Virgin Galactic has a strong link with the north of Scotland.
Its chief pilot, David Mackay, is originally from Caithness.
The 57-year-old is currently based at the company’s headquarters in New Mexico and has played a major role in the research and development of SpaceShipTwo, which has crashed over the Californian desert.
Born at Dunbar Hospital, Thurso, Mr Mackay lived at Bettyhill, in Sutherland, before moving to Helmsdale at the age of six.
Living in a small village, he said he was captivated by the low-flying aircraft he saw arriving and departing from the RAF base at Lossiemouth.
Mr Mackay joined the air force and spent 16 years working in Europe as an RAF test pilot. He left in 1995 to join Virgin Atlantic as a long-haul pilot, and was then approached by Virgin Galactic to become its chief pilot.
He relocated to California with his wife, Sue, and children, Duncan and Katharine, to work on the project.
Virgin Galactic has ‘strong link’ to the Highlands
