48 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION
A
s a corporate jet pilot working
at a major Australian
multinational for more than two
decades, Clive Brookes travelled
the world.
The pilot visited the snowfields of
Aspen, Colorado, braved the baking
heat of Dubai in the United Arab
Emirates and sampled the delights of
iconic cities such as London and New
York.
Closer to home, Brookes criss-
crossed the country as executives
hunted the next big deal or perhaps
took in a football match or sailing
regatta to unwind at the end of a long
week.
Whatever the destination or the
reason, it was Brookes’ job to ensure
everything ran smoothly.
And everything includes more than
just getting from Point A to Point B.
“The flying part of it in corporate
aviation is probably 10-15 per cent of
the job because you have to organise
every single thing,” Brookes explains
toAustralian Aviationin an interview.
“It’s an endless event. The corporate
flight department is like a mini airline
with none of the staff.”
While his peers at the major
commercial airlines had the benefit of
dedicated teams to sort out refuelling,
cleaning, overflight clearances,
cabin crew and recurrent training
requirements, it was a different story
for corporate jet pilots.
It was a responsibility that Brookes
was more than willing to shoulder.
“The beauty and what I like about
corporate aviation is that my crew
and I take complete ownership of theaeroplane,” Brookes says.
“We treat it as you would treat your
own car, it is always polished and very
presentable, it is clean and stocked.
“You’ve got to do the other little
bits and pieces, rather than just doing
your day and getting out of the plane
leaving it like it has been evacuated
after a fire drill.”
The job description of a corporate
jet pilot is not confined to flight
matters. It also extends to ground-
related logistics, as fellow pilot Mark
Essery explains.
In his years working for another
large Australian multinational, Essery
says he had to ensure the “owners get
to where they need to go”.
“You are not only the pilot but you
are also the chief choreographer of the
whole show,” Essery tellsAustralian‘You are
the chief
choreographer
of the whole
show.’^
MARK ESSERYThe (biz) jet set
WRITER: JORDAN CHONGLife as a corporate jet pilot