It could be argued that a person in their mid-20s, qualified as an electrician and working on multi-million-dollar commercial projects, has their priorities set, with a career on an upward trajectory.
But that wasn’t the case for Nick Johnson who threw in a promising career as a sparky to pursue his passion for flying helicopters.
A recipient of this year’s CASA Safety manager scholarship, Nick’s introduction to aviation was rather innocent.
‘I had a family friend who owned a Robinson 44 and he took me on a trip,’ he says, ‘I’d also been on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and those experiences stuck with me.
‘Looking back, it was those flights that set the scene for the future.
‘I tell people I kind of had a midlife crisis at 25 because I questioned where I was at. I enjoyed being an electrician and was proud of where I had built my career up to that point.
‘But there was always this nagging thought that while I highly valued the trade, perhaps there’s something more to life that will give me more fulfilment.’
With that came a conscious decision to explore other avenues for a job that was going to provide lifelong experiences and above all, was going to be fun.
‘I made the decision there and then that becoming a helicopter pilot was what I wanted to do and set in motion a plan to reach that goal,’ Nick says.
‘I organised a trial flight and the very next day, booked my first lesson.’
The rest, as they say, is history.
Taking the leap from being an electrician to securing his helicopter licence wasn’t easy and proved to be a juggling act for Nick.
‘I effectively had to resign from my full-time employment and start my own electrical business, so I had the flexibility to work on weekends or outside of normal hours to dedicate myself to the study required and get my training hours up,’ he says.
‘It was tough going at times but my mindset was to become a helicopter pilot.
‘I kept toiling away working as an electrician to fund my lessons and any other spare time was spent studying.’
Less than a year later, Nick’s dedication paid off as he secured his pilot’s licence within 10 months from start to finish.
‘It was a challenge but that’s what it took to get to where I wanted to be,’ he says.
‘I did my training with Professional Helicopter Services (PHS) out of Moorabbin in Victoria and once I finished, I landed my first job in aviation with them as a hangar assistant.’
But by his own admission, he was impatient and had itchy feet.
‘My time at PHS was enjoyable and they gave me a start, which I’m forever grateful for,’ he says. ‘They’re a great organisation, however, my impatience to get behind the controls ultimately lead to a relatively short tenure with them
‘I started to explore my options and at the end of 2019, joined the 12 Apostles team on the Great Ocean Road. That’s where I really cut my teeth and got my first 1,000 plus hours of flight experience.
‘The operation there is so impressive and simply awesome for an up-and-coming pilot. We were turning over 850 people a day on scenic flights across a fleet of 5 EC130s, a Bell 505 and Robinson R44s. It was a very well-oiled outfit and I can’t speak highly enough of my 3 years there.’
However, in 2023 a new opportunity arose – this time involving a move across the country from Melbourne to Perth.
Not being a person to sit still, Nick grabbed the chance to join Corsaire, based out of Jandakot.
‘We do everything from scenic flights to winery charters, gas pipeline and geo surveys, the variety is amazing,’ Nick says.
‘It’s also provided me with one of the best experiences of my life, as we also fly tourists to the Kimberley region and land on a luxury ship. The whole thing is almost surreal and sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually get to do this for a living. It’s just awesome!’
As an electrician, safety was always at the forefront of Nick’s career progression, which included being a safety representative on major construction projects.
That, combined with enjoying leadership and mentoring, engrained in him genuine care for people, and to make sure they leave work in the same shape they arrived.
But it was in his early days of aviation that brought home just how important safety is.
‘I had only been in the industry a short time when there were 2 separate fatality incidents,’ he says.
‘Aviation is so small that at some stage, just about everyone crosses paths. I knew one of the pilots who got killed quite well, and frankly, it hit me pretty hard. I was shattered, as were many of my colleagues at the time.
‘But that experience lit a fire in my belly to make sure risk is mitigated because when an aviation death occurs, it’s really close to home and we all hurt.’
Not long after joining Corsaire, the stars aligned and an opportunity arose for Nick to assist with monthly auditing, which led to him eventually joining the safety team in an official capacity.
‘Soon after grabbing the opportunity to join the safety team, an investigator position presented itself, so I took that on board too,’ he says.
‘I love the investigation aspect because it actually allows me to implement different procedures and ways of doing things to stop issues reoccurring.’
And that’s where the $5,000 safety manager scholarship will come in.
‘I’m looking to do a safety investigators course with Southpac Aerospace,’ Nick says.
‘I’m really looking forward to sinking my teeth into it and getting a greater understanding of investigating incidents or near misses and then working out how to implement change off the back of that.
‘There’s an inherent risk in aviation, which we’re all aware of, and a lot of my colleagues are mates now. If I can implement improvements to make sure everyone gets back safely from each and every flight, that’s something I’ll be very proud of.’
