After 50 years with airline Loganair, Orcadian Bryan Sutherland was left blown away at being made an MBE in the Honours.
The shocked 67-year-old aircraft engineer, from Kirkwall, only retired from “the job that I loved from day one” in July.
And now he has been rewarded for services to the Orkney air service.
He said: “I am totally surprised, but highly honoured to be recognised for doing something that I loved.”
Mr Sutherland, who is married to wife, Dorothy, and has two daughters, Tracey and Lianne (CORR), started with Loganair back in 1967, shortly after the airline began scheduled passenger services.
He spent a short period in Glasgow before returning to Kirkwall, and was then given the chance to move to Stornoway to help set up Loganair’s base in the Western Isles in 1975.
He said: “That was probably one of the proudest moments with the company, as it was big change in responsibility. I really enjoyed my time there.”
Mr Sutherland returned to Orkney in 1978, where he saw out the rest of his career.
He added: “I could have retired at 65, but really moved my job. I decided to stay on for another couple of years to reach the milestone 50 years.
“When I retired there was no one out of the 800 Loganair staff who were with the company when I started. It was the same at Kirkwall Airport.”
Mr Sutherland said he did not know who nominated him for the honour, but added: “I do have my suspicions.”