Tag Archives: Aircraft Dispatchers

Nov 30

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Nicole Manson, Dispatcher, HDQ

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.

Growing up on the Navajo reservation, Nicole credits her heritage and upbringing for the strong person that she is today.

“I can’t think of being anything else than Native American,” said Nicole. “I am proud of my heritage, ancestors and the lessons I’ve learned.”

Before coming to SkyWest, Nicole worked for a tourism company at the Page Municipal Airport. There she became good friends with a number of pilots who flew for Grand Canyon Airlines, and who later moved to SkyWest. Nicole decided to learn more about SkyWest, learned about dispatching and the rest was history.

“I honestly didn’t know this dispatchers existed until just a couple of years ago,” Nicole said with a smile. “I laugh now because it’s such a vital position. My family and friends were puzzled by my job title at first, but the amount of support I received from them was immeasurable. After I received my license, I applied at SkyWest and it’s been a great ride ever since. I’m truly blessed to be able to work for a great company.”

 Nicolette Shirley, Flight Attendant, SLC

SLC Flight Attendant Nicolette Shirley is Diné and grew up

in both the Navajo Nation and Salt Lake City.

“I am proud to be Diné and carry my traditions/values with me,” said Nicolette. “The Diné live by Hózhó. It’s a guiding belief that shapes our actions, thoughts and speech that impacts yourself as well as those around you, and I try to bring a positive impact with those I cross paths with whether it’s with my crew or passengers.”

Prior to becoming a SkyWest flight attendant in 2017, Nicolette hadn’t journeyed east of Colorado.

“Fortunately,” said Nicolette, “SkyWest has given me the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone and travel further than I imagined. There’s a lot of Indigenous influence all around. When we overnight in places such as Kalispell, Winnipeg, Chicago, Seattle, and Oklahoma City they derive from Indigenous words. It’s always good to learn more about where we travel to and grant reverence.”

Michael Gardner, Maintenance Technician, SLC

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.

“I’m adopted so my parents are not fully immersed in the traditional native way of life,” he said. “I enjoy being unique in the sense that it’s not very often that I’m in a room with other natives. It’s ok to be different.”

Although Michael is proud of who he is, he does admit sometimes he feels pressure being an Alaskan Native.

“I feel some pressure knowing that some natives do have a challenging environment to mature and grow in. I adhere strongly with the notions of education, hard work, and confidence in yourself and your abilities which as a result can showcase ones strengths and beliefs. Trying to be an example to younger generations, including my children, drives me to push forward with fortitude.”

That fortitude pushed Michael to 21 years of customer service in the casino industry and now nearly two years with SkyWest as a mechanic.

“In every professional process there are steps to obtaining your goal,” he added. “No goal worth your time can be accomplished overnight. Enjoying the process of learning and becoming who you ultimately want to be in life will give you a sense of pride and self-worth. It’s your life, live it.”

Rick Meyer, ERJ Captain, LAX

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.

“I was really into airplanes at a young age,” he said. “My mom would take me to the airport and I would just sit in my stroller and watch the planes take off and land. I loved it and as I grew up, I knew it was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Captain Meyer is a citizen of the Potawatomi Tribe in Shawnee, Oklahoma. While he didn’t grown up on a reservation, he did visit every summer, which gave him a chance to learn more about his culture and heritage.

“It’s crazy to think I’ve been with SkyWest for nearly half of my life,” said Meyer. “But I’ve loved it. Before coming to SkyWest, I worked for another regional company and I quickly realized how great SkyWest was when I made the switch. It has a great culture, great company, everyone is working together. No matter how big the company it still feels like family.”

Sam Capitan, Flight Attendant, SLC

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.

“I am proud to be Navajo,” said Capitan. “Unfortunately, a lot of tribes have gone extinct. However, there are numerous Native American Tribes still in existence. This demonstrates the resilience of our People.” Read more

Craig Strongbow, Cross Utilized Agent, PIH

Craig is a proud member of the Shoshone- Bannock Tribes.

“I am a Native,” said Strongbow, who said that is how he thinks of himself. “I can’t imagine being anything different. Natives are tough and persistent. I love my culture and what it represents; it’s different. It’s not often one hears about Natives, we are a very small minority.”

“We are all family at PIH; we go to each other’s birthdays, and events, and even have a book club,” said Strongbow. “The benefits we get working at SkyWest make even the hard stuff we do so worth it. Our station has a great connection.”  Read more

 

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.