Careers

Imagine retarding the throttles, trimming the nose up slightly, feeling the ship as she prepares, reluctantly, to settle back to earth, hearing the wind noise bleed off, the engines wind down, the robotic callout of 50, then 30, then 10, and knowing that this is the last time you will do this in the cockpit […]

For Richard Johnson, the path to a career at Boeing took patience and time-management skills. The production pilot worked as a flight instructor while simultaneously earning his engineering degrees before landing his job. Now, the sun is always shining at 41,000 feet in Seattle for the engineer and pilot. See what kind of advice Johnson […]

Day six of 10 in Miami Lakes, Florida, didn’t hold much promise for flying, but it did provide a chance to do some laundry. The crew hotel wasn’t five star, to put it kindly, and it wasn’t anywhere near anything to eat or do. It was hot. Armed with a roll of quarters, I loaded the […]

Airport managers oversee all facility activities, from air operations to human resources and administration, in addition to ensuring compliance with TSA and FAA regulations. Jeff Price, a professor in the department of aviation and aerospace science at Colorado’s Metropolitan State University, explained the career path to running an airport. Price also heads Leading Edge Strategies, […]

U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) pilots provide assistance to individuals in distress in maritime environments, and also perform drug interdiction and national security missions. The HH-65 Dolphin and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters are the Coast Guard’s primary Search and Rescue platforms; fixed-wing aircraft are also utilized. Lt. Cmdrs. Mike Baird and Ron Bledsoe, both […]

Aviation Maintenance Technician Aviation maintenance technicians maintain, service, repair and overhaul airframes, power plants, avionics and aircraft instruments. Boeing projects 600,000 AMTs will be needed by the airline industry alone over the next two decades. Some 170 educational institutions offer two-year or four-year training programs qualifying graduates for FAA airframe and power-plant certification, the gateway […]

The flying Franklins started with Kyle’s grandfather, Oliver Gene “Zip” Franklin, who bought a 1929 Doyle Special at the age of 16. The eldest Franklin mainly used airplanes as farm equipment to fly between two family ranches, and he had his son Jimmy with him in the cockpit while still in diapers before the lad […]

Director of Aerospace Program Management Directors of aerospace program management lead major product and project-development programs, from satellite and communications systems to aircraft and avionics platforms. They work for aircraft or engine manufacturers, or defense, telecom or other aerospace-related employers. Directors are responsible for developing budgets and timetables and ensuring programs meet both. A bachelor’s […]

Becoming a member of the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, is a dream of many current and aspiring Navy and Marine aviators. Each year, the team selects three pilots for its F/A-18 Hornets, and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to fly Fat Albert, the team’s Hercules support aircraft. Minimum qualifications: Jet pilots […]

Even after almost 32 years with my airline, I am not one to reminisce. That being said, I sometimes reflect on life events by referencing my career at a particular snapshot in time. For instance, when I contemplate the age of the adviser that ably manages my finances, I realize he probably wet his first […]