Kim Scolari tells how she helped to save a life

Above and beyond: Jet Productions makes a special delivery

Most of the time the job of a private jet broker consists of getting people to where they need to go, for business or pleasure, a film location, a concert performance or an appearance. “That is my job and I love what I do, very much,” says Kim Scolari of California brokerage Jet Productions Worldwide Inc. “But as important as these trips are for the client, it is not generally life or death, until it actually is.” Here, Scolari tells her story.

“About two years ago, one of my Los Angeles-based clients became seriously ill and needed a liver transplant. He was put on the donor waiting list for the University of Omaha, about 1,500 miles away.

“Over the last two years there have been several close calls where we have had jets on standby, but his condition would fluctuate and at some stage he would be disqualified for transplant.

“Then one day in November 2016 he phoned. He sounded awful. I could tell by the panic in his voice that he was sicker than ever and it was heartbreaking. This time he put me on notice, meaning he could call at any time of the day or night, and he advised me again that when the time came, he would need to get airborne immediately.

“I drew up a list of fast respon-ders and waited for his call. As brokers, we are always afraid of letting our phone out of our sight, even for a minute, mostly because we service our clients 24/7 and a missed call can mean missed revenue. But this time it was much more important.

“November was quite stressful. I took my phone everywhere with me, having it by my side in yoga classes, restaurants, movies and plays, on treadmills, on the kitchen sink and on the bathroom vanity unit. I didn't let it out of my sight even for a minute. I would wake up at 3am sometimes just to check it for missed calls.

“And then came the day. On 1 December my client finally rang. He sounded panicked, but elated: 'It's time. I need a jet now please Kim, hurry.'

“I put a notice on the NBAA airmail site and then I started to go through the fast responder list I had compiled earlier in the year. But then my phone rang again. It was Leo Vernier, president of Business Jet Mangers based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, responding to the airmail notice I had posted only minutes before. He explained that he had a crew and a Hawker 800 that had just landed in Phoenix Sky Harbour International airport, and although the crew were on their way to a hotel he said he could get them back to the jet and be airborne and in Van Nuys within an hour and 15 minutes. This would mean wheels up out of Van Nuys airport potentially in an hour and a half.

“Leo sent me regular text updates: 'crew notified', 'crew on their way to jet', 'fueling', 'taking off now', 'wheels up out of PHX'. I called my passenger and told him I had a jet and he could be airborne within 90 minutes. He packed his bags and he and his wife and children headed to the Signature FBO at Van Nuys airport. By the time they arrived the plane was just pulling up, Leo still texting me every step of the way: 'Jet has landed in VNY', 'the crew is ready for your passenger', 'the jet is airborne and on the way to OMA', 'jet has landed in OMA, ambulance standing by' and then finally the best text of all: 'passenger en route to hospital'.

“I cried, but they were happy tears. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my 30 plus year career in aviation, and one I will never forget.

“My thanks go to Leo and the Business Jet Managers' crew for jumping through hoops in the middle of the night to save a life, for their caring attitude and for being with me every step of the way. It was truly a labour of love from all of us, and I will never forget the bond we shared that December night in 2016.

“It was a great team effort, and ultimately a successful one. My client's liver transplant was a success. He has now left Omaha and is recovering back home in LA. He has an incredible family who accompanied him at all times on his journey, and I am happy to report they are all doing great.”