FO Stjepan Marijan: "It's next to impossible not to fall in love with the job of a business aviation pilot"

The first time Stjepan Marijan, one of currently eight pilots at Jung Sky, sat in the cockpit of the company's CJ2 was in the summer of 2023. In the conversation below we were interested to hear how he would sum up his overall experience so far...

Stjepan, you have been a business aviation pilot for over a year now. Can you summarize your impressions for us? How does your perception of the pilot's job (and life) in business aviation differ from what it was 15-16 months ago?

Wow, time really flies, but that's probably the case when the job is interesting. To sum up all my impressions, honestly, I think not even a series of interviews would be enough. My perception of the job hasn't changed, but I have to say that – upon my arrival to the company, my colleagues presented both the beautiful and the somewhat less beautiful sides of business aviation. The thing that followed was exactly what I expected: I loved the job from the get-go. I really liked everything about it and I truly believe it's next to impossible not to fall in love with this job if you love flying airplanes. Each day has its own, unique story, with each flight you learn something new and you get to land on hundreds of different airports.

As far as the everyday tasks go, it's simple: we get up (very) early in the morning, we get dressed, come to the airport, start our engines, take off, we fly through half of Europe, exchange a few words with our passengers, and sometimes even with a celebrity, and at the end of the day we go to sleep (laughs). Just kidding of course. It's much more complex than that. And it's brilliant.

Your favourite part of the shift or day?

Definitely the act of flying itself. Enjoying the feeling of being in the air after all the organizational and logistics challenges have passed – especially the ones concerning airport slots which is why I would like to make a big shoutout to our phenomenal OCC team, particularly during the summer season.

If I have to choose something more particular for my favourite part of the day, it's the 13km-high view on whatever we're flying over. I especially enjoy when we're above the coastline of Croatia as well as all of its islands.

How many airports have you visited so far as a BIZAV pilot, what are your three favourite ones and why?

I have landed at more than 110 airports, and my favourite ones are Tivat - because of the beautiful approach from both sides, Palma de Mallorca - simply because it is Palma de Mallorca, and Corfu - also because of its unique approach that always gathers a large number of spectators and plane spotters.

Airports you find particularly challenging?

Firstly, there’s Samedan due to its altitude and the fact it is the second highest airport in Europe although jets like the ones we have in our fleet cannot land at Courchevel Airport, which is formally at the highest altitude. I would also mention Figari because of its characteristically strong winds, and Innsbruck with its complex weather conditions because of its location in the Alps. At least that’s my perspective on the matter.

Besides piloting, which other skills do you consider important for your job?

In business aviation, there is a considerable emphasis on “soft skills”, primarily the ability to quickly adapt to any situation and make swift decisions as part of a team. Of course, communication skills are also very important, not only with passengers you are in direct contact with, but also with your colleagues and superiors. Knowledge of foreign languages is also essential for our job.

What would you say are the most important qualities of Jung Sky?

I might be venturing into a bit of a cliché, but without a doubt, the greatest and most important quality of Jung Sky are the people of Jung Sky. Without their efforts and outstanding work, our goals would not be achieved.

Can you highlight a few of the most important things you've learned from our experienced captains?

Well, I can't reveal all the secrets of the piloting craft, can I? (laughs). I've really learned an incredible amount over the past year. However, there is still a lot to absorb and much to learn. When you look at how much and what kind of experience our captains have, there is no doubt that they can always pull something new out of their sleeves.

Do you have any specific routine before or after flights?

Nothing specific or special. After flights, I handle the paperwork and prepare for what's ahead the next day. If we have a bit more time between flights, I try to explore the cities we’re staying in.

Is moussaka still your favourite dish, and where in Greece have you tried the best moussaka?

It still is, without a doubt. I had the chance to try it in Greece on Corfu at a restaurant very close to the airport and I must admit everything clicked – the Greek hospitality, the food, and the sight of planes taking off and landing on the island. It's very “aviation-like”. Generally speaking, I think my best gastro experience was in Heraklion on the island of Crete where I had the chance to try the indigenous island food. Besides that, I'm a big fan of Spanish cuisine. Leaving a Spanish restaurant feeling disappointed is a very rare experience for me.