Nicole Crosby joined SkyWest in 2017 as an A&P mechanic. She is part of our Seattle, Washington (SEA) line station where she helps ensure that aircraft are in top condition for every flight.
“I was always the only woman mechanic at any one station at other companies, but now I have the privilege of working with another here in SEA. I think you’d be surprised by the number of female A&P’s that are certificated, have worked on aircraft, but now use their skill sets in other positions here at SkyWest,” said Nicole.
Nicole first got started in aviation in 1989 when she was 13 years old, “My mom found a brochure about becoming an Airport Tour Guide at the Long Beach Airport (LGB). She knew I loved public speaking and thought it would be a good outlet for me.”
Inspired by giving tours, Crosby began working on her pilots’ license while in high school. (One of her many aviation accomplishments was gaining hours flying the esteemed Trimotor.) After high school, she went on to work for a small company to maintain airline and military ground support equipment. The two owners were A&P mechanics and encouraged her to pursue hers as well.
“I initially had maintenance in my mind as a fall back option; I was in school when 9/11 happened. Work was plentiful as a mechanic then, so my fall back became my career because I enjoyed what I did.”
Along with being an A&P, Crosby has worked in Noise Abatement, as an FAA aviation safety counselor, as an airline and composites training facility maintenance Instructor, dispatcher, and homebuilt aircraft builder, among other positions. She’s repaired aircraft in general aviation and business aviation, from regionals to Boeing 767 aircraft. She even participated three times in the PAMA Maintenance Olympics, where her all-female AWAM team placed.
“Don’t pass up the chance to consider an aviation maintenance career; it’s a great career for women,” said Nicole. “A trade career and its resources can take you places you have never thought of.”
Nicole loves her role working on the line because she gets to meet so many people while still performing her varied work tasks diagnosing, troubleshooting and fixing problems.
“I’m the happiest A&P you’ll ever meet. I meet people all the time who ask if I’m new because of how chipper I am.”
Over her 20-year career, Crosby has enjoyed seeing more women join the industry.
“Times have changed since I began. When working in maintenance, you are paid for your skill set, not your gender. It is very multi-disciplined to have an A&P. There are so many skills you can utilize that can be used in and out of aviation. Because of individualized training, no one person has the same experience path, and that’s good for a workgroup.”
Crosby is known for teaching and empowering others to accomplish their dreams.
To help others pursue their dreams she has given away 10 scholarships thus far – out of her own pocket – specifically with, WAI and AWAM, which has provided school financing, tooling or aircraft training to aviation students and professionals, alike. She also continues to teach people about applying for their own awards.
“I hope to retire from SkyWest,” said Crosby, “I’m in a positive place here and incredibly blessed to be with you all. I’ve had to deal with bullies everywhere I’ve been, except at SkyWest. I’m thriving here, not just surviving.”
As SkyWest celebrates International Women’s Day and month, we look forward to sharing the stories of some of our female team members who keep us #SkyWestStrong. Click here to learn more about becoming a SkyWest A&P Maintenance professional. SkyWest is also excited to be in attendance for the virtual WAI Conference, March 11-12, 2021. Join us to learn more about taking your career to new heights.
through, and a time to learn something you did not know,” said Williams. “It brings awareness and is a time for people to learn more about Black history and culture. Black History Month is for everyone.”
For Newton, Black History Month is important because it raises awareness and highlights opportunities for people to learn more about Black history.
Chicago-based CRJ First Officer Brian Lucas loves to fly and uses his skill set to give back.
In March, a passenger visiting family in Pierre, South Dakota (PIR) was dropped off at the airport and realized he had left his wallet at a relative’s house. When the passenger was unable to reach family members, Bob loaned him his 1996 blue Chevy pick up to go retrieve it.
Stress and concern about COVID-19 has been a challenge for many individuals. To help, Minneapolis-based Flight Attendant Debby Thompson decided to create goodie bags for her fellow colleagues in MSP. The bags include chocolates and a note thanking the crew for their work.
SkyWest flight attendants cross paths with countless passengers from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances. That extensive background is what made unaccompanied minor Janiyah stand out to Chicago-based flight attendant Tina Meeke on a recent flight.
For SkyWest Dispatcher Nicole Manson, being Native American is something that she is proud of and holds close to her heart. She is a member of the Diné (Navajo) Tribe and was born and raised in LeChee, Arizona.
SLC Mechanic II Michael Gardner is both Athabaskin and Inuit, two tribes native to Alaska, and although he was adopted and raised outside of his tribal community, Michael still feels a strong connection to his Alaskan Native heritage.
For ERJ Captain Rick Meyer, flying planes was something that he always wanted to do. However, without any family ties to aviation, becoming a pilot wasn’t the typical path in his family.
Sam Capitan is a member of the Navajo Nation. He has been flying with SkyWest since 2019 and is based in Salt Lake City (SLC) as a flight attendant. He loves the aviation industry and hopes to eventually become a pilot.
SkyWest flight attendants cross paths with countless passengers from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances. That extensive background is what made unaccompanied minor Janiyah stand out to Chicago-based flight attendant Tina Meeke on a recent flight.
her great grandmother because she and her mom could “no longer live together”.
Tina was so affected by her interaction with Janiyah that she decided to share how she was inspired to help one of her passengers that day. Almost immediately, she began to hear from her friends and SkyWest colleagues asking if there was something they could do to help. “I was overwhelmed with the amount of SkyWest people who came forward and wanted to help our passenger,” Tina said.
supplies. The two had a wonderful outing, purchasing school supplies, clothes, shoes, and a computer and phone with a 1 year of prepaid calling. In addition, several packaged gifts and over $500 in nonperishable food items were delivered to Janiyah.
Tina’s unexpected connection with Janiyah may seem out of the ordinary, but SkyWest people are known for extraordinary service and compassion.
The 
the team made arrangements to bring back two flags that were flown during their deployment. On the certificate of authenticity, it points out that the flag was flown onboard a UH-60 Blackhawk during a three-day combat mission, one of the longest missions of the deployment.
Strongbow is known for being a hard worker in life and has been successful in his many pursuits, including fashion photography, where he was sponsored by Nikon, and as a state champion football coach. Strongbow also enjoys going to powwows and finds his background in fashion photography allows him to capture his culture through his art. 
Using her platform as a Latina pilot, Captain Jessica Montiel hopes to bring awareness and to inspire the next generation of female pilots.
On his 14th birthday, Captain Victor Vazquez’s mother gifted him with an intro flight. He was hooked and wanted to keep flying through his high school years. He made a deal with his parents to work at the family restaurant to help pay for flight lessons. Upon graduation, Captain Vazquez had obtained his Private Pilot and Instrument Rating. This put him ahead when he enrolled in college and allowed him to complete his degree sooner than expected.
While First Officer Melissa Montiel was studying marketing in college, the aviation bug started to pull her towards flying. She joined an introductory aviation class to learn more about operating an airplane. After extensive research, she decided to begin flight training in San Diego. Her grandmother helped inspire her passion for flight, taking her family to airshows in San Diego anytime the show came to town.
Flight Attendant Melinda Lopez dreamed of being a flight attendant since she was a little girl. She encourages other Hispanic people interested in a career in aviation to follow their dreams and work hard. She has seen the aviation industry become a more diverse career field.
For Boise Flight Attendant Vanet Ortega-Garcia, familia is everything! With a deep Hispanic heritage, Vanet is grateful for her experiences and continues to instill the Mexican traditions and culture of hard work and passion to her kids and future generations.