The early ’80s were challenging in the music business, having been in the industry for ten years. Reflecting on that time, it was my deep passion for aviation that helped reignite my motivation and discover new business opportunities—naturally involving the use of an aircraft to visit customers further afield. Without a deep passion and drive, dedicating the study time required to become a licensed pilot would be very challenging. Passion made it a breeze!

The following few years saw me taking country business flights to places like Kalgoorlie, Esperance and Albany in Western Australia, selling music equipment to my remote clients. Endorsements on larger aircraft like the Cessna 182 Skylane and 210 Centurion, with retractable undercarriage, constant speed props, aerobatic ratings and night flying kept my lust for learning alive.

There came a time when I needed two engines! So, on September 12, 1984, I took my first twin-engine training flight in the Aero Club’s Partenavia VH-PNT. Once endorsed, I shared the cost of hiring the aircraft and flew many of Western Australia’s local ’80s bands to Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Albany. My muso friends enjoyed it as much as I did, a couple of them even caught the flying bug and learned to fly themselves.

The following years were spent consolidating my skills and obtaining endorsements for everything from Mooneys to the Tiger Moth, all while exploring new areas.

The end of the ‘80s brought with it a traumatising marriage breakdown the experience was devastating, leaving me little to look forward to, so once again, I immersed myself in learning and studying to keep moving forward positively.

Curiously, I discovered my thirst for aviation knowledge was truly unquenchable and my commercial training had only broadened and deepened this passion. After dedicating many hours to passing the theory component, I earned my commercial pilot’s licence on May 26, 1993.

“Don’t stop here, Goldie,” I told myself. “You need to fly through those clouds.”

So, I began instrument study and training. Enrolling at Ad Astral with the no-nonsense Captain Ron McGrath, I progressed and on November 22, 1996, I passed the initial Instrument Flight Rating (IFR).

During my training, I picked up some paid commercial work, flying a Piper Navajo from Perth to remote places like Fortnum, Horseshoe Lights and Mount Morgan Gold Mines — often still having to dodge weather. The situations encountered when flying commercially made that instrument rating essential. Clients must reach their destinations legally and having an IFR made this much easier.

The following years were spent flying far more freely, no longer needing to dodge clouds, but with a heightened awareness of the adverse weather that lurks within them.

With a desire to fly higher and faster, the opportunity to transition to pressurised turbine aircraft was too enticing to resist. This coincided with some personal challenges, which I used as motivation to study and pursue a Pressurised Turbine Instrument Rating (PTIR).

After a three-week ground school and endorsement, I began flying the Beech 1900 on September 27, 2000, for Great Western Airlines. This role integrated reasonably well with my business, allowing for a couple of flights a week in the early morning or late afternoon.

Early starts and late-night study kept me flying until Great Western liquidated. Ad Astral took over some of Great Western’s contracts and I continued flying the Beech 1900 until early 2007 when the opportunity arose to transition to the Embraer 120 at Network Aviation.

Once again, three weeks of ground school proved to be challenging but exciting and rewarding. On October 5, 2007, my endorsement training on the ‘Braz’ over Bunbury was a thrilling experience. We practised stalls and recoveries, conducted emergency descents, engine-out procedures and other potential emergency scenarios. Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) was intense and stimulating, with highly experienced training captains sharing the benefits of their years in the air.

A tremendous sense of camaraderie developed at Network Aviation during those years. Many years of flying the EMB120 to exotic locations all over Western Australia eventually came to an end when the company was acquired by Qantas and all casual pilots had to finish up. So I returned to running my music and audio company in the late 90s.

It’s interesting how skills acquired over a lifetime of passionate pursuits can culminate in the perfect job. My early years in electronic engineering, many years of managing a company with up to 75 staff, experience dealing with international suppliers and ten years in commercial aviation — most of which involved multi-crew operations — combined to provide the perfect credentials for managing the Revesco Aviation Advanced Flight Training facility at Jandakot Airport.