Professional Pilot, October 2017

On the flightdeck of the Bombardier Challenger 300 equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite are Director of Aviation Terry Smith L and Chief Pilot Matthew Jacobs company need and balances trips and RONs to keep things equal However pilots can volunteer for more time and particular trips Jacobs grew up around aviation He worked with his parents who ran Jacobs Flying Services an FBO just 30 miles northwest of Toledo Express Airport in Adrian MI He began training at age 16 and was flight instructing alongside his parents by 18 His 1st corporate job was flying a Navajo and a King Air for Dave White Chevrolet He did not aspire to the airlines preferring the diversity and personal connections of business aviation At OC we get to know the passengers on a 1st name basis They are very personable and family oriented states Jacobs OC has an amazing culture We take our jobs very serious while still having fun Jacobs holds a BS degree in Aviation Management Technology from Western Michigan University Sr Captain and Internship Specialist Ashley Buuck joined Owens Corning in 2006 at age 24 She had 2800 flight hours and to date is the youngest pilot Owens Corning has hired Buucks passion for corporate aviation came early She grew up in a small Indiana town where business aviation was very prevalent She earned her private pilot certificate in high school and then attended Purdue University and graduated with a BS in Aviation Flight Technology She worked as a flight instructor before being hired by Piedmont airlines to fly a de Havilland Dash 8 With more experience she pursued her dream to fly corporate and was hired by Dana Corporation 64 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2017 to fly a Citation XL Unfortunately I was there for a short time The car industry took a tumble and Dana closed their flight operations says Buuck I joined Owens Corning shortly after and I hope to retire from here Buuck helped to launch the OC flight department internship program Each summer they select an aviation student applicant who joins the team for the summer The intern gain exposure to every aspect of the operation including scheduling flying maintenance executive interaction and customer service The internship program is an amazing opportunity for students to experience business aviation in a real operating environment When they leave they are able to make qualified decisions on the direction of their career states Buuck Additionally Buuck is a panel member of the NBAA Young Professionals in Business Aviation program and mentoring group Pilot William Rexer joined the team at OC in February 2015 He grew up in the Toledo area and Owens Corning was always on his radar The company had a great reputation for providing a quality work home life balance great equipment high maintenance standards and people Owens Corning is a great flight department The passengers listen and trust the pilots judgment and they support us he declares Before Owens he served in the US Air Force as an F16 mechanic He began flying in 2001 at the age of 18 while an E 3 Airman 1st class After earning his commercial and CFI he was commissioned for a pilot position in the Air Force flying the KC135 He served 3 years active duty and then moved to the Air National Guard Office Manager and Scheduler Robin Reynolds began working in a clerical position at OC after finishing high school Shortly after she moved to the aviation department scheduling the shuttle and its passengers At the time we did everything using pencil paper and phone says Reynolds That was in 1977 In the early 80s she was promoted to a senior scheduler and helped transition the company from paper and pencil to computers with scheduling software Today Reynolds uses BART Seagil software to schedule trips Weve come a long way from pinning schedules on the wall and using pagers she says Reynolds works at the hangar office overseeing a small team of employees She is the 1st point of contact for all OC passengers as they arrive for a flight Her responsibilities include managing corporate flight schedules travel logistics and day to day operations for the office Aside from normal business hours the operation is 24 7 with someone on call through evenings and weekends OC pilots average 12 15 duty days up to 5 RONs and have 3 hard days off each month All pilots have additional department duties and theyre free to go home when the tasks are complete Crews rotate seats to build PIC time and 1 flightcrew is always on standby with a 2 hour call out for emergencies The planes rarely fly on weekends and December and January are the slowest months Pilots who want to join OC must have at minimum 2000 hours and some jet experience When hiring OC looks for a team player who will fit into the organization and demonstrates excellent customer service Corporate pilots are a unique breed of self starters who desire to initiate and improve To stand out with us a candidate must show motivation to grow If youre looking for an operation where you fly and go home this is not the right place for you says DOA Terry Smith For pilots interested in corporate flying Smith suggests attending NBAA conventions to learn about the industry and internship opportunities Aircraft maintenance Thomas Gahn joined OC in 1996 Today he oversees a team of 4 me