From another perspective

As a member of the marketing team, I started work at Air Zermatt around 18 months ago. And if the excitement of moving from Olten to sunny Valais and the famous Zermatt wasn’t enough, I was even lucky enough to join a world-renowned helicopter company.

My first day at work was pretty memorable, too – so many new faces, getting to know all sorts of people and trying to take in all of the different impressions. It was still winter, cold and sunny, which was why everyone was wearing both a hat and sunglasses when they were outside. This made it a little more challenging for me to know which of my colleagues I’d already been introduced to, and I’m sure I must have shaken some people’s hands three times, and some others not at all!

I soon stopped worrying about whether I’d be able to feel at home in such a big team and find my place in the company, as someone coming from outside the region. The team made me feel very welcome and my new boss greeted me just as warmly, and in no time it felt like I’d been part of Air Zermatt forever.

Between Heliport and Martinimarkt 

My days were busy, exciting and fun – anything but boring! The great thing about my job in marketing is that I’m so often in contact with so many different departments. I talk daily to my colleagues in dispatch and listen to their radio conversations, and I’m always fascinated by all the action. I regularly visit my colleagues in technical maintenance and join the task specialists, administrative staff and the pilots in the kitchen for lunch.

As a member of the marketing team I was given a lot of freedom right from the start and had the chance to pursue and help shape lots of exciting projects, including internal and external events. The Air Zermatt Helicopter Day, the Schwing- und Stechfest in Grächen, the Flugtag in Raron or the Martinimärt in Visp – wherever we went with our stand, I was sure to meet new people and enjoy the enthusiastic support of my colleagues.

At each of these events I was always inspired by the general interest in Air Zermatt, by how everyone is so fascinated and the children full of excitement whenever our “Susi” is in flight. The helicopter is just such an impressive machine. And I too, after less than two years with Air Zermatt, see myself as a little “helisexual” and have noticed (with amazement) that I also stop to watch whenever one of the helicopters takes off from the heliport and embarks on its journey. Not forgetting, of course, that I started work at Air Zermatt with no basic knowledge whatsoever! What on earth is an Ecureuil? The phonetic alphabet? No idea!

Alongside my exciting work in marketing, I’ve also had various opportunities to get to know our business from a different perspective. I was for example able to join the crew one Saturday morning on the regional program, as well as helping out with the task specialists working with timber. Unique experiences that for me resulted not only in sunburn and a bruised finger, but also a wide range of impressions about the reality of the hard work in the field. I have so much respect and admiration for all of my colleagues who make our operations possible in this way, and I’m constantly amazed at how the apparent chaos evolves into a perfectly coordinated day.

A quieter scene

A successful day wouldn’t be complete without a sociable get-together in the evening, and I was already able to join one of these regular evening sessions in my first week. Over a cold beer we look back at the events of the day, but also talk about topics of all kinds that aren’t related to our work. These occasions have been really valuable for me in helping to form the friendships that are worth so much to me now, 18 months down the line. Not only have I had the chance to explore various corners of the Valais by helicopter, but my colleagues have also given me a real insight into the cultural heritage of the region, including the Törbel and Zaniglaser village fairs, Um di Giäter and the Zermatt Folklore Festival. Definitely a great experience for me after the initial culture shock! ;-)

And although I’ll soon be moving homeward again and leaving behind the high peaks for the time being, I'll be taking with me a backpack full of unforgettable memories and new friends. And whenever I come back it’ll always be with a special feeling of attachment, for the Valais, for the friends I’ve made, and for Air Zermatt. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time here, it’s that it’s definitely possible to be at home in two different places at once!