This is a very special year for the Head of Training and founder of Balearic Helicopters, Jonny Greenall. It is now 25 years since his wife saw an advert in the Majorca Daily Bulletin and booked him a helicopter flight out of Son Bonet aerodrome on the outskirts of Palma. He was hooked from the moment they took off and decided to train for his pilot’s licence. And now, 25 years on, with the best part of 10,000 flying hours all over the world under his belt, he will also be celebrating the tenth anniversary of Balearic Helicopters later this summer. Jonny holds an EASA Flight Instructor Examiners Certificate, one of the highest levels of examiner in Europe. He is also the only Robinson Helicopter Company Factory Approved Instructor in Europe - a title he was awarded this year at their headquarters in the United States and one of which he is extremely proud of because of the huge responsibility that comes with the position.Originally from Derbyshire, he first flew with the Air Cadets in Chipmunks and Vigilant Gliders. He learned to fly the R22 & R44 with Sloane Helicopters in 1999. Having attained his Commercial Pilot and Instructor licences, he joined the company as a pilot/instructor in 2002. Following another nine years as their base manager, he founded Balearic Helicopters in 2015.And after a few challenging years post-Brexit and the pandemic, Balearic Helicopters is thriving as a flight training centre, catering for students and clients from all over Europe, especially northern Europe, where weather conditions and the climate restrict flying and training opportunities. And soon, Jonny will be able to teach and train pilots from the UK again. So the future is looking bright. “Apart from the weather which enables us to fly and operate pretty much every day of the year, the scenery is stunning. What a place to learn to fly and to enjoy flying. Even after 25 years of flying over Mallorca nearly every day, I never tire of seeing the island from the air. I’ve got the best view from my office in Mallorca in the world, it’s amazing. “At Balearic Helicopters we don’t just believe in doing things well, we believe in doing things right. We equip our pilots with the knowledge, experience and attitude to fly safely. And if you factor in the spectacular scenery and environment, who wouldn’t want to come to Mallorca to fly?” Jonny said. And it is Jonny’s approach to flying and training that led to him being selected as the only Robinson Helicopter Company Factory Approved Instructor in Europe. “It’s about maintaining standards and making sure that people flying Robinson helicopters are doing so sensibly and safely. Our helicopters are extremely safe and reliable, they are flown all over the world, but from the company’s point of view they want to see their helicopters flown well. So I and the rest of the factory approved instructors round the world have the responsibility of making sure pilots are flying and operating correctly. It’s a bit like people who buy fast cars. They may think they can drive well, but when they get behind the wheel of a super fast vehicle, many things can change; that’s the moment of truth and that’s when thing could go wrong. So it’s my job to help pilots to know what they should and should not be doing,” explained Jonny, who is therefore considered to be a Top Gun chopper pilot. His wealth of experience has also led him into the world of super and megayachts. “Apart from the training school in Mallorca, I’m also heavily involved with training yacht crews and skippers the protocol for helicopter landings and take-offs on yachts. That obviously involves a great deal of travel to all parts of the world; it’s even taken me as far as Ushuaia - the end of the world. The majority of that work is carried out pre-summer before the season starts in the Mediterranean, but then of course the yachts head to the States or Asia, so it is an all-year operation. I’ve got a couple of yachts in the eastern Med at the moment which need some training and looking after. “On the back of that, I’m the ‘go to person’ for pilots not just in the Balearics and Spain but across the Mediterranean as a whole. Mallorca from a helicopter is a spectacular sight. “If they’re coming into the region on superyachts from the States or elsewhere, quite often they are not too sure of the various rules and regulations. These can vary from one country to another depending on what the yacht owner or the pilot’s clients may want to do. So they come to me for help and advice. “One prime example, and this is where Mallorca needs to get its act together, is that no commercial helicopters are allowed to land at Palma Airport. So, someone flying in on a private jet who then requires a helicopter to either fly out to their yacht or on to their property on the island, has to then travel to Son Bonet, which for many is a pain. In the south of France, Monaco, Italy, etc. this does not happen; you walk from your plane to your helicopter and off you go. Furthermore, Son Bonet closes at 6pm, so that’s another black mark for Mallorca. There’s plenty of room to land a helicopter at Palma Airport. I could draw up the protocol in an hour, plus there is no reason why Son Bonet has to close so early. These may appear like little things for a select few people but when you look at the grand scheme of things and how other countries operate, it doesn’t work in Mallorca’s favour. Yes, the island could be the next Monaco, even better, but the powers that be need to get together, look at the infrastructure and put it all together, join the dots and make it all work as one. The vast majority of these clients don’t care about the cost, they are more interested in comfort, privacy and speed. They don’t want to be catching taxis from one airport to another just to get on their helicopter,” Jonny said. “There is also a shortage of helicopter pilots and it’s getting worse. It’s a global issue. The main problem is cost. To obtain the full and proper qualifications, licence and flying hours it can cost around 250,000 euros - that’s a serious investment which the vast majority of people simply can’t afford. "So, operators covering the oil rigs, for example, are running low on pilots, as are the security and emergency services, so much so that companies are now offering sponsorships and scholarships to would-be pilots. The companies will take people on, put them through a well-established and recognised flying school like us in Mallorca and then make the pilots commit to the company for a period of say ten years. The last thing they want is to see their investment then go and work for someone else. However, there is a flip side and that is pilots taking the cheap and quick option. But there’s a risk in that because they don’t have the experience or the flying hours and that’s where it can get dangerous. It’s not about quantity, despite there being a shortage, it’s about quality. It’s about safety at the end of the day, and that’s what we pride ourselves on at Balearic Helicopters. We produce top pilots and that’s why we have such a high reputation and are considered the ‘go to’ centre for all matters helicopter related, even if it’s a pilot whose boss wants to play some golf or fly to a vineyard,” Jonny said.