Michael Riley knew he wanted to be a pilot as soon as he took off solo in the school glider at the age of 16. The career that followed incorporated everything from aerobatic machines and classic aircraft to jumbo jets and, ultimately, Concorde.In a colourful career he rubbed shoulders with many of the best-known names in the flying world, and piloted celebrities from Paul McCartney, Liza Minelli and Diana Ross to David Frost and Margaret Thatcher. This is his intriguing story.