Pictured above: Henderson State flight instructor and former student Kevin Taylor prepares for a flight. (Photos provided)
Caleb Huett had no aviation experience outside of flying remote-control planes with his brothers or connections to the industry when he enrolled in the aviation program at Ozarka College in Melbourne in fall 2018. Today, he is a pilot for one of the world’s largest private-jet charter fleets. After working for the college as a flight instructor for two years, the 24-year-old Mountain Home native was hired as a first officer at NetJets and, once he had more than 2,500 hours in the air, was promoted to captain.
Ozarka College aviation graduate Caleb Huett is flying for NetJets.
Based out of NetJet’s hub at Springfield-Branson National Airport, Huett flies clients all over the continent and sometimes beyond. His work schedule, he said, is essentially one week on, one week off, and the money is good.
The biggest draw, of course, is easy — Huett gets to fly a jet for a living.
“Once you get inside the cockpit, you’re gonna get the aviation bug,” he said. “You’re gonna want to make it a career.”
Private aviation has, excuse the pun, taken off since the COVID-19 pandemic almost grounded commercial airlines.
“The private side of the industry has really blown up the last four years,” Huett said. “People who could afford to fly went private and then stuck with it.”
Clinton Jackson, director of the Ozarka program, said demand for pilot training at the Melbourne two-year college is up. The program takes roughly 25 to 30 new students each fall and has a growing waiting list, he added.
Clinton Jackson
It is easy to see why. The average annual salary for all U.S. commercial pilots in 2022 was just less than $149,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the top 10 percent earning more than $217,000.
“It’s a pretty easy program to sell,” Jackson said. “We pick the best and the brightest. We’ll have eight, nine companies recruiting them once they complete their degree and get their ratings. They can make $75,000 or more right away. Some are making over $100,000 as kids — six figures right out of school.”
That kind of money will stretch far in Arkansas. Not many industries can offer such an immediate and valuable bang for your buck, and for Ozarka students, the Arkansas Future grant program for those enrolled in two-year schools can offset all tuition costs.
“Our aviation program is very important to us,” said Richard Dawe, Ozarka president, himself an aerobatics pilot. “We want to continue to focus on making highly trained, professional pilots, and we believe we do it better in half the time.”
Richard Dawe
Even at four-year schools, the return on investment is strong for aviation students. Rich Wyman, director of the aviation program at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, said the cost for all minimum required flight training plus tuition and fees comes to about $68,000.
“Many professional pilots with major air carriers can earn that much in their first year on the job, and advancement is rapid after that first year,” he said.
The Henderson program, launched in the early 1970s, is home to roughly 75 students each year and turns out between 15 and 20 graduates of its professional pilot program each spring, Wyman said. Ozarka’s Jackson is an HSU aviation grad.
Many graduates often stick around to work as part-time flight instructors and get their hours up. Huett worked as a flight instructor at Ozarka after earning his degree. It takes 1,200 hours to get “a decent airline job,” Jackson said.
Most airlines no longer require their pilots to have a bachelor’s degree, which makes schools like Ozarka more popular and essential to the pipeline. Even though a four-year degree is no longer essential for a career as a commercial pilot, Wyman said the advantages of earning one are important.
“Beyond earning the necessary pilot certificates, students are immersed in a constant learning environment of aviation safety, single pilot and crew member responsibilities, knowledge of aviation regulations, and technical subject areas,” he said. “I believe this background gives our graduates an advantage over many others in a hiring pool.”
The industry simply needs qualified pilots, regardless of where they went to school. Huett said NetJets is looking to make 600 to 900 new hires in the next two years.
The industry needs more mechanics, as well. Jeff Gray, vice chancellor for learning and instruction and chief academic officer at Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis, said the demand for airframe and powerplant mechanics certified by the Federal Aviation Administration is high. Labor market data for the region indicates rapid growth for occupations requiring an A&P certificate and projects growth of more than 24 percent for those jobs in the next two years.
Jeff Gray
“Hiring demand in this industry is compounded by an aging workforce,” he said. “Proximity to the Memphis International Airport and
FedEx Express further increases demand in the region.”
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn a median annual wage of more than $71,000, Gray added.
“Entry-level mechanics will typically earn between $20 and $25 per hour, and more experienced workers can earn as much as $60 per hour,” he said.
Students at ASU Mid-South’s aviation mechanics program.
Huett flies passengers to many big airports but sometimes has to make a drop from a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere. Arkansas is home to many dirt and grass runways that cater to duck hunters, fly fishermen and others immersed in the state’s burgeoning outdoor recreation economy.
The grass airstrip at Gaston’s White River Resort in Gassville has been around since the 1950s. Owner Clint Gaston said it was just 1,200 feet long when it was first laid out in the 1950s. It doubled in length in the ‘70s, and another 800 feet were added in the ‘80s, taking it to its current run of 3,200 feet.
The grass airstrip at Gaston’s White River Resort.
Gaston’s has proven to be a reliably popular flight destination.
“We get around 10,000 different types of aircraft to our resort and restaurant on an annual basis,” Gaston said. “If the weather is nice, you can bet we’ll have some planes and helicopters using our airstrip to enjoy lunch, dinner or a few days of trout fishing on the White River.”
The approach into Bentonville’s Thaden Field
Bentonville’s Buffalo River Aviation provides charter and flight-management services. Based out of Thaden Field in Bentonville and also using Rogers Executive Airport, the firm was founded by Arkansas natives and professional pilots Brian Ahlert, Austin Albers and Chris Townsley. Albers said the Bentonville base puts clients within a few hours of anywhere in North America. The firm, which partners with Little Rock’s Central Flying Service, is planning to add a third jet to its fleet later in the year to help meet demand.
Brian Ahlert, Austin Albers and Chris Townsley from Buffalo River Aviation.
“While we can pick you up wherever needed, being in the heart of Bentonville has proven extremely convenient for many of our clients thus far,” he said. “Arkansas and especially northwest Arkansas has seen an uptick in all things aviation, including those who charter aircraft and those looking to buy and learn how to fly them.”
Whether or not it was helped along by the pandemic, interest in aviation has increased locally, Albers said.
“What we have seen over the last several years is a higher interest from individuals and businesses who understand the benefits of chartered flights versus commercial aviation,” he said. “Those benefits include ease of travel and, in most cases, an incredible time savings. Families can stay on vacation longer, or business travelers can spend more time preparing for the big presentation because they aren’t dealing with the traditional trappings of a busy commercial airport. There is a strong need for short-notice, real-time service for personal or business use.”
Albers said he and his partners often are asked how fast BRA can get someone to Florida. His response: “Two to 2 1/2 hours depending on which plane you want to take.”
The open road was never so open as it is above the clouds. For pilots like Huett and Albers, paychecks are icing on the cake, and the road to becoming a pilot is more open than many realize. Wyman said aviation students can build from the ground up.
“We always have a few whose parents or other close relatives are professional pilots, so they may know a little about the aviation industry,” he said. “However, that does not necessarily give them an automatic advantage over others enrolling in the program. Many students come in with no experience or connections at all, but their determination to become professional pilots shows in how greatly they apply themselves in training and in working together with their peers. We provide the tools they need for launching their careers.”
Huett advised anyone looking to take off as a pilot to get over any fear of flying. He said the only time he really got nervous was before launching his first solo flight. He likened it to the nerves he experienced before the first time he went bungee jumping.
“Right before you take off, the realization hits, but then you’re out flying again,” he said. “It’s like learning to drive a car — all about repetition.”
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