Profile
Occupation: ExpressJet Captain
Airline: ExpressJet Airlines
Aircraft: EMB 135, EMB 145
Certificates: Commercial, CFII/ME
Location: Ontario
Interests: Flying, Kayaking, Motocross, Camping, Golf, Family
Signature: My head is in the clouds and my heart is still in Maine... but my devotion and love belong to my wife and children.
What made you want to be an airline pilot?
Hi there,
I’d like to tell you about the first time my feet ever left the ground allowing me to taste flight. In 1986 I was 16 years old and active in Air Force Junior ROTC. Through this program we went on a field trip... one that you most likely can’t do today. It was a field trip to Carswell Air Force Base for a flight in a KC-135 (Refueler). On this trip I was able to lay down in back with the Boom Operator and see him refuel F-4’s and AWACS over New Mexico, and also visit the cockpit. I was hooked... I knew from that moment on... I wanted to fly.
4 years later I had a pilot slot in College ROTC at Texas Tech University. However, before the first Gulf War, there were many cutbacks and base closings... as a result; all pilot slots and nav slots were pulled from all ROTC detachments across the US. The only slots available were for Academy Grads or OCS candidates.
I was crushed. I mean... I had a simple plan. Fly for the military, have them pay for my ratings, do my time, get out, go fly for the Majors, make tons of money with lots of days off, retire early, enjoy retirement... It um... didn’t quite work out that way.
11 years later... I have had jobs as a Police Officer, Loss Prevention Director, Inventory Manager, Operations Manager, and even a Restaurant General Manager. I enjoyed some aspects of some of these jobs... but no one job fulfilled my ultimate desire... to fly. My wife knew this, and for my birthday in January of 2001 she told me to go and get my pilots license.
What a wife!
I studied hard and practiced flying... I was ready for my check ride and it was scheduled for September 17th, 2001. You all know what happened on September 11th, so my checkride didn't happen. After that, it took a long time to get back in the air and finish... Mostly because of 9/11, but also because my daughter was born the following February, and it’s like they say... "Life got in the way."
For all of 2002 I had logged a whopping total of 4 hours of flight time. My family came first. But my wife knew I still wasn’t happy with my job and in early 2003 she told me to go finish my Private Pilot’s license and start looking into the requisites to become a professional pilot. Did I mention I have a wonderful wife??
Being a professional... I did my research. Exhaustive research... Flight Safety, Delta Connection Academy, Pan-Am, Ari-Ben, even my local FBO in Maine, and lastly... yes, lastly... ATP. ATP originally seemed "too good to be true", so I didn’t really focus on it as much as the others... until I visited a location and did an interview. What I saw impressed the heck out of me. Being the type of person who mainly prefers self study and that does not like to be spoon fed nor having to pay for said spoon feeding... I decided ATP was a good match for me. I was a mid-life career changer who wanted to break into the pro-aviation field as quick as possible.
100 days into the program I finished with all my ratings and was subsequently hired by ATP immediately following. Exactly one year to the day after starting with ATP I was in 121 ground school for ExpressJet Airlines (Continental Express). I am now a fairly senior FO, and have dealt with things like Reserve, Commuting, Crash Pad Living, Family Planning and scheduling, and the financial requirements of living on first year FO pay.
Over the years I have mentored and helped students at my home airport as well as online. So when ATP approached me to see if I would like to be a Pilot Career Coach, I thought it would be a great thing.
Looking forward to meeting each of you online, and answering any questions you may have regarding the Student, Instructor, and Pro-Pilot lifestyle!
Bob
Bob is based in Ontario (ONT) for ExpressJet. They also have bases in Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR), Cleveland (CLE), San Antonio (SAT), and Los Angeles (LAX).
Josie
Josie is Based in Dayton (DAY) with PSA. They also have bases in Knoxville (TYS) and Charlotte (CLT).
Clint
Clint is based in Milwaukee, WI. SkyWest also has bases and domiciles in COS, DEN, FAT, MRY, PDX, PSP, SAN, SBA, SBP, SMF, SLC, LAX, SFO, TUS, and ATL.
Michael
Michael is based in Chicago (ORD), with Eagle. They also have bases in Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (LGA) and Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), and San Juan (SJD).
Bobby
Bobby is based in Memphis (MEM) with Pinnacle. They also have bases in Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW) and Minneapolis (MSP).
John
John is Based in Charlotte, NC (CLT) with PSA. They also have bases in Knoxville (TYS) and Dayton (DAY).
Adam
Adam is based in Newark (EWR) for ExpressJet. They also have bases in Houston (IAH), Cleveland (CLE), Ontario (ONT), San Antonio (SAT), and Los Angeles (LAX)
Kevin
Kevin is based in Chicago (ORD), with Eagle. They also have bases in Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (LGA) and Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), and San Juan (SJD).
Jeremy
Jeremy is based in Ontario (ONT) for ExpressJet. They also have bases in Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR), Cleveland (CLE), San Antonio (SAT), and Los Angeles (LAX).
Chris
Chris is based in Newark (EWR) for Continental. They also have bases in Houston (IAH) and Cleveland (CLE)
JJ
JJ is based in ORD with SkyWest. They also have bases and domiciles in COS, DEN, FAT, MRY, PDX, PSP, SAN, SBA, SBP, SMF, SLC, LAX, SFO, TUS, ATL, and MKE
Ken
Ken is based in Denver (DEN) with Republic. They also have bases in Columbus (CMH), Indianapolis (IND), Pittsburgh (PIT), and Washington DC.
Corporate Dan
Roger
Roger is based in Houston (IAH) for ExpressJet. They also have bases in Newark (EWR), Cleveland (CLE), Ontario (ONT), San Antonio (SAT), and Los Angeles (LAX).
Dan
Comair has bases in New York (JFK) and Cincinatti (CVG).
Mitch
Mitch is based in Newark (EWR) for ExpressJet. They also have bases in Houston (IAH), Cleveland (CLE), Ontario (ONT), San Antonio (SAT), and Los Angeles (LAX)
Jerry
Jerry is based in New York (JFK) with Comair. They also have a base in Cincinatti (CVG).
Melvin
Melvin is based in Los Angeles (LAX) with Eagle. They also have bases in Dallas (DFW), Chicago (ORD), New York (LGA) and Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), and San Juan (SJD).
Todd
Todd is based in Denver (DEN) with SkyWest. They also have bases and domiciles in COS, FAT, MRY, PDX, PSP, SAN, SBA, SBP, SMF, SLC, LAX, SFO, TUS, MKE, and ATL
Matt
Matt is based in Altanta (ATL) with ASA.
