram followers.
He has now compiled his experience in a book titled Welcome Aboard! Your Commander (published by Geoplaneta) writes to you, and the tagline is "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Flying," an engaging, intriguing, and informative account from a more human than technical perspective, conceived in the cockpit.
Q: Did you always want to be a pilot?
A: Yes, it's a calling, although it was my father, a car mechanic and aviation enthusiast, who instilled that passion in me. He would have liked to work in this field, but he was born in 1936, at the beginning of the war, and didn't have the opportunity. Even so, he always passed on his enthusiasm to me.
Q: However, your mother didn't view this profession so favorably...
A: She thought that if the plane crashed, she would lose her child, but she changed her mind and it became a source of pride.
Q: And did your mother overcome her fear of flying?
A: Yes, yes. We've flown together many times, and I have very fond memories. The airplane is the safest means of transportation. The accident statistics back it up. There's no sector more rigorous than this one, with constant training controls and extraordinary safety systems that guarantee reliability and leave no room for improvisation. People should be more afraid of driving a car. There's a greater chance of an accident driving between Igualada and Barcelona than flying.
Q. What advice do you have for young people who want to emulate you?
A. That they be clear that they want to live the life of a pilot, with a 365-day work schedule, no Christmas, holidays, birthdays, away from family... And that they are suited for it. First, you have to pass the baptism of fire in a small plane. Many are afraid to take the controls. Then, perseverance and discipline are essential.
The captain, on the runway.
The captain, on the runway.
Q. What is your best moment during a flight?
A. When I finish and go home. That means not only that everything went well and we did an excellent job, my main objective, but also that I'm going back home, to my family, to my own space... I always say that my best hotel is my house.
Q. During your layovers around the world, what do you like to do?
A. Rest, since sometimes you have a Barcelona-Boston flight, return one day, and fly back to San Francisco the next. A pilot's free time is so scarce that my priority is sleeping. Besides, some countries are less safe than others, and you can't risk something happening to you; you're working, you have to be responsible. That doesn't mean you can't take the opportunity to visit a museum in certain places or go for a bike ride, but always with a helmet.
Q. Have you experienced any extreme situations on board?
A. I've experienced everything. From medical emergencies to technical problems that have forced us to return to land, but the route is diverted to a nearby airport, and that's it. But the most important thing for me is the human side. It's important to remember that people travel to bury a loved one or to see a child they haven't seen in seven years. This happened to me recently on a flight from Santiago, Chile to Barcelona, and it touched me deeply.
Q: Do you ever become involved with the passengers' stories?
A: In my case, yes, absolutely. The human element is what gives meaning to my work. I like to greet everyone when they board, and once I greeted Begoña, a 14-year-old girl who was traveling from Santander to Madrid for treatment for her serious heart condition. I made it my mission to make that flight so special that she would forget the reason for her trip. I stayed in touch with her family, and some time later, my wife and I went to Cantabria and had dinner with her and her mother. It was very moving. I also watched a Real Madrid-Barcelona match at Camp Nou with a regular passenger on the air shuttle, and we became friends. And there are aviation fans like Sergio who message me on WhatsApp to ask me things. Jaume, another regular, always says "Commander, I love you" when he gets on the plane [laughs].
Q. You've also flown famous people like Cristiano Ronaldo and Pau Gasol...
A. That's right. I remember flying with the entire Real Madrid team on their way to a league game. And with the national basketball team. Another player I flew to Boston was Shaquille O'Neal. I even ran into him at the hotel.
Q. To wrap up, how do you view the use of artificial intelligence in aviation?
A. I think it's fine if it serves to assist and complement, never to eliminate or reduce a pilot's work. That would be unacceptable. It can be used to plan flights or analyze the presence of storms, but it can never replace a human being; that's outrageous.