Published by Tom Thinnes on Wed, Mar 04, 2015
Growing up in the northwest section of the United States, several things are hard to ignore: the Seattle Seahawks, Starbucks Coffee, Microsoft, the birthplace of Grunge and Boeing. For Marcus Williams the influence of the aerospace giant would have a profound effect on his upbringing, leading him to the place he is today.
For as long as he can remember, Williams has always had an infatuation with aviation. Not only were planes being built in his home of Seattle, Wash., they were also present in the sky. With a fascination rivaled only by Mr. Spock, Williams looked to the sky and dreamed. According to Williams, “As a toddler, I used to always have an interest in the airport my parents would drive past each day. That airport was (and is) Renton Municipal Airport, where Boeing assembles the 737.” It is hard to imagine any child not getting excited when observing both the construction and operation of these machines.
Being born and raised in Seattle, Williams is a die-hard Seahawks fan. Much like a “Marshawn Lynch,” Williams wanted the ball to determine his own destiny. Researching and evaluating various aviation programs as a high school senior in 2001 and 2002, Williams eventually decided to “grab the reins” and head to Western Michigan University, enrolling in the College of Aviation. Entering WMU as a freshman in the fall of 2002, he chose to major in aviation flight science. However, understanding the global nature of aviation, he also opted to obtain a minor in Spanish language and culture. An open-minded approach he would revisit in a few years.
Graduating from WMU in the summer of 2006, the field was wide open for the newest WMU alumnus. Much like Marshawn running unopposed for the end zone, Williams was ready to score his first touchdown. With his diploma and all the necessary ratings, he decided to head back to the home of the Space Needle and look for gainful unemployment. However, sometimes life throws you a few roadblocks. Even when in Beast Mode, Marshawn occasionally does not see the defensive back streaking down the field after him.
Reflecting on this time of his life, Williams remembers, “I left Michigan and moved back to Seattle and attempted to find CFI work. The demand for CFIs in Seattle was meager, so I accepted a job at Galvin Flying, an FBO at Boeing Field, hoping to transfer into a CFI position at their flight school.” With the hope of earning a flight instructor position, Williams joined the employment ranks as a line tech. Unfortunately, one month turned into five with no movement. Once again taking the ball into his own hands, Williams peppered the United States with his resume. The strategy worked. In March of 2007, he took a CFI position with United Flight Systems in Houston, Texas.
While at UFS, Williams continued to chart his own course. As a flight instructor, in addition to his teaching duties, he began working on additional ratings; obtaining his CFII and MEI while employed. While working for the company, the global aspect of aviation revealed itself to him once again. Looking back, Williams recalls, “My student base was primarily students from India, which in hind sight was a huge opportunity to expand my horizons and learn a new culture.”
Life as a certified flight instructor is filled with many rewards and challenges. Like many of his contemporaries, Williams worked hard. “I worked long days, six days a week to build experience,” he said. However, “all work and no play” very rarely makes for an unemployed pilot. “In July of 2007,” Williams said, “I was hired as a FO at ExpressJet Airlines. I passed training and initial operation experience in September 2007.” However, even the greatest running backs in history occasionally miss the defensive back closing in. Soon after passing his IOE, Williams was hit by something many people missed. “Due to the weak economy and record high fuel prices,” recalled Williams, “I was furloughed for two years in October of 2008.”
Much like the proverbial football player tackled for a loss, Williams was determined to move forward. However, sometimes to move forward, you have to step back. Not deterred, Williams returned to his roots: Galvin Flying Service where he once again worked as a line service technician. In between refueling and towing aircraft around Boeing Field, Williams scoured the country for a flying job - ANY flying job. Thinking back about the situation, Williams said, “I searched – unsuccessfully – high and low for flying jobs. However, I did learn a lot of great life lessons while I was furloughed.” Like the saying goes, “all good things come to those who wait.” After an incredibly long “wait,” Williams was recalled by ExpressJet in September of 2010.
Timing is everything. The accomplishment of a successful play in football can be attributed to players executing their assignments at the right time. For Williams, his time had come. After several years with ExpressJet, Williams was hired by jetBlue in January of 2014. Stationed in JFK, and commuting from Seattle, he took on the first officer roll in an Embraer 190. However, something else took a hold of him: the need to give back, “While at jetBlue I was involved with high school summer camps in New York City, the U.S. Virgin Islands and right here at WMU. Additionally, I also volunteered as a pilot recruiter for the company.” Once again, Williams had the ball in hand and was streaking towards the end zone.
With full vision of the field, Williams saw the hole and was determined to make the cut. He was sprinting at full speed, and no one, or nothing, was going to stop him this time. As he remembers, “The opportunity to fly for my dream airline presented itself with a call from Alaska Airlines inviting me to an interview.” After successfully impressing the interview board, Williams became a pilot with Alaska Airlines in November of 2014! As Williams said, “Alaska is a great airline and I work with a group of the best pilots.” Touchdown!
When not piloting for his favorite airline, Williams enjoys all aspects of life in Seattle. He enjoys motorcycle riding, and can be found touring around on his Harley Davidson VROD. Because he believes in the power of giving back, he continues to volunteer with a variety of aviation summer camps and can often be found roaming around WMU’s College of Aviation camp.