DERBY — David Lamb has been a pilot for most of his life, and he’s captained flights all over the world, including Taipei, Manila, Germany, Paris, Japan, London, Jerusalem, Santiago, Buenos Aires, São Paulo and even Guatemala with erupting volcanoes on the horizon.

At a young age, he started off as a flight instructor, and eventually worked to become a freight pilot before spending the 23 years as a pilot for Northwest Airlines, which later became Delta Airlines.

Typically when a pilot retires, they have their last flight and there’s often family on board flying with them. The airport at the destination is notified, and when the plane lands, the airport fire department brings out its water trucks and the plane taxis on the tarmac in ceremonial fashion under the spraying water arches from the trucks.

Due to cutbacks and lack of airline travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamb has been on leave and hasn’t piloted a flight since early March. Like many airlines during the pandemic, Delta decided to reduce its roster of pilots, and since he’s only a few years shy of retirement age, Lamb decided to take the early retirement option the company offered.

As a result, he never had his ceremonial last flight with Delta.

“He didn’t know when his last flight was because it had already happened,” said Lamb’s friend Larry Gebler. “There’s an old saying in aviation, there’s two things that can happen to you when you walk out to an airplane: you can walk out there knowing it’s your last flight, or you can walk out there not knowing it’s your last flight. And unfortunately, that’s what happened to (Lamb).”

Gebler said he’s always disappointed when recognition ceremonies don’t happen for one reason or another. So, he came up with the idea for Lamb to have his ceremonial last flight at 11 a.m. Saturday morning at the Derby Aerodrome airstrip that they co-own together.

Lamb will fly the 1943 Army L-2 that he finished restoring when he was just 19 years old. Gebler said the Derby Volunteer Fire Department, located just down the road, would be on-hand to provide the traditional water arches for Lamb to taxi through when he lands.

“It’s mixed emotions,” Lamb said. “It’s bittersweet. I guess it’s time to go on with the second part of my life. I love what I did. I couldn’t do anything else.

“I think the part I’ll miss the most is the friendships I’ve encountered,” he continued. “I’m still close to a lot of them. I think that’s going to be the hardest thing. There are 14,000 pilots now, but there’s certain ones that you remember that you just never forget. I still remember a lot of the people I flew freight with 30 years ago.”

When they retire, some people like to travel, while others like to play golf. Lamb plans to spend his retirement restoring old airplanes.

“There might be something wrong with me, but I love doing it,” he said.

He has 13 planes in his collection, and every plane he has comes with a different story and a story of a different time.

Lamb is currently working on a navy-blue Stinson Detroiter from the 1920s that has sentimental value to him, having acquired it from a close friend.

Just this week, he purchased a 1939 Cabin Waco airplane from the Roanoke Regional Airport in Virginia that he plans to restore back into flying shape.

“I’m excited about the new projects and some of my old ones, and that’s what I plan to do — open up the shop full time,” Lamb said.

Reach Neel Madhavan at 910-817-2671 ext. 2751 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter at @NeelMadhavan.