Category Archives: SkyWest People

Mar 04

SkyWest Pilots Help More Women Lean Into Aviation

It’s becoming more and more common to see women flying commercial aircraft, thanks in part to those like Mary Conti, Suzy Garrett, Jen Johnson and many others at SkyWest. Not only have they realized their dream of flying, but they continue to set an example for other young women and girls to follow.

Jen Johnson with an all-female crew on a recent flight.

Captain Jen Johnson with her crew on a recent flight.

Mary Conti
CRJ Captain based in Palm Springs, California
Hired in 1985, Mary is one of SkyWest’s first female captains.

Mary, when did you decide to become a pilot and how did you end up flying for SkyWest?

Mary: When I was 23, I became a pilot for my personal use, because no one hired female pilots (in 1976). I owned my own airplane, and when I finished my bachelor’s degree, I did some instructing. That led to a job selling airplanes, which led to a corporate job. I ended up flying tours out of Moab, Utah which then led me to flying for SkyWest.

Obviously, there have been some changes in the industry since you began. What have you seen change?

Mary: There are so many more females in aviation now! Only a few airlines were hiring female pilots when I started here. I was one of the first two female captains SkyWest had! There just weren’t many of us, but as more females started applying to be pilots, the entire industry has changed.

Any advice for women who are considering an aviation career?

Mary: I am so happy with my career choice. I would never trade it. I love flying. I love being out flying even on the more challenging days that test my skills. I think it’s the love of flying that brings pilots in, male or female. So my only advice is, if you have a real love for flying, do it!

And there are real opportunities here at SkyWest. We have really good bases for people. As far as regionals go, SkyWest is the best. It’s a place where people want to stay. A lot of people, like me, come thinking that it’ll just be a starting place and they realize they love it! The company is strong. We’ve lasted all this time. I’ve seen so many other regionals go upside down or go away completely, but SkyWest is a good, stable company. We have a great reputation with our partners. I don’t think SkyWest will be going away any time soon. And above all, no one treats their people as good as SkyWest does.

Captain Suzy Garrett with her family at the Great Wall of China.

Suzy Garrett
CRJ Captain based in Los Angeles, California
Suzy was the 11th female pilot hired at SkyWest.

Hi Suzy! So, when did you KNOW you wanted to be a pilot?

Suzy: In 8th grade. I was flying out of Phoenix and it was a beautiful day. There were puffy white clouds and blue skies, and I knew right then that I wanted to fly for a living.

Why do you love being a pilot?

Suzy: The variety of my days; I’m not just in an office.

What makes SkyWest a good choice for a pilot?

Suzy: Well, my husband is also a pilot and he flew for SkyWest too! We have three kids and I couldn’t have asked for a better fit for our family. I was really able to have my cake and eat it too. Here at SkyWest, I was able to be senior faster and hold a line that worked for my life and my family life. SkyWest made it really easy to tailor my schedule. Having so many domiciles also makes it great!

Plus it’s a great company. It’s really fantastic! I never have worried about being furloughed or the company’s stability. I can count on SkyWest to be reliable. Those looking at choosing which regional to fly at should consider that portion! Don’t just look at the regionals as a quick stepping stone. You want a stable company no matter how long you plan to be there. Choose somewhere that is going to be a strong, stable company.

What other advice would you give someone who is looking at becoming a pilot?

Suzy: Number one would be, don’t take no for an answer and don’t give up. When I first started out to become a pilot, the military was the main path. I’m only 5’1” and the military and the major airlines had height requirements for their pilots. Everyone told me I should just quit, but I kept with it and soon the height requirements went away! Also, back then, there weren’t women pilots. There is a stereotype of who a pilot is and what they look like, but don’t believe it! Just go for it. You don’t have to be a John Wayne character to fly a plane! Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise!

Jen Johnson
ERJ Captain based in Denver, Colorado
Joined SkyWest nearly 13 years ago.

Jen, when did you decide you wanted to be a pilot?

Jen: All I ever thought about was being a pilot. My dad and I flew in a 172 that belonged to one of his friends and I loved it. My dad got sick, but I knew it was for me. There still is nothing else I could see myself doing.

What three words would you use to describe your time flying for SkyWest?

Jen: I love it. I’ve been here 12 years. I’m a check airman on the E175, and I just love it here. I love where we fly. I love the people I work with.

What do you enjoy most about being at SkyWest?

Jen: The comradery here is great. It’s like a family. You know each other and remember each other, and there is a family feeling and people care about each other from the chief pilot down.

Any advice for women considering a career as a pilot?

Jen: You can do it! It’s a male-dominated field, but there’s no good reason you can’t do it. I suggest that you go fly! Once you get in the air one time, and the flying bug bites you (if it bites you like it did me) you’ll be hooked. Go out and try it!

How have you seen the role of women in aviation change since you began?

Jen: When I was a new hire here, 12 ½ years ago, I might have flown with another female pilot once during the year. I fly with a lot more female first officers now. There’s not a ton – it’s still an exciting thing when I get an all-female crew – but it feels like there are a lot more coming, and that’s a good thing.

SkyWest Airlines is home to more than 11,000 of the best professionals in the airline industry. Those who are ready to pursue their dream of flying should apply online at www.skywest.com today!

SkyWest is also proud to work with groups like Women in Aviation International to help advance the role of women in aviation and will be attending the 27th annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee March 10-12, 2016. Learn more at www.wai.org.

And check out our blog highlighting one of our new CRJ First Officers who, after attending a Women in Aviation Conference, she knew that she wanted to fly for SkyWest.

Mar 01

Become a SkyWest Flight Attendant

SkyWest flight attendants are part of an exciting team of professionals who love working in the travel industry and sharing their enthusiasm with passengers. This is a dynamic and exciting position that allows you to travel, meet new challenges, and be invigorated every day as you portray the essence of SkyWest to our customers!

“Layla and I love flying together. It’s always a lot of fun!” – Mary Deperrot, Chicago-based flight attendant.

Those who are ready to become a SkyWest flight attendant may submit an application today and attend a flight attendant interview at any one of the following locations in March:

March 1 in Minneapolis, Minneapolis
March 2 in La Crosse, Wisconsin
March 2 in Fargo, North Dakota
March 3 in Eugene, Oregon
March 3 in Portland, Oregon
March 7 in Orlando, Florida
March 8 in Colorado Spring, Colorado
March 8 in Dallas, Texas
March 9 in Santa Barbara, California
March 9 in Houston, Texas
March 10 in San Francisco, California
March 10 in Memphis, Tennessee
March 15 in Seattle, Washington
March 15 in Charlotte, North Carolina
March 16 in Chicago, Illinois
March 16 in Aurora, Colorado
March 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
March 17 in Atlanta, Georgia
March 22 in San Antonio, Texas
March 23 in Madison, Wisconsin
March 24 in Salt Lake City, Utah
March 24 in Los Angeles, California
March 29 in St. Louis, Missouri
March 29 in Asheville, North Carolina
March 30 in Kansas City, Missouri
March 30 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
March 31 in Rogers, Arkansas
March 31 in Lincoln, Nebraska

Click here for more information about each of these events. Please note that the dates and locations of events may change without notice.

Feb 10

Love is in the Air

Valentine’s Day is all about sharing love. So we asked some of our pilots to share why they love to fly for SkyWest.

I love flying in the most beautiful area in the country for the best people in the business.

– Joe Becker – CRJ Captain, PDX

I do what I love for a living every day surrounded by people who genuinely love their jobs.

-Ryan Fisher – ERJ Captain, ORD

I can honestly say I work with the best in the industry and absolutely love going to work. The people at SkyWest really do care about what they do and have fun doing it. You are able to learn and gain experience from some of the best in the industry.

-Brandon Falzon – CRJ First Officer, SFO

Maybe this…

-Roy Madewell – CRJ First Officer, PSP

It’s wonderful being able to say that I truly love going to “work”! We have such wonderful people!

-Sarah Bliesath – CRJ Captain, SEA

I love that when I sit down in the flight deck, it is assumed that the guy or girl next to me is already a friend whether I have met them before or not. That is the SkyWest culture.

-Matthew S. Schroeder – CRJ Captain, SLC

These are my top two reasons that I enjoy flying for SkyWest:

1) The People-
Despite SkyWest’s rapid growth, each base still has the feel of a small family. We all take care of one another and genuinely care about each other’s lives outside the company, and it’s really a great feeling.

2) The Flying-
SkyWest has an awesome and varied mix of flying all throughout the country. Whether you enjoy flying in the mountains of Colorado, the exotic cities in Mexico or the busy airspace in New York, there’s a diverse and exciting mix of flying and destinations!

-Mike Edmonds – CRJ First Officer, PHX

SkyWest is home to more than 11,300 aviation professionals who love what they do! And now is the perfect time to become a part of our team!

Jan 29

SkyWest Flight Attendant Interviews in a City Near You!

SkyWest flight attendants enjoy an exciting and dynamic career. Not only are they able to travel to hundreds of cities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas, they also have the opportunity to meet new people and take on new challenges every day. Of course, their most important responsibility is to ensure the safety of each passenger onboard more than 1,700 daily flights.

This is no ordinary job. It’s a chance to be a part of an incredible team that’s continually going above and beyond to provide the best service in the industry.

Those who are ready to launch their SkyWest career may submit an application today and attend a SkyWest flight attendant interview at any one of the following convenient locations in February:

Feb. 2 in Sacramento, California
Feb. 2 in Minot, North Dakota
Feb. 3 in Spokane, Washington
Feb. 4 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Feb. 8 in Detroit, Michigan
Feb. 9 in San Jose, California
Feb. 9 in Alpena, Michigan
Feb. 10 in Santa Ana, California
Feb. 11 in Tucson, Arizona
Feb. 15 in Helena, Montana
Feb. 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Feb. 17 in Aurora, Colorado
Feb. 18 in Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 22 in Fresno, California
Feb. 23 in Boise, Idaho
Feb. 24 in Nashville, Tennessee
Feb. 25 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Feb. 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Click here for more information about each of these events. Please note that the dates and locations of events may change without notice.

Dec 31

SkyWest’s Top Service Moments of 2015

As 2015 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look at some of the exceptional service that SkyWest employees have provided during the past 12 months. The following are seven of SkyWest’s top service moments of 2015.

Flight Crew Brings Family Together One Last Time

When the Vandenberg siblings received a call that their mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse, they immediately booked their flights to reach her. When a delay made it seem like they would never make their connecting flight in Denver, the SkyWest crew on board went above and beyond to help get the Vandenbergs onto their next flight moments before it left the gate. Thanks to the efforts of crewmembers on both flights, the Vandenbergs were able to spend precious final moments with their mother.

“The little things in life matter, as they add up to big things. And, in doing the little things very well, your flight crews allowed us the precious moments with our mother that we would have missed otherwise,” wrote Thom Vandenberg. “For that, we want to express our heartfelt thanks and recognize a job very well done.”

First Officer Gives Wings to Young Cancer Fighter

A brave six-year-old girl was fighting cancer and having a tough day when she met Joe Myers, a SkyWest first officer, on the shuttle ride to the airport. Joe immediately began trying to make her day better and by joking with her. He even removed the wings from his shirt and pinned them on her, telling her he was making her an honorary pilot. The little girl’s parents said that she wouldn’t part with the wings and even slept in her shirt that night with the wings safely secured on it.

“I was blessed that night,” said Joe. “That little girl touched my heart and gave me far more than I could have ever given her. When I pinned my wings on her, I told her that she could fly with me anytime. Maybe with some prayers she will be able to fly for SkyWest someday!”

SkyWest Flight Attendant Runs to End Thirst

Before she started training for her first half marathon in 2013, Kelsey Galiano, a Minneapolis-based SkyWest flight attendant, had never run a race and didn’t really care for running. Even now that she has trained for and run multiple races, including a marathon, there are plenty of days she doesn’t want to run. But Kelsey continues the grind because of the cause that fuels her: helping to provide clean water for people in Africa who don’t have access to it.

“There are many days I detest running but I detest people not having something simple like clean water even more,” said Kelsey.

Not having access to clean water takes the lives of hundreds of children every day and is the number one preventable cause of death in the world. To help, Kelsey joined Team World Vision in 2013 with the goal of bringing clean water to as many people in Africa as possible. Thanks to the efforts of World Vision and people like Kelsey, one new person is receiving clean water every 30 seconds.

Kelsey’s personal goal is to provide clean water access to as many as 200 children.

“I donated to provide clean water for two children and I’m hoping to find 99 others to match my donation,” she said. “Just $50 is enough to provide one child with clean water for life!” And with the global water crisis expected to end in 2030, Kelsey hopes she will only need to run for this cause for 15 more years!

Since joining Team World Vision, Kelsey has run the 2013 Monster Dash Half Marathon in St. Paul, Minnesota, the 2014 and 2015 Minnesota Half Marathon in St. Paul, the 2015 Hood To Coast Relay in Portland and the 2015 Twin Cities Marathon. While most of these races were in Minnesota, Team World Vision participates in races all across the U.S.

Kelsey with her World Vision team.

Whether it’s helping a co-worker or sending aid around the world, Kelsey’s focus on giving back is one shared by many of SkyWest’s more than 11,000 employees. If you are interested in donating to Kelsey’s team or joining Team World Vision, no matter your location, go to Kelsey’s fundraising page. More information about World Vision can be found at www.worldvision.org.

Dec 21

SkyWest Flight Attendants Deliver Holiday Magic

It was one of the most amazing acts of sheer kindness she had experienced in a long time – her family’s own Christmas magic. That’s how Jaimi Nielson described SkyWest flight attendant Erin O’Shea’s actions after Jaimi’s son, Owen, left his bag at a gate in San Francisco before boarding a recent flight.

A prized collection of LEGO sets, his “best friend” (a well-loved stuffed lizard) and favorite storybooks were among the possessions that five-year-old Owen accidentally left in SFO. After realizing what happened, he was heartbroken and cried the whole flight.

The Nielsen’s searched for a way to retrieve the bag, but what they found wasn’t good. The bag had to be picked up in person and the cost of a flight to reclaim the items would cost well over $1,000.

Enter Erin O’Shea, a SkyWest flight attendant.

Flight Attendant Erin O'Shea with the bag of toys.

Erin O’Shea with Owen’s bag of toys.

Erin met Owen while he was flying from San Francisco to Salt Lake City and offered to help. After she finished her trip with a flight to Chicago, Erin jumped on a different flight back to San Francisco, rather than flying directly home to Salt Lake City. In SFO, she was able to work with TSA to ensure all the security requirements were met and picked up the bag. Erin then flew back to Salt Lake and delivered it to Owen’s family.

“We asked her why she would be willing to do this,” Jaimi explained, “and she simply said, ‘Because he captured my heart.'”

Thanks to Erin’s quick thinking, Owen was overjoyed to find his most treasured possessions back at his side when he woke up the next morning.

But Owen wasn’t the only young boy who experienced some holiday magic this month. More than 1,000 miles away, in Minneapolis, five-year-old Ethan and his younger brother were on their way to live with their Nana in Duluth, Minnesota. There were sure to be a number of changes in store and the one thing Ethan really looked forward to was snow.

Having lived in Mississippi, Ethan had never seen snow before and he couldn’t wait to get to his Nana’s house to have a snowball fight! When his flight from Minneapolis to Duluth was delayed due to weather, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Ethan told Linzie Clayman and Jacie Vonada – Minneapolis-based SkyWest flight attendants all about his plans for the snow. But as the hours passed by, Ethan’s excitement turned to frustration.

“Their Nana looked pretty stressed out,” Linzie said. “When the snack cart rolled around, Jacie and I helped her get some snacks for the boys, but Ethan still seemed pretty sad.”

That’s when Linzie and Jacie concocted a plan – a secret mission to make Ethan’s day special.

They talked to the first officer for the delayed flight, and within a few minutes, he returned with a snowball, just for Ethan.

Ethan’s first snowball!

Ethan’s whole face lit up at the sight of his first snowball. But he wasn’t the only one. Other travelers around the gate area saw the exchange and couldn’t help but smile as Ethan carried his snowball around until it melted. That simple act of kindness helped keep Ethan’s spirits high until he was able to arrive at his new home.

The actions of Linzie, Jacie, Erin are repeated by countless other SkyWest employees on a daily basis as they work to provide incredible customer service for every passenger, especially during the busy holiday travel season.

Dec 17

A Look at the SkyWest Maintenance Operation

In the airline industry, the operation never sleeps. When aircraft are done flying for the day, they often make their way over to a hangar where Maintenance teams will ensure everything remains in top condition.

Just take a look at this behind-the-scenes video from one night in SkyWest’s Salt Lake City hangar. In about 14 hours, the team worked on 13 different aircraft!

And this kind of work is being done in more than a dozen SkyWest hangars and line stations around the country every day. To start working on SkyWest’s growing fleet of jet aircraft, fill out an application today: http://ow.ly/VZ9zj

Dec 14

Now Boarding SkyWest’s Fantasy Flight to the North Pole

SkyWest’s ninth annual Fantasy Flight took of this weekend in Colorado Springs, bringing the Christmas spirit to underprivileged children and their families.

“This event is cherished by everyone involved,” said Lori Hunt, SkyWest’s vice president – People. “Every year SkyWest employees help provide treasured holiday memories for children whose families struggle to meet their basic needs.”

This year, more than 40 children were able to participate in the Fantasy Flight where they took a 30-minute flight from Colorado Springs Airport (COS) to the “North Pole” (Gate 11 at COS). There, the little passengers were greeted by Santa Claus himself, who presented gifts to each child in attendance. The night also included dinner for the children and their families, as well as appearances from local Olympians and Sox the Fox, photos with Santa, a petting zoo and more!

What makes this SkyWest tradition even better is the incredible efforts of the employees and members of the community who volunteer to make the entire night special for everyone involved. In fact, the aircraft, fuel, gifts, dinner and more is all donated to the event. And seeing the excitement of the kids involved makes it all worth it.

Children aboard the Fantasy Flight are enrolled in the Community Partnership for Child Development early childhood education programs. These children live below the poverty level, have an identified special need, or have a home situation that puts them at risk for school failure. To learn more about the organizations SkyWest partners with to make this event possible, visit www.jlcoloradosprings.org and cpcdheadstart.org.