Sep 10

Pilots Complete Heroic Rescue Mission in California

SkyWest people are known for going above and beyond and it’s not just limited to our flights. Brady Hlebain, a SkyWest first officer, and Joseph Rosamond, a member of SkyWest’s pilot cadet program, who are part of the California National Guard, flew a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that helped rescue more than 200 people trapped near Mammoth Lakes California.

The call for assistance came in on Saturday, September 5. Hlebain and Rosamon, along with their flight engineers, Sgt. Cameron Powell and Sgt. George Esquivel, knew that the night flight would not be an easy one.

“I have done search and rescue missions, hundreds of combat hours overseas, as well as aerial firefighting, but this mission was very complex and dynamic to say the least,” said Hlebain. “Our team was an experienced group of guys who are all experienced in missions of this nature. We constantly train with night vision goggles, mountain flying, high-elevation, limited power margin, multi-ship flight, navigation in unfamiliar areas, dust landings, low visibility flight, firefighting, unimproved landing zones and first aid. However, it is rare that we do all of those things at the same time.”

The team was given coordinates of the location of those needing to be rescued, but had no idea how many people would need their help. As they were flying, they soon realized the coordinates they were given were not as accurate as they had hoped. Even as visibility dropped due to high flames and smoke, the team did not give up and were able to get new coordinates. They flew from ridge to ridge, avoiding the clouds and smoke as best they could, before finally landing in the wee hours of the morning at the Mammoth Pool Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest.

Flying the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, Rosamond and Hlebain made multiple trips to save more than 200 people from the fast-moving forest fire. They were assisted by another team flying a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. With so many unique challenges on top of tough conditions, this mission was one of the most difficult of their careers.

“The only word I can use to describe it is Apocalyptic,” added Rosamond. “It was extremely difficult to see the terrain and what was in front of us. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but our crew worked perfectly together, which allowed us to accomplish our task.”

Hlebain said the team didn’t want to be made out as heroes and noted that they are tremendously grateful to their families for their sacrifice and for allowing them to do these kinds of missions.

“The recent media coverage has made us out to be heroes, but our team agreed that we didn’t do anything that any other aircrews wouldn’t have done had they been in the same situation,” said Hlebain. “We were only one piece of the operation and couldn’t have done it without the help of local EMTs, police, firefighters and many other agencies.”

“The bravery from each and every crew member on board both the CH-47 and the UH-60 were amazing and I could not have done it without them,” added Rosamond. “They each made a personal choice to continue into the worst of conditions.”

When he’s not fighting fires and participating in search and rescue missions, Hlebain can often be found onboard one of SkyWest’s nearly 500 jets flying passengers to destinations across North America.

While balancing two jobs at once is a challenge for anyone – especially in the aviation industry – Hlebain added that he is grateful for SkyWest and the support he has received which has allowed him to do both.

“Knowing two different aircraft, two sets of rules, and especially balancing two schedules can be difficult,” he said. “That being said, SkyWest has been incredibly supportive and provides me the opportunity to do both. When there is a conflict of schedules, SkyWest has been nothing short of perfect for my work/work/life balance.”

Thank you, Brady, Joseph, and the rest of your team for your efforts, bravery, dedication and sacrifice to save the lives of so many.

Jul 09

SkyWest CEO Named a Utah Business CEO of the Year Honoree

SkyWest congratulates CEO Chip Childs, who was selected as a Utah Business CEO of the Year Honoree for 2020.

Selected from over 200 nominees of top Chief Executives across the state, Childs’ leadership contributions in the state were recognized in March and officially announced in June for being a leader in the airline industry and for his work across organizations.

Chip has been known as a leader in the aviation industry for years, but this award recognizes the importance of his leadership in the state of Utah, with SkyWest is a key part of the national transportation system through its four major airline partnerships.

Part of his nomination for the award read, “Chip’s vision and strategy continue to drive success and helps support vibrant economies with air service in small to medium-sized communities connecting them to the broader national airspace. Under his leadership, SkyWest continues to set the standard for excellence in the regional industry.”

Chip was also recognized for his unique approach and transformative leadership, and for implementing a significant fleet transition plan for improved profitability and efficiency while continuing to enhance a culture of respect, teamwork and communication across the organization.

CFO Rob Simmons, stated, “he does an amazing job running the company with the numbers, but also with the heart.”

Chip’s focus has always been the people of SkyWest. He said, “I’m just a lucky guy to represent the amazing professionals at SkyWest. It’s an amazing responsibility to “hire the best, train the best and treat them the best, and that philosophy is the backbone of what SkyWest accomplishes each day.”

Congratulations Chip, and thank you for your leadership!

Jun 21

A Surprise Retirement Flight

Flying is in the DNA of Evan and Lee Broadbent. The brothers came to SkyWest over three years ago and are both based in MSP. Evan is a CRJ captain and Lee is a first officer on the CRJ.

Their father, Lance, was a Marine pilot flying RF-4s. After his time in the military, he was hired by American Airlines and finished his career as a check airmen and FAA designee on the A320.

“Growing up around aviation and seeing what a cool job he [Lance] had, it was a pretty easy decision to follow in his footsteps,” said Lee.

“My dad is the reason why I chose this career,” said Evan. “He is my biggest role model.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decrease in passenger demand, Lance decided to take early retirement from American. As a result of this early departure, he never got the opportunity to enjoy a celebratory final flight. Evan and Lee decided they might be able to help recognize their dad and put together a surprise that none of them will soon forget.

“It was by far the coolest day in my aviation career,” said Lee.

After finding a flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Bemidji, Minnesota (BJI), Evan and Lee coordinated with ATC and the team on the ground in BJI to help recognize their father. Then, they invited their dad to fly with them in the jumpseat. It was something the trio had attempted in the past, but last-minute schedule changes prevented it from happening.

“[A few months ago] he had told all of his friends he was about to ride with us. When it didn’t work out, he was fairly upset,” said Evan. “To say the least he was absolutely stoked to ride with his sons.”

The flight started routinely, and Lance had no idea what was planned. However, as they took off, he began to learn this was no ordinary flight.

“When we first took off, before the tower handed us off to departure, the tower congratulated him on his retirement,” said Evan. “At that moment, he knew something more was happening.”

Throughout the flight, ATC passed along their congratulations to Lance as they checked in with each facility. When they arrived in BJI, the flight was greeted with a water cannon salute and the airport team presented Lance with a congratulatory bottle of Champagne as he deplaned.

“To have my brother as the captain and our dad in the jumpseat – I can’t put into words how special this was,” said Lee

“He was in shock and borderline in tears,” said Evan.

Both brothers reflected that this unique flight was an amazing experience and a special day for their entire family.

“It was just very cool we were able to make this day happen,” said Lee. “To see the smile on his face meant the world to me.”

“I looked back at him just before pulling into the gate and I could see all of the emotion in his eyes. That was a special and heavy moment,” said Evan.

Thank you to all the dads like Lance for being such great role models and inspiring the aviators in their family to follow their dreams!

May 10

Mother and Son Take Flight Together

“Mom, secure the cabin.”

Trenton Crull’s announcement from the flight deck was a moment a lifetime in the making and a thrill for both him and his mom.

“I’ve had the privilege to fly both my mom and dad while they were passengers on my flight before, but being able to work with my mom as the flight attendant was pretty special,” said Trenton. “Being able to say, ‘Mom secure the cabin’ just made it all that more meaningful.”

Trenton is a SkyWest CRJ captain based in Colorado Springs, Colorado (COS) and Melodee Crull is a flight attendant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP), so the opportunity to work flight 4037 between Minneapolis and Bismarck, North Dakota together earlier this year was a rare treat.

“I told my passengers they were part of a very unique flight, as my son was one of the pilots and we were working our first flight together. ‘Mom, secure the cabin’ definitely brought laughter from the passengers,” said Melodee. “As I sat in the jumpseat upon takeoff, it was hard not to tear up thinking about my son flying the plane that I was working as a flight attendant. It’s not often that so many dreams come true in one day!”

Mother and son have crossed paths a few times since Trenton’s early days at SkyWest when he was stationed in Detroit, Michigan (DTW). Once Trenton moved to COS, their schedules got more difficult to coordinate.

“I have wanted to do this since I found out Trenton was joining me at SkyWest in November of 2017. Believe me, we’ve tried several times to get things to work out,” said Melodee.

“Luckily I had three weeks off waiting for my captain Initial Operating Experience and I found a trip to pick up in MSP,” added Trenton. “There was already a flight attendant on it, but my mom messaged her and worked it out to get on that trip.”

Melodee attributes her love of airplanes to her father, who worked at Cessna and Boeing in Wichita, Kansas when she was young. Being a flight attendant was always her dream, but for several years she filled her life with caring for a family. In 2017, the perfect opportunity came for Melodee to revive her childhood dream and she interviewed with SkyWest.

“I love my crews. I have made so many great friends and anyone who has flown with me knows, I am a bit of a comedian and love to joke around and have fun. I also love interacting with my passengers! I have so much fun kidding around with them,” said Melodee. “I love that SkyWest has provided the opportunity to visit places I would otherwise never have got to visit.”

Her happiness at SkyWest influenced Trenton’s decision to come to SkyWest as well.

Melodee remembers her son aspired to be a pilot as early as the 2nd grade. A local pilot in the Crull’s hometown would take kids up on a flight as a reward for completing a school reading program every year and Trenton got to fly with him a few times.

“After that first flight I was hooked. I loved flying, but I didn’t know how to make it a career,” said Trenton. “It wasn’t until after I graduated high school that I started looking at how to pursue aviation as a career.”

Trenton completed flight training at the University of Central Missouri. He taught there for about a year after earning his certifications and then took a job flying private jets in St. Louis. When he earned the flight hours and experience to move to a regional airline, and with some urging from his mom, he applied at SkyWest.

“I remember texting him and saying, ‘YOU HAVE TO APPLY WITH SKYWEST! This company is amazing,’” recalled Melodee.

“She talked highly of SkyWest as a company and how fun the crews were and it was then that I started looking more in-depth at it,” said Trenton. “She was a big factor in my decision to come to SkyWest.”

“Trenton has recently finished his upgrade to captain and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Melodee. “He is a great person, with compassion for people and he truly loves his career, that’s what makes him a great pilot. I would be honored to fly with this captain any day.”

Thank you to all the moms like Melodee who inspire us to pursue our dreams in the aviation industry.

Apr 28

“Be Like Bob”

SkyWest cross utilized agent Bob Gilkerson has spent most of his life in Pierre, South Dakota, but his recent act of small-town kindness attracted some big-city attention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Last month, a passenger visiting family in Pierre (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.

“Pierre is a small town and we are used to doing those kinds of favors for each other and I didn’t think much of it at all,” said Bob.

He joked with the passenger not to scratch the truck and the man was able to make it back to the airport for his flight. The passenger turned out to be a television reporter in Albuquerque and he posted the story of the misplaced wallet and loaned truck on his Facebook page, generating more than 4,000 shares and a catchy hastag #BeLikeBob.

“The incident we are referring to is very common with Bob,” said PIR General Manager Steve Lang. “Bob likes to help where ever he can.”

Steve describes Bob as enthusiastic and friendly, someone who is always engaging with customers, and gives excellent customer service.

“This is not the first time he has lent his truck to a customer or employee in need,” reported Steve.

During last hunting season, Bob loaned his truck to a passenger who came to the airport without the proper locks for his gun case. He was able to buy the needed padlocks and get back to the airport for his flight.

“I didn’t think too much about it,” Bob commented.

Bob’s philosophy of providing thorough customer service began as a child while observing his father, who ran office equipment, and was honed over years of customer focused work as a UPS driver and in insurance.

“Nothing happens without our customers,” said Bob. “So, when I came to SkyWest as a part-time retired guy, I just brought along that philosophy of customer service with me. I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter with no clue as to what’s going on.”

Bob uses that empathy to make the interactions with customers more personal than what they may typically experience and to offer comfort and encouragement.

“That’s the way I run my show,” he said.

Bob became a cross utilized agent with SkyWest a little over a year ago when the PIR station opened. He likes the variety of the job, which has a little bit of everything, and praised his airport operations team.

“It’s short and sweet, but intense during the two-hour shifts,” said Bob. “I think we’ve got a pretty good squad here in Pierre with Steve Lang leading the team. We all get along pretty good and I think it runs well.”

Outside of work, Bob and wife, Joanna, enjoy spending time with family, including their 10 grandchildren.

“I’m in grandpa mode,” said Bob. “I help relieve those pressure points when the kids need a babysitter.”

Thank you, Bob, for your great example of being #SkyWestStrong by helping others at home and at work.

Apr 23

Using Your Wings to Give Back

When First Officer Brian Lucas is not flying for SkyWest, he spends his time flying his Piper Cherokee to volunteer with different organizations in need of a plane and pilot. Lucas started volunteering his time as a pilot as a way to build hours en route to becoming a commercial pilot. He enjoyed volunteering so much he has continued his philanthropic flying even after he joined SkyWest.

Recently, Lucas flew his own aircraft for the nonprofit group Angel Flight, carrying blood samples for COVID-19 testing. The flight took him from Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia to a commercial lab in Charlotte, North Carolina since the facilities in South Georgia are not able to handle all the testing capacity that is required.

Lucas continues finding ways to give back to our national community through his skills as an aviator. He also works with a nonprofit organization called Pilots N Paws, which arranges rescue, sheltering or adoption flights for needy animals. His mission is to fly puppies from kill-shelters to locations where they are more likely to be adopted. Lucas said he has even flown a German Shepherd puppy to a facility that will train the pup to become a support animal for Veterans with PTSD.

Some of Lucas’ favorite flights are with Angel Flight, when he flies sick individuals who live in rural areas to important hospital appointments.

“I flew a mother and her 12-month-old son to the hospital for treatment, saving hours of driving time and hopefully leading to a better outcome,” said Lucas.

The reduced travel time to the hospital helps relieve the financial burden of travel to-and-from hospitals, which are often hours away from the person’s home.

Whether connecting the medical community, helping transport puppies or providing hospital access to those who otherwise may not have access to life-saving medical care, First Officer Brian Lucas demonstrates the SkyWest Spirit of giving back while doing something he loves: flying.

Mar 08

Experience Pays: First Officer Balances Career and Family with SkyWest 121 Program

Lucy Czupryn, a SkyWest Airlines E175 first officer based in Chicago, started her career as a pilot flying for a different 121 operator. She spent five years gaining valuable flight experience and building her seniority. Then, she shifted her focus to starting a family and left aviation.

“When I started my family, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to come back to aviation,” said Czupryn. “SkyWest made it possible for me to come back to what I love doing. We have several programs to foster and encourage women to return to the workforce.”

When Czupryn returned to the workforce, she decided to take advantage of the SkyWest Industry Experience Credit program. This program offers pilots a pay credit match for their years of FAR 121 experience, up to 10 years. The match also applies credit for 401(k) matching, profit sharing, and leave time accrual.“Prior to that program, there wasn’t anywhere to go to make a lateral move,” said Czupryn. “The 121 program made it an easy choice to pick SkyWest because with my experience prior to my leave, I was able to start at SkyWest with a higher hourly wage. This program made it affordable for me to return to the workforce.”

Czupryn also leaned on the SkyWest Family Support Committee as she balanced raising a family and returning to the skies. The committee, formed in conjunction with the SkyWest Airlines Pilot Association, is a group of SkyWest peers dedicated to supporting women and men through welcoming a new child into an aviation family. This committee provides support through the leave of absence processes, fitness for duty while pregnant and during postpartum, maternity uniform exchanges, pumping, or weaning in preparation to return to work, financial planning for parenthood and one-on-one mentoring.

Through this program, SkyWest provided Czupryn a stable and supportive place to resume her professional pilot career.

“With my flexible schedule, I get to fly and still spend quality time with my family helping at the school, watching their games and practices, or just cuddling and watching movies together.”

Czupryn lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband and four children and loves taking her family on adventures. She enjoys seeing new places and expects her career to one day take her to the stars.

“When I was little, I always wanted to be an astronaut,” said Czupryn, who is still striving for space. “I love flying. I love being above the clouds and looking out at the world.”

With her parents’ support, Czupryn grew up attending science camps and classes at local college campuses. She learned to assemble computers and studied successful women, including her own mom. Czupryn’s mother graduated from Purdue University in the first class of computer science majors and set an example for her daughter of being a woman in a male-dominated field.

In high school, Czupryn set her sights on becoming a professional pilot. She followed her mother’s footsteps to Purdue, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in professional flight and a master’s degree in aviation technology while flight instructing to gain flight hours.

“I love the technical challenge of operating aircraft. It’s exhilarating to take off and land such a large vessel and bring people safely from point A to point B,” said Czupryn. “Connecting people to important events in their lives brings me enjoyment as well.”

Czupryn is one of several SkyWest employees who attended the 2020 Women in Aviation International conference. She encourages prospective aviators to keep studying and work hard. “Don’t give up. Find other professionals in the field to talk to about their journey,” Czupryn advises. “And make sure to check out ‘SkyBest’!”

To learn more about the opportunities available at SkyWest and how you can receive industry experience credit, click here.

Feb 14

The Love Language of Flight!

A passion for the miracle of flight is one of the most common motivators for people joining the airline industry. And finding others who share that passion can lead to great relationships and, in some cases, even the love of their lives. This Valentine’s Day, we asked a few SkyWest couples to share how SkyWest helped them find each other.

Kelli Golden, air transportation supervisor, and Gage Wuthrich, dispatch supervisor, are preparing for their upcoming wedding next month. They initially met when they were assigned to the same shift and became friends. From there, the relationship quickly blossomed.

“Gage was my dispatch trainer,” said Kelli. “So it was very natural for me to come up and talk with him and ask questions.” After being friends for a while they decided to start dating and of course, the rest is history.

Still, they kept their work and personal life separate for a while.

“Some of our co-workers didn’t know we were dating until they got our wedding invitation,” Gage said.

Kelli added that it’s great to share the same schedule, so they can sleep by 8 p.m. on the weekend — since they’re at work before the sun comes up. Of course, while they enjoy the camaraderie, sometimes they have to give each other space since they work just a few feet away from each other. At the same time, the couple noted that their shared understanding and passion for aviation has brought them closer together.

***

Dontay Riley, manager of flight attendant performance, met his fiancée Matt Frisbie when visiting Salt Lake City during a work trip. The two met during flight attendant training and the rest has been history.

“We met when I was in Salt Lake City training SkyWest flight attendants. We really hit it off,” says Dontay.

Because he was traveling from Chicago to Salt Lake City often, Dontay and Matt were able to see each other regularly and their relationship grew. After dating for six years, the couple was engaged last March when Dontay proposed in Puerto Vallarta. The couple is excited to marry in the same city in late October!

***

CRJ Captain Timothy Grunden and Flight Attendant Phiola Grunden first met when they were assigned as crewmembers on the same flight. It was Phiola’s initial training day and Timothy was in the process of upgrading from first officer to captain. For dinner one night, Timothy told the rest of the crew he wanted to go out but no one else wanted to go. Timothy recalls, “Phiola must have felt sorry for me.”

They continued their separate journeys from there, but the two reconnected later after Phiola learned that Timothy had finished his upgrade via a mutual friend on Facebook. She reached out to congratulate him on the promotion, and a few Facebook messages later the couple was dating. Phiola and Timothy got married in July last year, after dating for two years and moving between domiciles to be closer together. They have since welcomed home a baby boy, whom the couple says is destined to work in the aviation industry.

***

Dispatcher Bryan Button, and Vanessa Button, crew scheduler, originally met in San Diego, but said working in the same building at SkyWest has brought them closer. When Bryan moved to St. George, Utah, he planned on flying back to San Diego to visit Vanessa every few weeks. But the distance was no match for this couple. Vanessa surprised him and, despite being away from each other for five months, the couple only went one weekend without seeing each other! After Vanessa finished her degree in San Diego, she moved to St. George to be closer to Bryan and joined the SkyWest family as a crew scheduler in 2018. The couple was married in October last year and have enjoyed the unlikely aviation pairing of a dispatcher and crew scheduler.

Bryan and Vanessa say their relationship helps them understand and learn more about what the different teams do and how they work together to make the airline work.

“It’s fun because I am asked dispatch questions from my team, and dispatch will come over to my desk and ask me scheduling questions,” said Vanessa.

The couple also mentioned that understanding the very specific “airline speak” makes it easy for them to talk about what happened at work and the other being able to immediately understand what their spouse means.

***

David Furlong and Randy Villanueva are both flight attendants in Chicago. They meet in 2005 in Sacramento, and after David told Randy about being a flight attendant, Randy quickly joined the SkyWest family. The couple was married in 2014 after being joined in a civil union since 2012. Randy said working with his partner is great because they know what each other needs.

“We had a medical emergency a few months ago and I just had to look at Randy and he knew exactly what I needed.” The couple said most of the time other crewmembers don’t know they are married, but love to work with them because they are such a great team.

***

Each couple had insight and advice to share for dating and marrying in the airline industry.

Bryan and Vanessa said the airline attracts a certain type of person who makes great friends and partners.

“We have the same friends, so even when Bryan is not at work, we go out with the same people,” Vanessa said.

David and Randy both agreed having boundaries is important to their relationship since the couple often finds themselves working on the same flight. “It’s great to work a plane with two galleys because it gives us that extra space,” the couple said jokingly.

Timothy and Phiola said communication is key. Whenever Timothy is traveling, he makes sure he texts Phiola as soon as he can after he lands.

“Skype and Facetime are great because for four days we have a long-distance relationship,” Timothy said.

Dontay said that they started to be more mindful of taking trips together. “We both take work trips often, so when we have the opportunity and our schedule allows we like to join each other on work trips,” she said.

Kelli and Gage, noted the importance of respecting each other’s space and enjoy having someone the can “talk shop” with. But their number one piece of advice was to be friends before you start to date. “You don’t need to rush into it,” said Gage.

All five couples said working together and speaking each other’s work-language has helped each couple grow closer together. Each couple also mentioned how supportive their coworkers are to their relationships and how SkyWest really is part of their extended family.

To the more than 14,000 SkyWest employees and many more who share a love for all things aviation: Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jan 02

Dispatch Doubles: Twins Share Their Experience as SkyWest Aircraft Dispatchers

Matt and Mike Jacox – identical twins and dispatchers at SkyWest Airlines – are used to all of the double takes and questions that come with being identical twins.

“When we first started at SkyWest, we had different shifts and people would call us the wrong name because we looked and sounded so much alike,” said Matt. “We’re used to it so we didn’t mind, but we did have some fun with it.”

In fact, Matt and Mike have fully embraced the twin lifestyle. They received their pilot’s license at the same time, the brothers are also brothers-in-law after marrying sisters on the same day, and to top it off, the brothers are also next-door neighbors.

“We’ve been best friends since I can remember and the only thing we don’t agree on is avocados and who was really born first,” laughed Mike.

Naturally, it was only fitting that both Matt and Mike were hired at SkyWest, on the same day, and in the same department.

“We’ve always been together,” said Mike. “We probably have too much fun with it, but it’s really the best thing ever!”

The Jacox twins are no strangers to SkyWest as their mother, Becky, was a flight attendant for eight years before retiring to spend more time with her grandkids. Every time Matt and Mike visit, Becky asks how things are going and reminisces about her time at SkyWest.

“I wanted to keep flying, but I ran out of days off,” Becky said jokingly. “With 10 kids, 27 grandkids under the age of 11 and four weddings in one year, it was time for me to be with my family. But SkyWest will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Matt and Mike were first introduced to the aviation industry thanks to their father, who is currently a pilot at FedEx.

“Our dad would always take us flying when he could and we quickly caught the aviation bug,” said Matt. “It was a lot of fun and a great experience!”

Although working for an airline company and flying commercially is something that both Matt and Mike have always wanted to do, they knew it would be awhile until they accrued the necessary 1,500 hours of flight time to be a commercial pilot. When their parents suggested they look into aircraft dispatching, Matt and Mike jumped at the opportunity to get started with their aviation career.

“Honestly, we had no idea what an aircraft dispatcher position entailed,” said Mike. “However, it ended up being a huge blessing for us because not only did we get to start working earlier at SkyWest, but we also got to see a different side of the operation. There is a lot that goes into an airline operation and being a dispatcher gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how it all comes together.”

After getting a 10-20 minute weather briefing before starting their 10-hour shift, SkyWest dispatchers watch over and build approximately 50 flights per day. They ensure as many variables as possible are taken into consideration to ensure each flight is ready to go in order to help every aircraft get to their destination safely, and on time.

“There is a lot of work that goes into getting flights off the ground,” said Matt. “Some people think we just click a couple of buttons and that’s it, but in reality, there’s so much more that goes on for each flight. As a dispatcher, our job is to keep everyone safe, give the pilots as much information as possible and to help each other so that our customers can get to where they need to go.”

From planning flights paths and making sure there is enough fuel for each flight, to reviewing airport conditions, airspace restrictions, turbulence forecasts, and thunderstorms, aircraft dispatchers have a lot of responsibilities.

“As a dispatcher, we are getting calls from pilots who have questions and we need to know it,” said Mike. “It’s always exciting when I can answer their questions and it makes me feel important and that what I’m doing is really making an impact.”

“After a flight is completed we’ll get calls from pilots thanking us for our help and letting us know that everything went smoothly,” added Matt. “It’s also really rewarding to know the role we can help play in ensuring passengers make their connections and arrive at their destinations on time!”

Other perks in the position include a four-day workweek, which allows more time to travel or to spend with family.

For those looking to enter the aviation industry as an airline dispatcher, the Jacox twins have a few words of advice:

“The biggest surprise is the amount of knowledge you need,” said Matt. “I continue to learn new things every day. After I was certified I thought I knew a lot, and then I came here and realized that it there was so much more that I needed to learn. The training at SkyWest has been fantastic and has allowed me to really understand the operation and how everything works with each of our mainline partners.”

“People always told me that SkyWest has the best dispatch positions because they have the best training,” added Mike. “And it’s true. SkyWest provides top-notch training and everyone is willing to go the extra mile and help each other out. We love working here!”

To learn more about becoming a part of the SkyWest family, please visit our Career Guide.