ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

What drew you to your work as a pilot? What do you find rewarding, exciting, challenging?

I’ve loved planes and flying since I was a kid. Growing up, I would always ask for the window seat and spend hours staring outside. In my current job, I get that same view but better. That, plus the travel aspect of my job is what I find most rewarding. I also love the challenge of learning to fly different types of aircraft, from small single engine piston aircraft to large widebody jets. I also enjoy the preparation and concentration required to fly in and out of some difficult airports such as Aspen, CO, and Quito, Ecuador (both are at high elevation and surrounded by mountains).

How did your career unfold? How did you end up moving from consulting to flying planes?

My last consulting role was with Bayer in their Morristown, NJ, office. That office just happened to be next door to the Morristown airport. I started taking flying lessons at the airport in a Cessna 172 (a small single engine piston aircraft), thinking that it could be a fun hobby. However, I ended up enjoying flying so much that I started considering making a career switch. At the same time, I heard from people at the airport about the high demand for pilots. After earning most of the licenses I needed, and with the support of my wife, I made the jump to full-time pilot.

My first job was as a flight instructor at the same school where I had learned to fly. I spent two years there, building up the required flight hours I needed to apply to an airline. Once I had the hours, I joined SkyWest Airlines as a first officer, flying the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ for short), which seats fifty to seventy-five people. SkyWest is the largest regional airline in the US, and it flies shorter feeder routes on behalf of United, Delta, American, and Alaska airlines. I had a great time flying for SkyWest, but my goal was to eventually fly international routes. After spending two years with SkyWest, a friend of mine from flight school convinced me to join Atlas Air, which is a cargo/charter airline that operates domestically and internationally. I now fly the Boeing 777 for Atlas, hauling cargo all over the world.

Are there ways that your work in Chinese language and economics plays into your daily life now?

China is one of my airline’s biggest markets, and I fly there quite frequently. Though I don’t use my Chinese in the context of work (the common language of pilots and air traffic controllers is English), I do get to use it during my layovers in China. Similarly, I don’t use my economics/business background in my current role. However, it does help me to understand better what is going on within the airline.

My consulting background, however, does help me think in terms of scenarios. Pilots always need to be planning for different situations that may arise. The key is to never become too complacent and to always be asking yourself “what if” questions. For example, what if your destination airport weather is worse than expected, what if you lose an engine over the middle of the Pacific or what if you decompress over the Rocky Mountains? You need to have a plan for those things so that in the unlikely event they ever happen you can react quickly.

What brought you to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ? What was your experience at the College like?

Growing up in New York, I spent lots of time in New England, including attending summer camp in Maine. I wanted to stay in the Northeast for college, and I mostly looked at small colleges with a close sense of community. It just so happened that my godfather’s nephew was a senior at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ while I was looking at colleges. Hearing from him about his experiences convinced me to apply early decision to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.

I loved ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. The College helped me build friendships and interests that have lasted long after graduation. My freshman roommate became one of my best friends. Years later he was the best man at my wedding, and I also officiated his. I joined the rugby team, convinced by a friend I made during my pre-orientation trip to give it a try. I then continued to play off and on with a few rugby clubs after college, and have met up with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ rugby alums to watch various professional tournaments. I also had great professors in the Asian studies department, from Professor Cui, who introduced me to Chinese film, to Professor Conlin, my academic advisor who made Japanese history come alive.

What inspires you?

It’s hard to say what inspires me in general. However, my wife is the one who inspired me to become a pilot, though she didn’t realize it at the time. After we had our first kid, I found I had less time for things I used to love doing, such as traveling and playing rugby. My wife encouraged me to find a new hobby. She asked me, what was something I loved but had never done, and my answer was flying. Little did she know that, by encouraging me, she was setting in motion my path to becoming a professional pilot.

Is there something about your work that others would find surprising?

One of the greatest side benefits of being an airline pilot is having the flexibility to live wherever you want. You may be “based” at a certain airport like LAX, meaning you start/end most of your trips there, but many pilots don’t live near their base. Instead, they “commute” by flying into their base as a passenger before their trips start. Airlines have reciprocal agreements that allow pilots to fly free, using unused seats in either the cabin or flight deck to get to/from work. My current company, Atlas, will even pay for the tickets required to commute if it doesn’t exceed a certain dollar amount. I’ve met pilots at my company who commute from as far away as Australia and Namibia. These pilots will often bid for schedules where they work two weeks straight and then are off for two weeks so that they only commute once per month.

Is there something about YOU that others might find surprising?

Being a pilot has made me a better father. Despite being away for half of each month, when I’m home I’m able to completely disconnect from work and focus on my family. When I was a consultant, I would constantly have emails coming in and work to do outside of the office. Additionally, I have more days off now, at least thirteen a month.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I have two young kids, five and eight years old, so they take up most of my spare time, especially since I need to make up for lost time whenever I’m home. However, I also like hiking, going to the beach, and of course traveling. Overall, I like spending time outdoors, a legacy of my time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.

Best ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ memory, or most-lasting lesson from your ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ days?

One fun memory that ties into my current career is when the Brunswick Naval Air Station hosted an air show during the fall of my senior year. I loved watching the Blue Angels fly practice runs over campus the week leading up to the show, though I know some professors weren’t too happy about the noise.

Among the many things ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ taught me was to appreciate learning and to stay curious. One of the great things about ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ and a liberal arts education was getting to try out a variety of courses outside my major, from government to art history to anthropology.

This story first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Magazine website.