Climbing Higher - Mark Brady's Aviation Journey from WMU to IFL

Published by Tom Thinnes on Thu, Jun 30, 2016

“The desire to reach the sky runs very deep in the human psyche” according to the famous Argentine American architect César Pelli. While Pelli was referring to the desire of our species to build taller and taller structures, his thoughts have significant applications to the world of aviation. From the beginning of powered flight in 1903, humans have continued to look and push upwards. For WMU College of Aviation Alumnus Mark Brady, this desire was innate. Based on his pedigree, Brady was destined to take to the sky.

Growing up in Clarkston, MI, Brady was surrounded by influential relatives who had chosen to pursue careers in aviation. Not only was his grandfather a corporate pilot, his father was in corporate aviation while his mother was in air traffic control.   Adding icing to the cake, his uncle originally worked as a pilot for Northwest and is now at Delta.

Thinking back to that time, Brady recalls, “The first time my mom took me flying I was 7 years old. I loved pushing buttons and figuring out what everything did, as well as the view from the plane. I was hooked! So for me it was never really a question in my mind what I wanted to be when I grew up.” The desire to reach the sky was definitely planted deep into Brady’s soul. “It was never a question. I always wanted to be a pilot. Aviation was in my blood.”

In addition to being surrounded by pilots and other aviation professionals, Brady was also heavily influenced by another Aviation Bronco – his father. “Yep. My dad also graduated from the aviation program at Western Michigan University.” When it came time for Brady to pick a place to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot, this factored into the equation. “The fact my dad was an alumnus had a big impact on my decision. Between my dad’s alumni connection and WMU being the right distance away, it was a no-brainer to apply to the University and pursue my quest of becoming a professional pilot.”

Much like everything in this world, timing has an impact. No matter the vantage point, timing can act as the “Perfect Storm” - sometimes offering positive outcomes, while other times offering significant challenges. Graduating from high school in 2006, Brady was unaware of the storm brewing in the distant as he enrolled at WMU in the fall. During his tenure at Western, the aviation industry was hit hard. When he graduated in 2009 with his degree in aviation flight science, the storm had fully engulfed the industry. Without sugar coating anything, it was a bleak time.

As Brady recalls, “When I graduated from the College of Aviation, there was very little hiring happening in the aviation field. I was working at the College of Aviation for the Line Services department and made the decision to continue my education by taking some computer science classes. I choose to do this so I could keep my ‘student job’ as a line person at the campus. I moved back to Clarkston, MI after finishing my computer science classes in May 2010. During this time, I began working on my flight instructor certificates (CFI/CFII/MEI) at the Kalamazoo Airport. When I moved back to the east side of the state, I had to drive back and forth from Clarkston to Kalamazoo a few times a week.”

With the flight instructor certificates under his belt, Brady was confident a flight job would fall into his lap. Unfortunately, the storm was still building. With certificates in hand, Brady remembers, “I went looking for a flight instructor job at the Pontiac Airport. The hard truth - no one was hiring flight instructors.” As the old saying goes, “desperate times require desperate measures.” Eating a little bit of humble pie, but knowing what he needed to do, Brady began applying for any position at an airport. “One of the most challenging times for me was when I applied at Pentastar Aviation to wash airplanes. Not only was I turned down, I was told they had ‘found a more qualified candidate.’ Yep, that one hurt! Here I was a college graduate with numerous ratings, and I couldn’t get a job washing airplanes. It was pretty discouraging.”

Fortunately, Brady didn’t allow the discouragement to set in. Instead, he picked himself up by the bootstraps and moved forward. With the taste of humble pie still in his mouth, he chose to move forward. Across the street from Pentastar was the office for the IFL Group. With all of the confidence he could muster, Brady marched over to IFL and engaged in most daring “cold call” of his life. Walking in cold turkey, Brady went in and simply asked if they were hiring. Yes, he wanted to fly. But at the time, just having a job in aviation was acceptable.

“The experience of getting a job was incredibly humbling,” Brady said. “However, just having an aviation job at that time was great.” With his new job, Brady now had the ability to demonstrate his skills and why he would make a great addition to any company. Paying homage to the old saying, “All good things come to those who wait,” Brady’s wait was handsomely rewarded. After ONE incredibly long week, he was promoted to Flight Engineer on the Boeing 727 at IFL.

Regardless of the state of the industry, approximately a year-and-a-half after graduating from Western Michigan University, Brady was ready to start his professional pilot journey. “Western Michigan University helped me in my career by laying a solid foundation of knowledge and prepared me for my future as a pilot and a professional in the industry,” stated Brady. Using this as a foundation, he built upon it during his training at IFL. “I found ground school to be like a college classroom. It was structured to provide the knowledge necessary to grow and succeed in the aviation field. There are many things I am able to carry over and apply to my flying on a daily basis.”

Much like he proved during the job search, Brady was determined to demonstrate his commitment and hard work ethic. After spending eight months as a Flight Engineer, he was promoted to First Officer. Hard work indeed paid off. As Brady remembers, “I was so excited to be flying the plane at just 250 hours total time!” As the hours continued to climb, days on the calendar began to get crossed off. “I sat in the right seat for three years and enjoyed every minute of my time. I flew with many Captains, each teaching me a lot during those three years.”

When talking to Brady, his love of flying and aviation is apparent. Not many people have the office view that he has on a regular basis. When queried on his job, without blinking an eye, Brady states, “The best part of my current job is the type of flying we do at IFL. The flying we do is often very challenging. Usually when companies need freight moved, it is in bad weather conditions, mountainous terrain, mostly at night or a combination of all three. Our crew of three in the cockpit work together as a team to make decisions regarding how to load and secure the freight, flight planning the route, and how much fuel to take. I feel it develops my aeronautical decision making skills that I wouldn’t necessarily receive in other operations. Crew Resource Management is intricately connected to everything we do.”

However, like most people within the aviation industry, Brady expresses the other reason many enjoy their jobs so much, “People. I work with some amazing people.” In addition to himself, Brady flies and works with a lot of WMU Aviation graduates. When talking about his fellow Bronco Aviators, Brady says, “I always appreciate their knowledge level and the effort they put into the art of flying.” The IFL Group has also provided Brady with the opportunity to interact with other aviation professional who have been in the industry for a long time, many of which who have been great mentors to him.

Many of those mentors were instrumental in helping Brady ascend to his next position. After his three years as a First Officer, Brady was promoted to Captain. “I was given the opportunity to become one of the youngest Captains to fly the Boeing 727,” he said. “It is a big responsibility that I find very rewarding. I am forever grateful for the opportunities IFL has provided me with.”

As Brady took this journey down memory lane, favorite memories at WMU popped up. “One of my favorite memories at WMU,” he remembered, “was working line. It is hard to explain, but the job was a lot of fun. Not only did I get to hang around the airport, I also developed many friendships during my time at Western Michigan University.” However, no conversation about WMU Line Services could happen without mentioning Joe Guilfoyle. “Joe was great. He was a retired Army drill instructor. Everyone was terrified of him, including me. But in the end, he was a great guy and we all learned so much from him.”

As a current Captain for the IFL Group, Brady continues to look forward. His ultimate goal is to be a Captain for a major airline. However, looking back on his journey, he also offers advice for others getting into aviation. “Pursuing a degree as a professional pilot is hard work. Finding a job is work,” Brady said. “My best advice is to not get discouraged. Flight training is expensive, so it must be something you are passionate about. I’m always encouraging people to pursue the career. I don’t really view my job as work. I get to go fly a 727 around!”

Regardless of timing, Brady has navigated his time into a successful career. Much like Pelli’s statement, Brady’s desire to go higher is firmly ingrained in him. He attributes his success to his love of flying and the inspiration his parents continue to give him. As Brady says, “My parents are great role models and the inspiration driving me to be the best I can be, while pushing my desire for continued learning and growth. I of course need to give credit where credit is due: my flight instructors at the College of Aviation and IFL.”