Category Archives: SkyWest People

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.

Dec 02

SkyWest Movember Mustaches

There have been a few more mustaches than usual among SkyWest employees this past month. No, the trend does not signal a change in uniform requirements. The increase in facial hair was part of Movember, a health initiative designed to bring more awareness to men’s health throughout the month of November.

Salt Lake City CRJ Captain Jon Warner

Nick Pearson, a Los Angeles-based CRJ captain, led Team SkyWest in supporting Movember, rallying other employees to also participate in improving awareness and encouraging conversations surrounding men’s health.

“When I heard about this cause, I thought it’d be great to contribute,” said Nick. “I also used to be very fond of growing a winter beard but the mustache is the only facial hair we’re allowed to have as pilots, so I looked on this as the next best thing!”

Los Angeles CRJ Captain Nick Pearson

Movember challenges men to alter their appearance by growing a mustache for 30 days to raise awareness and educate about men’s health issues. SkyWest employees were encouraged throughout the month to look into their own health, including screening and preventative care visits.

Thanks to Nick’s efforts, along with several dozen other SkyWest employees on his team, thousands of dollars will be donated to the Movember Foundation this year!

Oct 14

Kindness Leads to One Last Goodbye

In late August, a couple was traveling through Gillette, Wyoming when they received a phone call no parent ever wants to receive: their son had been in a car accident in West Virginia and was being taken by Life Flight to a nearby hospital. They felt helpless being so far away from home and unable to rush to the hospital to be with their son.

That’s when Don Mortimer, a SkyWest cross utilized agent in Gillette, noticed their distress. Don stayed at the airport two hours after closing to help them find a way home. He didn’t want to leave until new flights were booked and he had them checked in.

Don Mortimer – SkyWest cross utilized agent

But Don didn’t stop there. The next morning, he met the couple at the airport and continued to help them through their terrible situation. He ended up flying with them to Salt Lake City to ensure they made their connecting flight home.

With Don’s well wishes, the family made it home and was at their son’s side when he passed away two days later.

In a letter describing their experience, the family expressed their gratitude for the compassion and kindness Don showed by giving them precious moments with their son; something that they will never forget.

“Thank you, Don, for giving us those last few hours with him. We will forever be grateful. We just wanted SkyWest to know that they have a very special person working for them and he went above and beyond. Let him know how much we appreciate him.”

Don’s actions are a great example of the effort that many SkyWest employees make every day to provide exceptional care to their passengers and to help those around them.

Sep 05

SkyWest Appreciation Week!

Safely operating 1,700 daily flights to nearly 200 cities across North America is no easy task, and no one does it better than the SkyWest team! That’s because everyone works together and they continually go above-and-beyond. To recognize the hard work being done by countless teams across the country, SkyWest designates one week every year as Appreciation Week.

This year, Appreciation Week was filled with games, food, team parties and much more, including:

Dunking coworkers and raising money to help fellow employees in need…

Vice President of Market Development Greg Atkins takes a dunk in the tank set up by the Operational Control Center Department at SkyWest HDQ.

Shoe shines…

Minneapolis Assistant Chief Pilot Chris Mayer shining Captain Strohshein’s shoes!

And just hanging out to enjoy a meal together.

Teams around the country celebrated with various events!

SkyWest’s 10,700+ aviation professionals are some of the best in the industry and celebrating Appreciation Week is just one example of how the airline is working to be the employer of choice!

Aug 26

SkyWest Crews Going the Extra Mile

SkyWest is home to countless caring and considerate employees. Recently, three stories about some of our incredible crews were shared with us that illustrate the type of people who make up the SkyWest family.

On a recent trip in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City based SkyWest Flight Attendant Jill Roundy noticed a small detail about one of her young passengers.

“He had a Make-A-Wish button on his shirt. Passengers may think we don’t pay attention to them but we really do,” Jill said. “This is the reason I’m a flight attendant. Everyone has somewhere to go with a purpose: a wedding, funeral, job interview, promotion or a birth of a child. We do our best to get them there and with the best intentions to read their mannerisms. But this was a first for me.”

SkyWest Crew (Flight Attendants Jill Roundy and Lacey Finnell, First Officer Aiden Eye and Captain Charles Butler) with the family.

The young boy and his family were on their trip home from fulfilling his wish to go to a concert of his favorite artist. Jill and the rest of her crew took the time to make the family’s trip special, giving them an extra tour of the aircraft after it landed. The little boy was thrilled at the opportunity and after looking into the flight deck, he asked Jill if he could sit in the captain’s seat. Captain Charles Butler was happy to oblige and stepped out as First Officer Aiden Eye took the time showing this young passenger the controls on the flight deck while explaining their functions.

“This only shows that the employees at SkyWest are by far just one great big family caring for the people that fly with us!” said Jill. “Happy to be part of the family.”

A brave six-year-old girl was having a tough day. As her family arrived at the airport in the evening, they made their way to the shuttle for a ride to the parking lot. As the young girl boarded the bus with her parents, noticing there were no open seats, Palm Springs based First Officer, Joe Myers, stood up to give his seat to the mother and daughter.

The girl has lost all of her hair as a result of cancer treatments. During the shuttle ride, a little boy made a comment to the girl about her lack of hair, and she began to cry. As the family got off the bus, Joe walked over to the little girl and told her she was the prettiest little girl he had ever seen. He then took off his hat and showed her his own bald head, telling her she was very special. Joe made her night when he removed the wings from his shirt and pinned them on her, telling her he was making her an honorary pilot.

First Officer Joe Myers

Joe made the girl laugh when he jokingly told her, “Boys are made of cotton and are rotten!” before thanking the parents and walking away. The parents were in tears and so moved by Joe’s compassion and love toward their daughter that they went the extra mile to contact SkyWest and share their gratitude for First Officer Myers.

“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 pilots don’t cry and she could fly with me anytime. Maybe with some prayers she will be able to fly for SkyWest someday! I didn’t do anything that another SkyWest employee wouldn’t have done when faced with the same situation. I feel so fortunate to SkyWest and my wife Jackie for allowing me to pursue my dream! This is a family that I am so proud to be a part of.”

That night the little girl wouldn’t part with the wings and slept in her shirt with the wings safely secured on it. Even now, she will not take them off.

While boarding a flight in Seattle, Tiffany Miller, a Salt Lake City-based flight attendant, noticed one impeccably dressed young woman.

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw her turn around, so I turned to meet her sweet face. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she spoke to me in a voice I haven’t heard in a while,” Tiffany said. “It was the same tone my children would have when there were monsters under their bed. ‘I’m very scared. Is it going to be really bumpy?’ and after hearing herself she openly started to sob.”

The passenger explained that she flies a lot but just passed through a storm that had “terrifying turbulence.” Tiffany told her that she too had just been through a similar storm, but that she anticipated that everything was going to be fine on the short flight and that she was in very capable hands.

Tiffany then went up to the flight deck to find that Captain Carl Wager had witnessed the exchanged and was wondering what he could do to help. He offered to go back and talk with the girl if she would find it reassuring. The young lady, still full of fear, accepted the offer. Carl went back to her seat, taking up precious moments needed to stay on schedule, to let the passenger know that he understood her fears and was aware of his tremendous responsibility to keep everyone safe.

11822540_10206970350314434_7767312092244007857_n

Captain Carl Wager speaking with passenger

“I am always confident with my pilots. I am grateful for the level of training, skill and knowledge they work hard to possess. Today I was truly grateful to also have a wonderful and kindhearted captain,” Tiffany said. “I looked down the aisle to see a very relaxed, very sweet moment. It was one that I hope I never forget. It was empathy in action: pure and simple.”

Aug 11

What Does it Mean to be “Cross Utilized”?

SkyWest’s cross utilized agents have a lot of responsibilities. In one shift, they’ll help passengers check in, get them boarded onto flights, ensure their bags are loaded and much more. Amy Orsini, who is based in West Yellowstone, Mont., gives some insight into what it’s like to be a cross utilized agent.

Why did you decide to apply at SkyWest?

I was working at a restaurant and a coworker saw an ad in the paper for ramp, customer service agents and flight attendants and said let’s go to this recruiting event. I had never considered working for an airline but thought I would give it a shot. At the recruiting event, I applied for Customer Service in Salt Lake City. Best decision of my life!

Amy and some of the West Yellowstone, MT (WYS) team.

What’s something people might not know about being a cross utilized agent?

We do EVERYTHING. We work the ticket counter, the gate, out on the ramp, clean the planes and de-ice! You could check in a passenger, then load their bag and board them on the plane. You gain a lot of knowledge about how the airline operates.

What’s a typical day like for you?

A typical day as a cross utilized agent starts out when we check the bookings for our flights, inspect the ground equipment and set up for arrivals and departures. Then we start to check in passengers. Getting to see different state’s IDs or country’s passports is cool, and customer service is important while checking in our passengers and their luggage. Interacting with them to find out if they are on vacation or if this is a business trip and what their destination is makes the day interesting. When the flight arrives, we go out to the aircraft to unload passengers and bags, say hello to the flight crew, and then load up our outbound passengers and their bags. Once that flight is ready and on its way, we head back inside to check in passengers for the next flight.

Agents loading baggage onto aircraft.

You’ve been at SkyWest for 14 years now, what has made you stay?

I have stayed because I love this company! The opportunities working here seem endless and there is always movement if I want to change my career path. I also love the relationships I’ve developed with people all over the company. Communication is easy and important for SkyWest. The fact that I can send a note to the vice president of Customer Service and get a response quickly, directly from him, along with people from any department means a lot! Although we are a growing company it still feels like a family. I also love the challenge of working for the airline, the fast-paced environment, flexible schedules and, of course, the amazing travel privileges.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Agent marshaling aircraft at St. George, Utah Airport.

The versatility and problem solving that each day requires. I get to use my computer skills while booking/rebooking passengers, my problem solving skills when there is a delay and to load plan (weight and balance of the aircraft). I love the knowledge I’ve gained for the whole operation. I also enjoy the fresh air while marshaling in an aircraft, unloading bags and driving around the tarmac. And I get to do all of this with an awesome team!

What qualities or skills help make someone a good cross utilized agent?

Being people oriented, flexible, able to solve problems, and someone who loves to travel!

What advice would you give someone who is interested in becoming a cross utilized agent?

Be sure you like planes, passengers, a little bit of physical labor and are flexible! This is not a typical 9-5 kind of job. The airport never has a day off; planes and people are always traveling. If you like change, a fast-paced environment and are flexible this is the job for you!

Jul 13

How I Became a SkyWest Pilot: Julie Hafen

Julie Hafen – a CRJ first officer for SkyWest Airlines, discovered aviation as a teenager and has been hooked ever since. Check out how she got started as a pilot and what a typical day is like for her at SkyWest.

As a teenager, I always thought I would enjoy flying and traveling for my career, but it never occurred to me that I could actually be the pilot until I was 17 years old. I took an intro to aviation class at my local college and fell in love with aviation. Problem was, however, that I had never even set foot on an airplane, let alone flown one. So for my 18th birthday, my parents flew me to Texas, where my grandfather, who had his private pilot’s license, took me flying.

When I got home from that trip I immediately registered for the aviation degree at Utah Valley University and started my training in the fall of 2003. A few years after I started my schooling and flight training, I earned my Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). I instructed for five years because I got hooked – hooked on the feeling of being able to help others earn their wings…giving others their dreams. For me, it was by far the best way to build time toward becoming a commercial pilot.

I decided to apply at SkyWest Airlines after attending the Women in Aviation conference in 2012. I was happy fight instructing, but after speaking to the numerous pilots at the SkyWest booth, I decided I wanted to take the next step and become a SkyWest pilot. There were many airlines I spoke to at this conference, but the pilots at SkyWest were the most friendly and easy to talk to, and it was clear that they enjoyed their careers. After months of studying I felt ready for an interview and submitted my application.

SkyWest interviewed me shortly after, and I was officially hired only days after my interview. Once hired, I had two weeks to get all my documents ready and to prepare for ground school. Training was a whirlwind of more learning than I even knew possible, but it was worth it. It took me a few months after training to feel completely comfortable as a first officer, but I knew I made the best decision by changing my career from a flight instructor to an airline pilot.

Here is a tiny glimpse of a day in my life at SkyWest:

I show up for work at least 45 minutes prior to our first departure and spend a few minutes meeting the crew; I have had the opportunity to fly with some pretty great captains and flight attendants at SkyWest. Together we look at any deferred items on the aircraft (inoperative items that are not required to be fixed immediately), the weather and any other pertinent information for the flight.

Once we head out to the aircraft we each have our duties that need to be completed before we depart. Typically the first officer is the one to do the walkaround/preflight inspection while the captain completes some checklist items.

After the passengers and baggage are on the plane, we complete a weight and balance (it’s not just something for general aviation), and figure out our speeds for takeoff and cruise. On the plus side, we don’t always have to do it by hand.

Before we start the engines for the first flight each day – we might fly one to six legs in a day – the captain and I decide who will fly which legs. Some captains like to alternate each leg, some like to always fly first… it doesn’t really matter, but know that you will generally be flying as much as the captain is – they don’t get to have all the fun. And whoever is flying will do a briefing before each flight including the current weather, expected taxi route, departure procedure, pertinent NOTAMs, etc.

Julie with her all-female flight crew on the recently retired EMB120

If we are done with our day early enough, we will usually get together as a crew to do something fun. There are such great people at SkyWest, it is great being able to hang out outside of work and to get to know each other a bit better.

My quality of life at SkyWest has been so much better than it was as a flight instructor. As an instructor I worked 10-14 hour days for five or six days a week. It was rewarding work, but it was a lot of work. At SkyWest, I usually work four days a week and get paid for more hours than I did when I was teaching. I am also able to be home much more and spend time with the people that matter most to me. Quality of life is very important to me, which is one of the reasons I chose SkyWest over the other regional airlines out there.

Flying isn’t really work for me; it’s more like a hobby that I get paid for! Of course there are frustrating days that get interrupted with weather or maintenance delays, but for me those days seem few and far between. I am happy with the career I chose. I have been at SkyWest for almost three years, flying the EMB 120 Brasilia and now the CRJ, and have never regretted my decision to work for such a great company.

Jun 24

SkyWest Team Welcomes Special Passengers

SkyWest’s team in Arcata, California (ACV) recently welcomed a very special group of passengers onboard. Twelve children with autism or down syndrome had the chance to experience the miracle of flight, even though they never actually left the ground!

The eager passengers arrived at the airport, checked in at the counter with their bags, went through security and then boarded a 50-seat CRJ200. Once on the plane, the VIPs (Very Important Passengers) listened to the flight attendant’s announcements before receiving a snack and drink. A few even got to sit in the flight deck and make announcements! The group then deplaned and headed to baggage claim to pick up their checked luggage.

“I’m not sure who had more fun: us or the kids!” said Angeline Vandenplas, SkyWest’s ACV general manager. “We all had such a great time.”

The effort of the Arcata team, along with Captain Katie Overdick, First Officer Marko Miliceric and Flight Attendant Elle Eguchi who spent an extra two hours at the airport to participate, is a great example of SkyWest’s commitment to give back to the community. And for these passengers, it makes for a fun experience that they’ll remember for a lifetime.

Jun 19

SkyWest Celebrates 43 Years!

On this day, 43 years ago, SkyWest Airlines took off on its first scheduled flight – from St. George to Salt Lake City, Utah, with a stop in Cedar City on the way! Since that first flight, what was a small, local airline has grown into one of the largest regional airlines in the country.

Six-seat Piper Seneca used by SkyWest

Check out even more about SkyWest’s history at www.skywest.com.

So how exactly is a 43rd anniversary celebrated? According to several lists of modern anniversary gifts, the 43rd year should be celebrated with travel! So join in the celebration, and fly a SkyWest Airlines flight today.