Welcome to the 19th "Share Your Story" post. Pilots from around the world write in featuring their flight experiences, promoting their blogs, websites, social media, novels, etc. These posts show future aviators the diverse range of careers available to them. More details + how to participate can be found via the following: Click Here and Get Involved
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Today, the blog brings you the first part of a really great post from Tommy Jernejcic. Tommy is a flight instructor, ex-Fedex Feeder C208 Caravan Pilot, and current Surf Air Pilatus PC12 Pilot. This first part will detail Tommy's experiences flying as a Fedex Feeder Pilot. Next week will feature his experience flying with Surf Air. Thanks Tommy for writing in!
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How apropos that Swayne would graciously send me a request
to write a blog post about my aviation story during the same week that the next
chapter was about to begin. As I sit in
the very same Starbucks where I’ve spent countless hours studying Jepp textbooks
and pouring over approach plates, I can’t help but reminisce about how I got to
where I finally am today- a young professional aviator, already with enough
stories to fill a book, yet still with more adventures to be had!
…But I
guess THAT’S the key right there. Even
though the vast majority of pilots are motivated and driven Type-A
personalities who thrive on routine and seem to have a penchant toward at least
moderate OCD, it’s the unimaginable and unknown that beckons us skyward. Charles Lindbergh said it best: “Real
freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization.”
An Ontario Sunrise
While I can only speak for myself, I would bet that whether
or not we have individually come to this same conclusion, it is at the deepest
level of who we are as aviators. It’s
why we simply smile when people, be it family or strangers, give us a puzzled
look and ask us why flying means so much to us.
After all, it’s just another form of transportation, isn’t it?...
The C208 at SBP
But I
digress! So just how did this average
guy from suburban Southern California end up landing (honestly, no pun
intended) his dream job, and in his dream airplane no less?! Well like most flights, it started with a
thought, then a plan, and finally takeoff.
There were, however, a few in-flight diversions on the way that I’ll
skip over for brevity. Unlike many
others, I didn’t grow up around airplanes or have any family or friends who
were pilots. My fascination with
aviation began when I was a kid watching Tailspin, a Disney cartoon that was loosely
based on the characters from “The Jungle Book” combined with “The
Rocketeer.” Fast planes, air pirates,
gangsters, and the Golden Age of Aviation- what more could you ask for?!
It wouldn’t
be until many years later, however, that I would have my first real flying
experiences, as a cadet at the US Air Force Academy while taking an autumn
soaring course. After about twelve
instruction flights, I was set loose on my first solo flight over the foothills
of the Rocky Mountains on what had to be one of the most beautiful, crisp
mornings ever! Immediately after
liftoff, in-tow of a Piper Super Cub, I knew right then that I didn’t just want
to be a pilot- I HAD to be a pilot!
“Murphy” and his law had other plans for my Air Force career though,
resulting in a “reroute” that at first seemed devastating but, as I look back
now, worked out for the best. (Cue those
dreaded words from ATC: “I have an amendment to your clearance. Advise ready to
copy.”
Finally in March of 2007 I emerged
from the ATP, Inc. flight training program as a fully-fledged CFI/CFII/MEI and
began instructing at the French Valley Airport (F70) in Southern
California. I was privileged to teach
there full-time for four years, alongside the excellent staff at Executive
Flight Institute. Together we enjoyed
the benefits of a then-booming economy, as well as weathered the following
economic downturn. In addition to my
flying duties, I was also our flight school’s go-to-guy whenever local middle
and high schools called and asked for a representative for their career day
events. Being able to educate and
motivate the next generation of aviators has always been one of the chief highlights
of my career, and I have always seen it as a practical, and indeed the very
least, way in which I can give back to that which has meant so much to me. During my tenure as a full-time CFI I was
able to fine tune my own skills and knowledge, and I had opportunities that I
wouldn’t have otherwise had, including flying a *slightly* extended
cross-country trip from Southern California to Key West and back in a Piper
Seneca, with my student and good friend.
That unforgettable flight is a story all of its own!
CFI Mode
As much as I enjoyed flight
instructing (and still do), I was getting anxious to get back in the left seat
and advance my career. So when I had the
chance to fly the Cessna Caravan for West Air, California’s FedEx Feeder, I
jumped on the opportunity. Life as a single-pilot
freight dog meant long days and challenging flying, but getting to fly one of
my favorite airplanes throughout a state as diverse as California was
incredibly rewarding.
While I started
out as a reserve pilot, filling in open routes around the state, I was able to
bid my own route after about six months.
Delivering a Christmas Tree
For the next year and a half I flew the route between Ontario (ONT) and
Inyokern (IYK). It was the perfect route
for me as I was home every night, and the type of flying required was anything
but routine. Inyokern is located in the
Mojave Desert north of Edwards AFB, but just south of the Sierra Nevada
mountains, at the opening of what is known as the Owen’s Valley. It’s an area notorious for severe turbulence,
windshear, high density altitude, mountain waves, and other “fun.”
Tommy Landing at IYK
In addition, for our operations it was a VFR
only airport due the fact that it lies in a very busy MOA. This meant that I would depart IFR out of ONT
and then have to cancel IFR by Palmdale, and then continue VFR for the
remaining 70 miles. If unable to cancel,
I would fly an instrument approach into nearby WJF and cancel once under the weather.
Flying Over IYK
If the flying wasn’t enough to keep things
interesting, the freight I often carried was the cream filling of the Twinkie. Inyokern is just seven miles east of China
Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, the US Navy’s largest land base and the
location where they develop and test their latest technology. Delivering everything from aircraft parts to
missile engines is what gave me the idea to start my “Box of the Day” photo
series on Instagram and Twitter. Here are two interesting boxes:
It was
also during this time that Swayne first contacted me about contributing an
article about my aviation experiences.
Little did either of us know that things were just about to change…
Check back in everyone for next week's Part 2 of Tommy's "Share Your Story" Post. Surf Air is an amazing, new company... you'll definitely want to check it out.
Tommy, it was really interesting to read about your flying throughout the West with Fedex Feeder. The scenery is amazing. That really is a dream job!
Thanks again for writing in and participating in the Share Your Story section of the blog,
Swayne Martin
Martins Aviation / From Private to Professional Pilot
Twitter: @MartinsAviation
