Jonathan Merridew grew up around planes, and they remain his chief fascination and his career. Johnno operates Victoria’s Lilydale Airport, a flying school and vital passenger link to our island. Come with him as he talks us through his favourite destinations, and explains the world’s most beautiful flight-path.

For Jonno, flying has never been about getting from one place to another. It is about opening the door to somewhere extraordinary.

Raised in an aviation family, Jonno grew up exploring Australia from the air, inspired by his father’s lifelong passion for flying and the adventure it made possible. Today, he continues that legacy through Lilydale Airport, introducing people to the freedom, perspective and sense of possibility that only light aircraft can offer. Across Bass Strait or in conversation after landing, his enthusiasm for aviation is as infectious as it is genuine.

For Outscape guests, Jonno’s flight is more than the beginning of the trip. It is the first shift in perspective: the mainland falling away, Bass Strait opening below and Flinders Island appearing ahead. For him, aviation has always been about more than aircraft. It is about bringing people together, uncovering remote places and reminding us that some adventures begin the moment you leave the ground.