Next time you fly, the pilot might be a king. Holland's King Willem-Alexander has secretly been flying planes twice a month for KLM for 21 years. His passengers did not know. The 50-year-old king got his military pilot's license with the Dutch Air Force in his twenties. He loved flying and became a commercial pilot. The king said he now wanted to upgrade his skills. He is back on an aircraft simulator to train to fly Boeing 737s.
King Willem-Alexander said flying meant he could relieve his stress. He explained: "You can't take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else. That…is the most relaxing part of flying." He said it was easy to keep his secret. He said very few passengers knew he was their pilot. He said he always welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and the crew. He never told them his name.