>HE WAS on board a military mid-air refuelling plane that bounced around the tarmac as it landed. He has swum with sharks in French Polynesia, looked into the heart of a volcano and been guided by dolphins in the sea.
Dr Jeff Staples' many adventures stem from his days as a doctor in the United States Air Force and his current post as medical director for International SOS, a company that provides medical and emergency services worldwide.
Dr Staples, 45, spends more than half of his time travelling within the Asia Pacific providing advice and consultancy, especially in pandemic flu.
The American is married to a Japanese, Manami Staples, 36, and they have a three-month-old son, Campbell Masao Staples.
Which is your favourite airport?
I'd have to say that it's a tie between Singapore's Changi Airport and the Hong Kong International Airport.
Changi has the edge in terms of efficiency - Immigration is amazingly fast and your bags are almost always waiting for you by the time you reach the carousel. Also, the taxi queue is the most efficient that I've seen anywhere, and I wish that it could be emulated everywhere.
Hong Kong, however, has the edge in restaurants. Also, with Terminal 2 now fully up and functional and the Airport Express with downtown check-in, the whole process is incredibly fast and convenient. You can check in and get your boarding pass in the International Finance Centre in town and hop on the train that goes all the way to the airport, where you go through Customs.
Ever had an airline or airport lose your luggage before?
Many times. However, I think that it's happened only in the United States, where the airports are old and overcrowded, though I've had four pieces of luggage damaged in Changi Airport over the past 18 months.
Ever had a scary flight, or something interesting on a flight before?
When I was in the US Air Force, I was once on a plane that almost cartwheeled down the runway.
This was in Italy in 1996 and we were on a KC-135 - a flying gas-tank designed for mid-air refuelling. It was raining and windy, and the air force had very strict rules forbidding landings if the cross-wind was above 25 knots.
It was between 18 and 22 knots then, but gusts of wind that came as we were about to land pushed it to around 25 knots, so we had to go around.
This happened twice and the rules were that we had to go to another airfield if we can't land within three attempts, so on the third try, the pilot, who was tired, just attempted to land.
The plane was caught by the wind and the right tip of the wing hit the tarmac, and then the left side, and we just kept rocking and hitting the tarmac from side to side. We ended up scraping all four engines on the tarmac.
There were three senior chaplains on board, and I think that's what saved us from going up in a ball of flames.
Budget or full fare?
Full fare. Better service, better food and more comfortable seats which make it easier to work during the flight. It's almost impossible to work on a budget flight.
Which airlines do you think have the best service and food?
My favourites are Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Singapore Airlines' planes are really nice, the seats comfortable and the inflight entertainment very good. But Cathay Pacific has better food.
They're both premium airlines and have very good customer service, and nice and young stewardesses who are attractive and friendly.
How do you handle jetlag?
As a medical professional working for a company that advises corporations on their employee health plans and travel health tips, I try to do what I usually recommend. This includes getting enough sleep two to three days before departure, eating and exercising well, avoiding night flights if possible, and taking power naps. Fortunately, most of my trips are within Asia and the time-zone difference is quite manageable.
You work on board planes too, would you say airline crew have a tough job?
When they're working, it's a tough job. They have to try and keep hundreds of people happy, so they have no time to get to know their passengers. It's a tough and potentially thankless job.
They jump time-zones all over the world, are up on their feet all the time, and are constantly subjected to very dry air, which leads to dry skin and dehydration.
However, when they're not working, they have a fair amount of time in nice hotels in interesting places, and they generally get excellent travel benefits.
Personally, I think it's a pretty good job for someone who is young and likes to travel.
Which airline has the best uniform?
Singapore Airlines - it highlights the attendants' femininity, as opposed to those of airlines in America, which are more manly.
What drink do you always ask for on board?
Water and Coca-Cola light. If it's a long flight with dinner and I have no work to do, I'll often ask for some red wine.
