Aviationin an interview.
“They have obviously got their
executive assistants who are arranging
their meetings in New York for
example, but to actually get to New
York you’re the guy that’s sorting out
all the timings in terms, for example,
if there are cars that are needed you
have to make sure that is arranged.
“You will be looking at hotels, you
will be looking at ground transport to
make sure it has been arranged. You
personally will be arranging customs,
immigration, your slot times out of
Sydney and directly liaising with
handlers at both ends of the journey.
“You can’t just let the passenger
walk off the jet and go, you are
required to walk the owner to their
car and that includes the bag count
coming on and off the aircraft.
“There is a little bit more pressure
I suppose and a little bit more
professionalism that needs to go into it.
“And then you spend another hour
or two putting the jet to bed along
with the copilot and flight attendant.”
Military entry
Prior to becoming a corporate jet pilot,
Essery was with the Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF) where he flew C-17
Globemaster and C-130H Hercules
transports, including into Afghanistan
and Iraq.
However, as his length of service
grew, so did the likelihood that his
flying days in the Air Force were
drawing to a close.
“I was due for promotion and that
was going to be a desk job. And I did
not want this,” Essery said.
So, in 2011 he retired from the
military and began the search to find
another seat in which to continue his
desire to see the world.
And given the 5,500 hours
experience in the RAAF under his belt,
Essery sought a corporate jet gig.
More specifically, a job flying
the big ultra- long-range corporate
jets such as the Bombardier Global
Express.
Essery says the decision was a
combination of wanting to expand
his professional knowledge and his
enjoyment of international travel.
“People who can afford to buy them
aren’t going to put their crews up in a
three-star hotel,” Essery says.
“Everything about your quality of
work and living is that next level up
if you can get a job with one of the
bigger jets.
“Your salary is higher, your per
diems are more. If you are positioning
you are travelling business class and
not economy and you are staying in
nice hotels. It’s a good lifestyle.”
Following a three-week conversion
course in Dubai, Essery returned to
Sydney and, once his qualifications
were added onto his Civil Aviation
Safety Authority (CASA) licence,
began looking for work.
The best way to get into the
industry was through contract work,
which would help build up his hours
in the corporate sector.
“I was a contractor initially with
5,500 hours coming out of the military
but I had zero corporate experience,”
Essery explains.
“On my licence I was a captainBiz jet set
Mark Essery came to corporate
jets after a career flying C-130s
and C-17s in the RAAF.Clearing snow off the aircraft
doesn’t happen by itself.