Crows Nest waste facility worker, Ability Enterprises participant Paddy Martin reflects on flying career in Whitsundays and South African freight ships

He’s flown celebrities to luxury destinations, taught world leaders how to swim, led freight ships in South Africa and rebuilds historic warbirds in his spare time. Here’s the incredible life of one Darling Downs tip worker:

Between commanding cargo ships in South Africa, teaching the Sultan of Oman how to swim, flying Jane Fonda out to the reef, beating cancer and rebuilding World War I aeroplanes, there would be few people in the Toowoomba region with a more interesting life than Paddy Martin.

Now the Hampton resident is being featured in a new video that will be screened on flights across Australia, as part of a new initiative by Qantas.

Hampton pilot and Ability Enterprises participant Paddy Martin will be featured in a new video that will be screened on international Qantas flights.

Mr Martin is a participant with the subject of the video Ability Enterprises, which provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities, mental health issues or other barriers.

Working at the Crows Nest waste facility as a gatekeeper is a far cry from some of the other jobs in Mr Martin’s career, which has included commercial marine work in his native South Africa as well as flying and ferrying tourists and celebrities to some of the Queensland’s most beautiful reefs in the Whitsundays.

After moving to Australia in 1984, Mr Martin said he soon took up a job with Air Whitsunday, where he assisted some very famous faces.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 26: Brian Johnson (L) and Angus Young perform in concert with AC/DC at the Toyota Center on February 26, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)

“I was based on Hayman Island — to give you some of the names, there was (Israeli prime minister) Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, the sultan of Oman and AC/DC — I took them out but being a classical music buff I didn’t know who they were,” he said.

“Jane Fonda – I took her out to the reef a couple of times.”

Mr Martin said he even had the bizarre privilege of teaching the then-Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, how to swim during his tenure.

“Whitsunday Air had its own set up (on Hayman Island) and we had a little semi-sub there, and using that we’d show people the coral reefs and then anchor the sub to a buoy and then we’d go snorkelling,” he said.

“When the sultan got there, he wasn’t able to swim (but), with a little persuasion, I managed to get him in the water and towed him around in the life ring and then he tried swimming.”

Hayman Island resort, Whitsunday Islands. Paddy Martin would regularly fly tourists and celebrities to the island.

After working on the Whitsundays for more than a decade, Mr Martin and his wife moved to Hampton in 2007 but his passion for flying wouldn’t go away.

A holiday to New Zealand kickstarted his love of historical aeroplane restorations, which saw him eventually rebuild an icon of World War I.

“I’ve got a little Cesna 150 that I bought as a wreck while I was at Air Whitsunday, and I still fly it now after I fixed in up,” Mr Martin said.

“In 2009 I went over to New Zealand to see classic fighter planes (in action) and so I came back, and I built Sopwith Pup, called Rosie.

“It’s a World War I fighter — it’s got no brakes, no steering and you need help to fly it — she was built for the guys who didn’t come back and she’s got red wheels for the nurses’ capes.”

Paddy Martin takes his WW1 fighter plane Rosie for her first flight in 2018.

Mr Martin has since started work building a 1920s version of a Pietenpol Air Camper, an aircraft famously created from accessible parts and materials.

Wanting to continue working even into his 70s and 80s, Mr Martin struggled to find new employment in the Toowoomba region due to his age and recovery from cancer until he got in touch with Ability Enterprises.

“I’m a gatekeeper at the Crows Nest waste facility and I’ve been with AE for 11 years,” he said.

“I’ve worked all over the world, I’ve been on ships, oil rigs and Ability is up there with the best employers I’ve ever had.

“It’s not the most glamorous job, but it’s a job and Ability was there when I needed them.

“They’re there for people like me — they didn’t take me on for my good looks, I needed a job and I tried everywhere to get one, and there is nothing, but they were there.”

Ability Enterprises is one of 32 groups across Australia involved in the film project, a direct result of it winning a share of the 2023 Qantas Regional Grants program.

AE board chair Phil Gregory said the organisation was thrilled to see its story shared by Qantas.

“We are delighted with the video and the chance to tell our story to Australia, not to mention excited for the possibilities this grant will allow us to deliver in line with our values and our mission,” he said.

“We applaud the community spirit of Australia’s flagship airline, and we will ensure this support from Qantas is used to create lasting benefits, and importantly to give a hand up to those most in need through employment.”