Mr Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, captain of MH370, enjoyed flying the Boeing 777 so much that he spent his days off tinkering with a flight simulator of the plane that he had set up at home.

He had always wanted to become a pilot and joined the national carrier in 1981.

“He was an aviation tech geek. You could ask him anything and he would help you. That is the kind of guy he is,” a Malaysia Airlines co-pilot, who had flown with him in the past, told Reuters.

Another pilot who knew Mr Zaharie for 20 years added: “We used to tease him. We would ask him, why are you bringing your work home.”

His passion for aviation went beyond the Boeing 777. Other photos posted by him on Facebook showed he was an avid collector of remote-controlled miniature aircraft, including a lightweight twin-engined helicopter.

— PHOTO: FACEBOOK