by Brenton G Davis 

"a unique story of one pilot who chose to take the career road less travelled"

In 1994 Pete Ryan was Senior Co-Pilot on the magnificent S76’s flying to the oil rigs in the very challenging IFR environment of the Bass Strait. Two years later, he was poling a 45 year old B47 around the skies. “An abysmal Base Check failure?” I hear you ask. Not at all but, rather, a unique story of one pilot who chose to take the career road less travelled.

The helicopter industry can generally be summarized by a fairly typical career path. Get license, beg for hours, fly pistons, beg to get into turbines, struggle to get into IFR, fly, try and finally save some money, retire. There are exceptions sure, but generally speaking, it is a well worn path that most pilots follow. For the owner and Chief Pilot of Aviation Adventures though, there is a much more interesting story which is worth telling.

Pete Ryan, like most of us, had always been fascinated by aviation. And just like most of us, his dream of flying helicopters was tempered by the frightening reality of the monetary requirements to follow said dream. So, with rotary plans put firmly on the backburner, Peter came out of school and set about earning a dollar. He likes to do things outside of the box and so, with no exciting jobs on offer, he set about starting his own courier service in Sydney, with a dodgy car and an entrepreneurial spirit. Action Couriers did alright for him and taught him his first dose of real-world business training. From here he branched into the security business and set about making good money as a security consultant. With a few years of good earnings behind him, his helicopter dreams could once again be examined.

He trained in Sydney with Buck Ryan at Heli Training. Completing his training, he did the usual thing and flew weekend joy flights in R44’s and H300’s earning nothing and depressingly contemplating his future. With no real prospects to speak of, a national advert for Co-Pilots by Lloyds seemed his best chance. Esso in Bass Strait had opted for the increased safety of a two-pilot operation and had contracted out for the new flock of left-seaters about to ‘fly the patch’. Peter phoned Lloyds and was promptly told, “don’t bother”. They had more than enough suitable applicants and didn’t need one more. This is where his first real lesson was learnt. He insisted on flying down to meet the prospective new employers face to face. Again he was told, “don’t bother”. Persistence and a very real career goal can’t be denied though and he told them he was flying down anyway. At the meeting, his insistence was rewarded. Though they had filled their ten pilot requirements for Sale, he was placed on reserve and was on the books!

Lloyds had plenty of options and Peter was soon employed at Wollongong S.A.R. base, then to Karratha Offshore and then Darwin Offshore. Economies change thoug, and a downturn saw him made redundant. Eighteen months later, things turned again and, having remained on good terms with them, (another valuable lesson), he was reinstated and finally placed down in the Bass Strait operation.

Security of income is sometimes about positioning one’s self. And when the co-pilot contract came up for renewal, Peter, seeing an opportunity, tendered by himself with his own business name. Whilst applauded for his tenacity, his small operation did not meet Esso requirements, so he went in search of a business partner. Teaming up with a much larger operator, they were successful in securing the contract and he gained himself the position of Senior Co-Pilot. He also took the opportunity to address inadequacies which he saw in the system. Now, with a good insight into the offshore industry, he lobbied with the AFAP and was instrumental in significantly lifting the Award for offshore co-pilots to a more appropriate level.

Flying progression is all about hours. So, with several years co-pilot experience under his belt, it was time to build his command turbine hours. Through his partnership deal, he was able to move into a Marine Pilot Transfer operation in the North-West, flying a Bell206 in questionably NVMC conditions. Doing his part for the industry once again, more letters and lobbying was rewarded with him having the MPT award shifted to an ‘offshore’ award rather than ‘onshore’ as it had always been. One year of hard work as a solo base manager and too many middle of the night ship landings and Peter was finally ready to make his ‘sea-change’.

“I’d travelled all over the world on various holidays and I’d flown in many different parts of the country in various aspects of the industry. All that time I had searched and pondered where it was that I really wanted to settle down and call home. By the time I finally had the career bug subdued in my gut, I realized that the Whitsunday’s was my ultimate destination.” Peter said recently. “I quit my job, moved to paradise and bought a Bell 47 off Heli-Reef. I ran that for a year and a half as Heli-Tropics before selling the machine.

Then I ran Heli-Reef for a period of time with the intention of buying the business but was unsuccessful in the end. So in 2001, I bought a KH4 and set up Aviation Adventures, just down the road”.

Aviation Adventures runs out of Shute Harbour and now boasts two KH4’s, one Bell 47 and an R44. Aircraft selection is crucial to the niche type of business that Peter runs. “You have to have a point of difference. We specifically target the couples market,” he said. “The opposition over on the Islands have larger turbine aircraft, so we stick to what we are good at. The KH4’s are perfect for couples, the viewing is unsurpassed and they are very cost-effective to operate. Plus, holiday makers just love the look of the brightly painted up fixed-floats and the doors off option”.

Whilst the business does operate in the general charter category, tourism is their forte. Peter has, from time to time, operated turbines for wealthy locals, but their string of awards tells you what they are best at. Aviation Adventures has picked up Tourism Awards wins every single year since 2004, culminating in their induction into the Tourism Hall of Fame in 2008. Pete says his website (www.av8.com.au) is critical in the whole equation, as most holiday makers do their homework now long before they arrive in the area. Local scenics, Whitehaven picnics and their whole package of options are beautifully presented online. Marketing and exposure are pet projects of this busy Chief Pilot. The business has featured on the TV series Getaway four times and their advert was even a feature showing on the in-flight entertainment on Virgin Airlines. And if you’ve watched the DVD “Fools Gold,” you would have also seen their promotion as part of the preview.

Part of any Chief Pilot’s duties is vetting and hiring the pilots. Peter takes this part very seriously indeed. Fairly uniquely, he sets no minimums for his hiring at all. Knowing what it takes to make it in this game, he is willing to look at anyone who presents well, but he is looking for a certain something. “Most people, once they pass their commercial, are able to fly a machine. They will improve their skills over time but what I’m looking for is the enthusiasm and presentation. My clients are generally taking a once in a lifetime experience. I need pilots who can go that extra yard to make it all special. They need to be enthusiastic, vibrant and safe. If they can convince me that they will do that, day after day consistently, then so long as I’ve got a slot, they will get the job” he said. “And my pilots do plenty of flying. I’ve had guys do 700 hours a year, which in the tourism game, when you are chasing hours, is great”. Pilots will generally spend an average of two years at Aviation Adventures before moving on. Usually, it’s for the well-trodden path of chasing the turbine hours.

The business has employed males and females, young and old pilots and, as such, enjoys a great reputation in the industry for giving the new guys a chance. Just as crucial to the overall business Peter says, is the employment of the right ground staff. He heaps praise on his Operation Managers. He stresses the importance of the position in both public relations and business administrative roles. As a busy owner and pilot, his role is eased considerably by the competence and dedication of these people. Their selection is taken very seriously. It is noteworthy that Peter has no formal business training. He is, however, a keen advocate of seminars, small business development courses and reading the appropriate books. And, above all, he says consult accountants and solicitors for the right professional advice.

“But what about the career choice?” I hear you scream. Twin engine, two-pilot IFR, down to basic and old VFR piston machines, is a big paradigm shift. I asked him about his choices.

“Oil rigs look the same all over the world and water looks like water,” he told me. “I made the choice to live where I wanted to live, and enjoy flying around an environment I love so much. The aircraft I do it in is of no real consequence. Everyday my clients are happy and smiling and they generally leave us having one of the best experiences of their life. You can’t put a price on that. And most importantly, I’m home in my own bed every night and I spend my spare time surrounded by the people I want to be with, not in some barbed wire enclosure in a third world country.“ And

what of the financial side of the equation? “Running a business is hard work. So long as you are in a business which you love though, it’s more like an all consuming favourite hobby. As for the dollars, I’ve no doubt that I am far better off financially than I would have ever been working for a salary. Business ownership has benefits that only another owner can understand”.

So what of the future for Peter Ryan and his helicopter birds in paradise? He told me that he still wants to see The Whitsunday’s reach their true potential in our Australian Tourism scene, a goal which he says still has a long way to go. But as for his business, he will keep the winning recipe going as it is working well and he knows it will naturally grow with the development of the area.

“Will I stay doing this forever?” he replied, “I’m still loving what I do each day, so that is a blessing. But on the other hand, I’ve enjoyed the whole process so far and if someone made me a good offer, I could easily buy a boat and go sailing for a while”.