How I Became a 747 Pilot: My Journey to Flying the Queen of the Skies

From the moment I could remember growing up in Anchorage Alaska, becoming a pilot was just a dream. Something that truely felt unobtainable. As a young boy, I spent hours gazing at the sky above my house, as we lived near Anchorage International Airport, enchanted by aircraft soaring above. Little did I realize that this childhood fascination would turn into an exhilarating career, allowing me to pilot one of the world’s most significant aircraft—the Boeing 747.

In this post, I will share my journey from being a novice in aviation to flying the Queen of the Skies. I will discuss the challenges I encountered, the lessons I learned, and the sheer joy of flying in Alaska. Whether you are a student pilot or an aviation enthusiast, I hope my journey will inspire you to chase your aviation dreams.

The Beginning: A Spark of Interest

My love for aviation ignited at an early age. Aviation in Alaska is vital, and such a common sight to see. I would take photos with my dads old 35mm camera, and waste all his film on blury pictures of airplanes flying overhead. I occasionally got photos of several UPS 747-200's when the wind was just right.

As a teenager in highschool, I joined an aviation specific class at our local general aviaiton airport, and absorbed vast aviation knowledge there. It was an awesome program that got me out of my highschool for about half the day, every day. The pivotal moments came when I took my first flying lesson in Anchorage at the age of 16. When I climbed into a small Cessna, the instructor guided me through all the ground knowledge, and pre-flight checks. I felt an exhilarating rush as we lifted off the ground, embracing a newfound sense of freedom and adventure as a young guy in highschool.

Taking Flight: The Journey Begins

That first flight hooked me immediately. I enrolled in a flight school and focused on earning my private pilot's license. It was a rigorous process, requiring numerous ground school hours covering aviation theory, navigation, and meteorology. I also had to master various flight maneuvers, including takeoffs, landings, and emergency responses.

One unforgettable moment was my first solo flight. After weeks of preparation, I taxied the aircraft, feeling a wave of exhilaration and fear. Mostly fear. Once airborne alone, the experience was surreal. Untill it wasn't.

After around my 4th solo flight, at the age of 17 years old, I was flying in the practice area when ATC told me to look out for traffic, which was going to be a C-130. I started looking around in more detail, and then WOOSH, 3 C-130's flew over my plane about 500 feet above me. It made me push the controls forward and descend rapidly, heart beat racing, hands shaking, and adrenaline pumping. It gave me some high levels of fear that I could have been hit by a USAF cargo plane. After that experience, I stopped flying, and 10 YEARS went by.

Flying a Cessna 172 in Anchorage, at 16 years old

Life After College and the USAF

After highschool, I spent a year in college, and hated it. I was distracted, and was uninterested in more school. So trying to find something that would enhance my life, I joined the USAF and became a C-17 Loadmaster in the Air National Guard. (Probably because I was still mad about those C-130's cutting me off)

After I finsihed the 6 years in the Guard, and finising college around the same time, I was back into the real world, and had no plans on how to make a living. I considered the pilots I knew in the military to be "gods" and superior humans. I doubted my abilities and never considered that I had what it took to fly Jumbo Jets. But after heavy deep inner thinkings, I decided I was capable, I could chase the dream of flying. And that’s what I did. At 27 years old.

Starting the C-17 in Iraq, as a Loadmaster outside on headset

Climbing the Ranks: Flight School Challenges

I finished my Private Pilots license in Anchorage with ease this time around. I then enrolled in a more advanced flight school in Phoenix, and started training at ATP Flight School. I was in a 9 month, high paced training program, and to be compleatly honest, I'm glad I did it. It got me trained and feeling confident quickly. In 9 months, I accomplished what would usually take 2 years at a part 61 local school.

I faced numerous challenges, from budgeting 9 months of no income, to balancing studies alongside flight training. These obstacles only fueled my determination to get through the program faster. Once I finished with the program, I had obtained my Instrument Rating, Commercial License, Multi-Engine Land, And Certified Flight Instructor for Single and Multi Engine Airplanes.

Finished the Multi-Engine Instructor rating

Building Experience: The 1500 Hour Grind

After obtaining my CFI, the focus shifted to building hours to obtain my first airline job. I went back to Alaska and spent the summer instructing new pilots and giving rental checkouts. I even flew with a stunt pilot, Jon Melby, who wanted to fly a Cessna 172 and not his stunt plane around Anchorage with his family.

Getting gas in Port Allsworth Alaska

Once the winter started to arrive, I left Alaska again, and got a job in Phoenix at CAE Oxford Flight Acadamy, as a EASA Instructor, teaching European and Middle Eastern pilots how to fly from zero experience. That job was a blast and I loved flying with the students I had there.

Cutting my students tie, after he accomplished his first solo, in Phoenix

Covid was a road block and stopped me from flying and finising my 1500 hours, so I left CAE and went home to Alaska and spent a year enjoying the outdoors untill I got hired at Copper Valley Air Service in Gulkana Alaska as a Cessna 206 pilot. That was the most beautiful flying I've ever done, since we flew into the Wrangle Saint Elias National Park daily.

Flying the Cessna 206 near McCarthy Alaska

The Next Step: Jet Pilot Training

I finsihed my 1500 hours flying the Cessna 206, and it was time to move forward again. I had been pre-hired at Envoy Airlines while I was a CFI, but I had to wait many months to start due to covid. Once they opened up training again, I was ready to go and moved to Dallas and started jet training in the ERJ-175. Training was fun and challenging, and it felt amazing to be learing the real deal aircraft I dreamed of flying when I was a kid. Checkride complete, I got to fly jets under the American Airline flag. Dream come true, so I thought.

Flying the ERJ-175 over the Bahamas

While flying the ERJ was amazing, living in Dallas was not. So I called RAVN Airlines in Anchorage, and was hired to fly the Dash-8. A slight downgrade in resume building aircraft, but it was amazing to be home in Alaska and flying to the cities I grew up going to. I spent about a year flying the Dash-8 all over Alaska.

Flying the Dash-8 over the Columbia Glacier, Alaska

But as I was sitting in that small aircraft cockpit, I would continuously taxi around 747's in Anchorage, and the desire to fly them kept growing, and what do you know, I got hired to fly the 747. At the time of hire, I had 2200 hours total time, and 350 hours of turbine time. Miniscule to what was previously required in the industry years ago!

Meeting the Challenge: Obtaining a 747 Type Rating

I spent 3 months in Miami learning everything there was to know about this amazing machine. This training environemnt was the thoughest I had experienced. The process required an oral exam. The other airlines did it differently. After completing that, it was immediatly time for the simulators. Shifting gears from memorizing systems, to having to perform the functions and manuvers was a big shock. The instructors almost expected one to know all of this material already, they were used to pilots having 1,000's of hours of experience in heavy jets.

After the 3 painful months, Training was compleat, and I mastered the Queen. Checkride complete, and time for the real thing.

The Day Finally Arrived: Flying the Boeing 747

After countless hours of preparation, the long-awaited day to pilot my first Boeing 747 flight finally arrived. Anchorage to Hong Kong, on a newer 747-8F. It was a dream come true moment.

As we prepared for takeoff, pride and excitement surged through me. The engines roared as we taxied to the runway. Once we lifted off, I could hardly believe that this was the moment I had worked toward for years.

Flying the 747 is an unparalleled experience. The aircraft's power and grace in the sky are unreal. I felt a sense of privilege controlling such a magnificent machine while baffeled at its handeling characteristics. It flew as easy, if not easier than little GA planes. Smooth as butter.

First flight on the Boeing 747. Anchorage to Hong Kong

Discoveries Along the Way: A Continuous Learning Experience

Every flight presents another opportunity for learning, no matter how many hours I log. One of the biggest challenges I started to face, was my health as a long-haul cargo pilot. Long work hours, huge timezone gaps, unrestful rest, foreign food options in new foreign cities, and unhealthy food catered on the jet, mixed with the stress of flying such a large aircraft to so many unfamilear places. It all contributed to weight gain and poor nutrition.

This Is why I started the AirCrew Meal Replacement Bars. To help pilots who are facing the challenges of the job. I want us all to be healther. It doesn't need to be difficult to take control of your nutrition and health as a world traveler.

Final Thoughts: Chase Your Aviation Dreams

As I wrap up my journey, I want to encourage aspiring pilots: never lose sight of your dreams. The road to becoming a pilot can be challenging, but the rewards are immense. Embrace every chance, remain dedicated, and learn from each experience.

Whether it’s that first solo flight or stepping into the cockpit of a 747, cherish those moments. A passion for flying leads to remarkable adventures and experiences. I hope my story motivates you to explore your own path in aviation.

Your dreams of becoming a pilot are achievable. The sky isn't just the limit—it's the start of your journey.

Flying the DreamLifter. Dreams coming true!