Cleared for Takeoff is an adventurous memoir of a commercial-airline pilot who has navigated it all: from close calls and dangerous airports to aviation politics. After forty years on the job, Scott Kaye is no ordinary pilot. Kaye was one of the fewer than three hundred Boeing 747 captains in the US. And unlike most US commercial pilots who are trained during their military service, Kaye got to the top of the profession by owning a flight school and flying for foreign airlines before being hired by US carriers. More than just a fast-paced story for aviation and airplane fans, Cleared for Takeoff also appeals to a general readership. Writing easy-to-understand, amusing, informative, and inspiring stories, Kaye offers not only his expert take on airline disasters but also personal life lessons that can be applied to everyone's life journey.