International pilot, Jetstar captain Mike Goodyer, has been grounded by COVID-19, along with his fellow Jetstar and Qantas air crew colleagues, and almost everyone else in the commercial aviation industry, but he is happy to be home in Narrabri at the moment.

Mike, along with thousands of other pilots and crew members, was stood down on April 1.

For the past four weeks he has been at home in Narrabri visiting his parents John and Pam Goodyer.

No-one really knows when international air travel will return to normal.

He has spent more than 30 years in the cockpit flying domestic and international routes for Ansett, Taiwan-based airline EVA (Evergreen Airways) and latterly Jetstar.

Mike began his aviation career at Narrabri, gaining his restricted and private pilot’s licences with Namoi Aero Club under the tutelage of Chief Flying Instructor Peter Brown in 1979 and then his commercial licence the following year instructed by Mack Munro.

Michael was working in the Narrabri office of Airlines of NSW in those days.

His early flying in the 1980s in Narrabri was with earthmoving contractor Trevor Hawkins, who, with Bill Findley and Ian Hunt, owned a twin Aero Commander.

Michael moved to Sydney to undertake his senior commercial licence which he achieved in 1983 and joined Ansett acquiring his air transport licence in 1987.

He moved to EVA in Taipai in 2001 after Ansett collapsed, and joined Jetstar in 2005.

Michael has flown numerous aircraft types – Fokker F28s, F50s, and Airbus A-320s. He achieved his captaincy on the F50 in 1990 with Ansett.

He piloted Boeing 747-400s with EVA, a worldwide operation, for three years.

Joining Jetstar he flew A-320s in 2005 and in 2006 flew A-330s and in 2016 moved on to 787s.

Nowadays he is a captain with Jetstar.

Mike was stood down like virtually everyone in the aviation industry when international passenger services stopped in response to COVID-19. It is still not known when normal services will be resumed.

“But 787s only fly internationally so they will probably be the last to come back,” he said.

Mike’s long career has taken him regularly to destinations around Australia, Asia and the Pacific, including Honolulu, Auckland, Osaka and Tokyo, Seoul, – even Wuhan, China, in pre-COVID-19 days – Bali, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and many more.

“It’s an enjoyable career, and I have been lucky to fly 10 different jet aircraft and numerous general aviation aircraft,” he said.

Mike is 59, and could have retired at 55, but can keep flying for years yet.

Airline pilots can fly internationally to 65 years of age before mandatory retirement.

But Mike has no plans to retire yet.

To order photos from this page click here