Kris Dahlke, a former U.S. Air Force F-16 avionics technician, was 34 when he started flying the line at PSA this past November, a professional move he began working on just two years before at ATP Flight School’s St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) location, just west of Tampa. But Dahlke’s aviation career actually began many years before when he was a kid, the “military brat” of another U.S. Air Force maintenance technician. “I was always interested in going to the airport when my dad was deployed.” But a career as a professional pilot—that just didn’t come together right away for this Tampa, Florida, native.
Kris Dahlke, First Officer at PSA
Key Takeaways:
- Kris Dahlke, a former U.S. Air Force avionics technician and A&P mechanic, successfully transitioned his career in his mid-30s to become a professional pilot, fulfilling a long-standing desire to fly.
- He completed accelerated flight training at ATP Flight School, earning his CFI rating and accumulating the required flight hours within a two-year period.
- Dahlke strategically interviewed with multiple airlines to prepare and gather information before accepting an offer from PSA Airlines in October 2019, which included competitive first-year pay and a guaranteed flow-through to American Airlines.
- His journey demonstrates a rapid and successful career change, moving from no flight time to professionally flying a regional jet in just two years, despite significant personal and financial sacrifices.
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