My Story: From England to TV to Flying to Hinesburg
Joe Gannon has had a wide variety of occupations in widely varied locations, always following his heart.
(Hear Joe talk about his life in his own voice by clicking the arrow above.)
By Claire MacDonald
Hinesburg Record Staff Reporter
Not many can say they’ve lived in multiple countries and on multiple coasts; fewer still can say they’ve worked in as vastly disparate careers as being a commercial pilot, television writer and emergency medical services provider.
Joe Gannon can. A self-described “accidental transplant” who came to Hinesburg in 2007, Gannon grew up in England before living in California, Georgia, and New Hampshire. He moved to Vermont in his 50s, out of a desire to be close to his daughter.
“I kind of fell in love with New England, which felt a lot more like where I grew up, [in] old England,” he said. “Suddenly, I became an accidental transplant.”
Gannon said that working as a pilot had been a childhood dream of his. He learned to fly gliders in his teenage years in England and continued to fly when he moved to Los Angeles at 26.
He took advantage of living near the Van Nuys airport, worked as a traffic pilot and had adventures with fellow flying friends.
“There was a plan to start a commuter or a charter airline, which we did and failed,” he said. “We hit the economy wrong. There was a little bit of a recession…but anyway, it was a good try.”
During his time on the West Coast, Gannon began working in the entertainment industry under Norman Lear, Carroll O’Connor, CBS, and eventually for multiple studios as a freelance writer.
“That was a different era,” he said. “It was better for a writer, because there was more intention to all of the projects. There was less of a desire to try something for six weeks and then throw it out. … I was lucky to be there [during] a productive time in Hollywood.”
However, towards the end of his time in Los Angeles, he felt that he’d had enough of the industry.
“I was looking for more of a real world experience than writing about an imaginary world,” he said. “Without being soppy about it, I wanted to do something that was directly helpful to people.”
This desire pushed him to join the emergency services department. He began at the Hinesburg fire department and then transitioned to working as an EMT for Lamoille Ambulance Service in 2012.
“We were doing medical transports from our base in Williston as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far north as Montreal,” he said. “A job that lets you see our country or our state through the windshield. … It just gives you a different view of everything, which I think is great. Doing that kind of work takes you to places that you would never otherwise go to.”
He was hired by Richmond Rescue, the area’s local ambulance service.
“I became a full time EMT, and I found that more rewarding than writing fiction or telly plays, although not nearly as well-paid,” he said. “I did that for about 10 years, and I found that to be one of the more satisfying things I’ve ever done in my life.”
Gannon noted the importance of a strong group ethos in these spaces, adding that this tight-knit culture was part of why he wanted to join the fire department when he first moved to Hinesburg.
“When you move anywhere, where do you begin to put down your new roots?” he said. “In most communities, you couldn’t go wrong if you started at the fire department.”
With all his varied experiences, Gannon said it’s difficult to assign any sort of value judgement to his different careers.
“The thing I’ve enjoyed least is being a writer… the most fun I’ve ever had was being a commercial pilot, and the most excitement I’ve ever had has been EMS,” he said. “I have no regrets about my career choices.”
Claire MacDonald is this year’s recipient of the Hinesburg Record Journalism Fellowship. In June she graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in political science.