Chris
Maltese Captain Chris Gauci has carved his name in the annals of Maltese aviation history after sources confirmed he was at the controls of the Airbus A380 that formed part of the opening air display at today’s Dubai Airshow. Joining him in the cockpit were Captain Mubarak Al Mheiri together with Captain Khalid Binsultan.
The flypast was flown by Captain Gauci and his crew at just over 300ft AGL. The iconic Airbus A380 was followed by the UAE’s air display team Al Fursan in their striking Aermacchi MB339A in a V formation. The parade also included a Boeing 777 from Emirates, an Etihad Airbus A350, an Air Arabia A320 and a FlyDubai B737. A fleet of military aircraft and helicopters also joined the formation. The impressive aerial feat was made possible after meticulous preparation that took months.
Captain Chris Gauci, who was one of the main protagonists, joined Air Malta way back in 1994, initially as a First Officer on the RJ70. He subsequently flew the Boeing 737-300/400 (Classic) before transitioning onto KM’s Airbus fleet. In 2006 he left the Maltese flag carrier and joined Emirates as a First Officer on the Airbus A330 and A340-300/500. After four years with EK, he was promoted to the left hand seat and consequently became a TRI/TRE on the A330, A340 and A380 fleet. Captain Gauci’s talent did not go unnoticed by the highest echelons at Emirates and he eventually joined the senior management team at Emirates as Deputy Training Manager on the A380 fleet.
Marvic
