Business aviation ABC - every way to general aviation is different

I'm curious, and the more people talk about the lack of professionals in the industry, the more I wonder... What's people's story, how did they get here and join the industry. So, I ask the questions. I find that the ability to simply tell the stories, one by one, sharing the facts can do a lot of good. Why is that? The answer is obvious - it's an impulse for future colleagues to take the first step, to sometimes trust a chance, say yes to an unexpected opportunity and find their place in aviation. Anything is possible. This time I'm pleased to share with you the story entrusted to me by Luis Hurtado Barrutia of General Aviation Service.

T.O. So, an easy and obvious question, how you ended up in business aviation?

L.B.H. Well, a totally unexpected plan for me, because well, my story with aviation, my father was in aviation, but in Airbus, so it's not like there was an access to this aviation. We know he was working for a manufacturer, bringing some models at home and things like this, but that was everything we knew about aviation. Some, we were like freaks, but going to visit museums of aviation, stuff like that. Then I started university, going for economics, really bored of university my last year, and I was like, I don't even want to study. And my mother found me a job in Ryanair and said, you must go to Germany in two weeks. You make the interview, and they said that they will give you a job and you just try go for a few months, you know, work abroad, learn German or whatever. And then I left, like, the next month, I was already in Germany. And then I started working there in aviation. But, like, in the air flying? No idea. Just partying, etcetera. And then I started to know the people on the ground operations, the handlers. They were super nice. It was in a small town, so we met them out of work. I started to learn, and then I started to ask to work there. My German was a bit better. After, like, two and a half years, three, I started to work in the ground. Then I moved to Munich with the same company handling company. And then I started to work for Lufthansa and bit more knowing, like the real handling and working in the ground with the planes and stuff. And then I was tired of the weather in Germany. The winter seemed forever, and I was never going back to Spain. I was like, you know, I'm going to try to look for a job there to see. And it's time to come back after five years or six years. 

Then I went to Alicante. I said, I need the sun, so I'm going to live in Alicante. I had a girlfriend there. She was coming with me from Germany. Then we started working there, but it wasn't as good. We didn't have much work, just like two, 3 hours per day, so no money in the end. And I met an Argentinean girl. She ended up being the daughter of my actual colleague from work, from Sandra, and she was working for general aviation forever. And she said, well, my mother is in Madrid. And then she said, there you have a lot of work in aviation. But my mother is working in a company where they are looking for someone to be a ramp agent and a future station manager small company. General Aviation. I was like, well, I don't know nothing about private jets, so. And then, but I said, what I know is that I bought a house. It was like a government house in Madrid, long time ago. I had to wait like twelve years to give me the house. It was like a project super cheap. But they told me, wait for long, you will have your house maybe in 20 years. And then this same year, in 2010, they told me, we are going to give you the house. It's finally done, you know, so you're going to have to start paying your mortgage and everything. And I was like, I don't even have a full job, you know. And then they called me from g General Aviation and they told me, listen, we need you now, so if you can come for the interview and then if it works, then it's good. We saw your cv and then we like it. And then I went there, I went to Torrejon Air Base. I was like, it's impossible to go in public transport. So, it was like walking in the road and going there, going, the interview, I see Juan, he was like, have a seat. I was like, what's your team, your football team? That was the main question. Yeah. I was like, Atletico de Madrid. He was like, you are hired. That was it. You start tomorrow. It was like tomorrow, but I mean, Alicante, but you start tomorrow was like this. And I ended up going in one week I was there working with my new house. No furniture, nothing, not even light power contract, nothing. And this is how I started there. And Juan was telling me, no worries, you will sleep in the office a lot of days, so you don't need a bed. It was like this. And we started. I was alone in Torrejon, Juan was in Madrid Barajas with Alberto. And I remember we were three, four people in total. The accounting, Alberto, Juan and myself for everything. And it was tough work, but very, very funny. I mean, I learned like crazy with Juan and Alberto and this is the way I ended. It's like a coincidence, actually. Never heard of general aviation even working in the airport. 

T.O. But you see, as a lot of people I have a pleasure to know in the industry some kind of coincidence leads to the fact that you live in business aviation. In fact, you got a second family. Because now I know General Aviation for some years and I have an impression that it's not just a company because each time I'm seeing you the whole team, how you prepare the events, how you participate in events, you have an impression that it's a big family reunion and you're meeting with some family friends from other continents. They're coming. It's not only clients. They are coming like friends. And it's something precious, I think, in industry, because It's the way you are dealing with clients and colleagues in industry. And now when I know that you are hired in general aviation based on your favorite football club, that's a good thing.