A life shaped by flight-from the first takeoff to a final, well-earned landing.As a young man, I never imagined that my first steps into a Young Pilots' School would lead me into the cockpits of both military jets and civil airliners. What began as curiosity soon became a calling-and ultimately a life spent in the sky.This book traces a journey of more than forty years in aviation. From early training and demanding instructors to the discipline of military flying and the responsibility of civil aviation, it is a story shaped by precision, risk, and constant learning. Yet beyond the aircraft and procedures lies the human side of flight: the comrades who became brothers, the friendships forged under pressure, the moments of doubt and quiet triumph, and the family whose support made every departure possible and every return meaningful.The Story of a Civil Aviation Pilot: From Takeoff to Landing is not only a memoir of flight hours and aircraft types. It is a reflection on dedication, trust, and the unique bond between a pilot, the machine, and the sky. Above all, it is a tribute to the people and experiences that made a lifelong career in aviation richer and more rewarding than I ever dared to imagine.