Ewan Vidion is a senior first officer with executive jet operator Club 328. He has been with the company since May. His passengers include models and rock stars
How did you get started in the industry?
I started gliding with my father when I was 12 and knew straight away flying was something I wanted to pursue. I went solo at 16 and started the transition into power. I got my private pilot’s licence at 17. I went travelling for two years and then started to think seriously about how I was going to fly commercially.
Not everyone has such a clear picture in their head of what they want to do, so it was quite a luxury for me to be so definite about it. Given the time and expense involved, though, it doesn’t hurt to be single-minded about it.
Like many other pilots who haven’t started out in the industry yet, I envisaged myself in the airlines. My first job was flying a Chieftain on the Isle of Man that doubled as an executive jet and an air ambulance – that opened my eyes to what the corporate side of the market could offer. A chance meeting led to me getting the job at Club 328, which really met my requirements.
What does your job involve?
It can be quite a busy week – generally a flight a day. Last week, for example, I took passengers to Ibiza for the weekend; then after coming back it was straight out to Warsaw and back; then to Edinburgh to pick up some passengers to take to Farnborough; then to Southampton and straight down to Prague for the weekend.
It can be quite a hectic schedule, but one of the biggest joys of the job is its variety and spontaneous nature. Many of the jobs are pre-booked, but others can be last minute, such as flying teams of surgeons in from the continent to do transplants.
As well as corporate flights, we fly a lot of high-net-worth individuals, such as Michael Winner and Simon Cowell, as well as big bands, like Queen and the Foo Fighters. My most memorable trip was probably taking Jodie Kidd’s hen party down to Marrakesh for the weekend – you can’t really argue with a plane full of models! We get a lot of returning customers and the close relationship you can have with them is a big bonus. That’s a side you don’t really get in the airlines when you’re locked away in the cockpit.
What skills do you need?
You’ve got to be adaptable and think on your feet – things aren’t all laid out for you and there’s no routine. You have to take the responsibility to deal with situations as they unfold.
What advice do you have for someone wanting to follow a similar path?
You should have a real think about where you want to go in your flying career – airline, cargo and executive flights are all very different, and at the start of your career you may find you are just willing to take whatever is offered. If you can, talk to people about their jobs and what they are like.
- Club 328 is on the look-out for more captains and first officers, as it is expanding from five aircraft to 10 by the end of the year.-flight.workingweek@rbi.co.uk
Source: Flight International
