In November 1988, Mr McCall (60) was appointed to the position of Dunedin's airport manager.
Now, he is the chief executive of Dunedin International Airport Ltd, and he described his as "the best job in Dunedin" because it was so much fun.
Despite being responsible for the airport around the clock, he enjoyed the variety the job offered.
Memories ranged from the 1990 Aramoana massacre when members of the SAS were flown into Dunedin, to having Elle Macpherson in his office.
High on his list of "absolute milestones" was the first international flight in 1994, and he said he looked forward to more international carriers setting up in the South.
He was also immensely proud of the new airport terminal, which was opened in 2006 at a cost of $26 million.
A darkest memory of his time at the airport did not exist.
"Darkest days of the job have been put aside very quickly because of so many positive moments."
Mr McCall saw the introduction of a low-cost travel model through carriers such as Australian-based Jet Star, as one of the most significant international developments in the industry, as such carriers made air travel available to everybody.
Uncertainty over the current financial situation and terrorist attacks were seen as "global glitches" for the "resilient" industry.
The future was filled with opportunity and optimism for Dunedin airport, he said, citing investment and marketing-development plans which could be ground-breaking even on a national scale.
While he "had no desire to leave", he felt another 20 years in the job was "asking a bit much".
