Pilot Careers
I Get Paid for This…
Neil Parkinson Corporate pilot Neil Parkinson flies a Falcon 7X around the world Interview by Yayeri van Baarsen
How did you get into flying? After a childhood of flying radio-controlled aircraft, when I was 13 I got a job as a gopher at Cranfield airfield. For every four days of answering phones and washing aircraft, they’d give me a flying lesson for one hour. On my 17th birthday, with about 100 hours, I first soloed. Tell us about your job? I’m a billionaire’s personal pilot. Based in London, I fly the Falcon 7X as well as his other aircraft. My schedule is flexible, but normally I know the destination a few weeks in advance. Flights vary from a 12-hour stretch across the Flying CV South Atlantic to a hop to Paris in 30 minutes. Next to his job flying private Generally, we aren’t that busy, which means I business jets, Neil Parkinson is also a have plenty of time for my other aviation hobbies. helicopter instructor, examiner, homeThe flying itself is fantastic! The Falcon is builder, aircraft restorer, aerobatic pilot. equally at home being hand-flown into a Started current job: 2017 mountain airport as it is at 45,000ft going Now flying: Dassault Falcon 7X Favourite: Spitfire. “Saying I prefer the intercontinental. It’s my first fly-by-wire aircraft, Spitfire feels like I’m being unfaithful to my but if you forget about all those computers, it’s Pitts Special… I’m sure she’ll understand.” very easy to fly. Dassault make great handling Hours at job start: Approx. 12,500 machines, showing its fighter heritage. Hours now: Approx. 13,500 Since I’m always working with the same people, it’s important to get along as a crew. My job isn’t just turning up and flying, I also deal with insurance, maintenance, flight planning, entry requirements and visas. And your favourite airfield? I can’t choose. Cranfield will always have a place in my heart as I learned What training did you have? to fly there. The UK has beautiful grass strips with great people and In 1992 I was at university, bored with aeronautical engineering, when a amazing atmospheres, like White Waltham and Compton Abbas. But friend with a helicopter school offered me a job if I’d pay for my training. I I’ve also had lots of fun landing private jets at airfields in Nigeria and borrowed a tie, went to NatWest and got a £40,000 loan. Paying it back Russia. The ‘airfields’ during my Air Ambulance time were memorable took me 11 years, but I was an R-22 instructor at the age of 20. as well, including market squares, town centres and T-junctions. Air Ambulance flying had always been my dream job as it’s so rewarding. At the time, nearly all pilots were ex-military, but I nagged Do you get to fly much outside of work? until they gave me a trial. I ended up working for Thames Valley Air Yes, I normally fly something every other day. My life revolves around Ambulance in the BO-105 and being chief pilot for Warwickshire and aviation, I love the flying as well as the engineering. Eight years ago I Northamptonshire Air Ambulance on the Agusta A109. built a Pitts Special biplane in my garage for aerobatic flying, displays and After eight years, I got lured away by a property company with a competitions. The Pitts is fantastic, a hooligan machine on wings. When Citation Jet and a helicopter. When the 2008 crisis happened, I joined a it comes to getting bang for your buck, you can’t beat it. UK corporate jet charter company. I initially flew the Citation, then the I’m currently building an RV-8 kitplane as well as restoring a WWII HS-125, which is lovely – like a Chipmunk with jet engines. Finally the Harvard, which means I’m spending lots of time painting things green. Global Express, which is heavy and boring. What’s the most valuable career advice you’ve had? What’s been your favourite flight? Love what you do. Because if you do, it never seems like a job. I’ve been My first Spitfire solo. Last year I joined Boultbee Flight Academy as one lucky enough to fly some fantastic machines throughout my career and of their pilots and that flight was the pinnacle of my career. Since I was for me this never felt like work. four, I’ve been building model Spitfires and every year my mum would Also, if you really, and I mean REALLY, want to fly for a living, give me a Spitfire birthday card, writing: ‘One day you’ll fly one’. That you’ll find a way. Many people want to be a pilot because they like the solo was my dream, my ambition and my life’s goal. The Spitfire is look of it, but some really want to fly. I always look out for candidates amazing. An emotional Great British icon, yet a high-powered, who’ve begged, borrowed and stolen flying hours. Those are the pilots beautifully flying machine. you give a chance.
“If you REALLY want to fly for a living, you’ll find a way”
18 | FLYER | Summer 2020