"Our common interest was basically helicopters and surfing," he said.
Mr McDermott started out in aviation as an aircraft engineer with Ansett Airlines.
He took up flying aeroplanes for a hobby in 1976.
"I was backpacking through Europe in 1977 and I watched a helicopter spraying grape vines along the Moselle River and I said that's what I wanted to do and that's how it started," he said.
Noosa Surf Club has just run the Shirley Strachan Memorial Swim in honour of the Skyhooks legendary lead singer.
He met Strachan after the late Skyhooks lead singer Strachan moved to Noosa.
Strachan had been flying a Bell 47G helicopter near Mt Archer in August 2001 when air turbulence caused his fatal crash.