Hello from Baku, Azerbaijan. This week, I am flying on Silkway West B747-8 Freighter from Baku to Amsterdam. The B747-8F is fully loaded with 120 tons of cargo with takeoff weight of over 400 tons!

Before the flight, Samir from Silk Way Group gave me a special tour of the modern cargo facility in Baku, which features an automated cargo crane system and a dedicated large cold storage warehouse. Silk Way West currently operates 12 B747 Freighters in the fleet. The ramp at Baku was buzzing with activity.

Inside the Boeing 747, I met with Captain Rasim, who showed me the advanced loading of cargo inside B747-8F. I was the only passenger onboard this cargo plane. We departed Baku over the city, then headed towards the Caucasus, Georgia, across the Black Sea towards Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, and our final destination Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

It was a really unusual first-class experience on the Boeing 747 cargo flight. Captain Rasim served me a meal including Caspian Sea beluga caviar! After food, there is a dedicated rest cabin to sleep. During my journey, I also discovered the tough life of a cargo pilot who spent most of the time flying through restrictions during the pandemic to deliver cargo. They face long periods of loneliness away from their family due to work.

The weather in Amsterdam was raining with low visibility. The weather radar was full of colours. Watch how the pilot fully concentrated on the landing there.