Chris Chapman interviewed by Payload Asia – Life Begins at 40

Photo: Chris Chapman (left) and Mike Freeborn established the company in 1973.

Recently our chairman and founder Chris Chapman gave an interview to Payload Asia magazine.

In the piece, he shares the story of what got him into commercial aviation and how Chapman Freeborn went from marketing two Hercules freighters to become a global aircraft charter specialist with offices spanning 25 countries.

Below is a short extract from the story:

Because my dad was a police officer!

Whenever he is asked how he got into commercial aviation, Chapman Freeborn cofounder Chris Chapman has a standard, if not quizzical reply: “Because my dad was a police officer!”. The gregarious chairman of Chapman Freeborn may have had a bit of inglorious start depending on one’s perspective, having been he admits, kicked out of school by the Jesuits at a very early age.

Ever hopeful his son would pick up a respectable career, Chapman’s father took him to a careers exhibition one day. “There were all these people trying to sell me on the idea of becoming a banker or an accountant and they were all sounding really boring and so just to shut him up and put a smile back on his face I looked around and saw a stand that said ‘BOAC’ as British Airways was known back then and I said, ‘I want to work for an airline’. And boy did that put a smile on his face!

Head over to Payload Asia to read the interview in its entirety.