Japanese media are reporting that the excellent pianist Alexander Melnikov has qualified as a pilot (First Officer) for Lufthansa City Airlines. Melnikov, 52, was a late protégé of Sviatoslav Richter.

He performed with leading orchestras in Europe; he recorded a set of Mozart sonatas with the violinist Isabelle Faust and the Beetoven cello sonatas with Jean-Guihen Queyras.

Is LH about to allow a keyboard in its cockpit?