Joel Webley’s Words of Aviation Wisdom

Read what Joel Webley says about "how the world works." 
 
The 2004 graduate of the WMU College of Aviation, who is now flying for FedEx Express and chairs the national board of directors of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), should know what he's talking about. 
 
"My advice to students is to get engaged," he says.  "Engagement means going beyond passive participation and, instead, make yourself actively present in ways that enhance your student experience.  Join a student organization.  Participate in special events and projects.  The connections you'll make and the people you'll meet will be invaluable in giving you access to more opportunities.  You'll find more enjoyment in your journey and have a deeper connection to the industry. 

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 "You would be amazed," he continues, "at how many doors you can unlock in your life by simply raising your hand when someone asks for volunteers, or when there is an opportunity to fill a need when no one else will.  The next time someone asks for a volunteer, raise your hand.  Take a chance, even if you are unsure.  People will notice and it will help build your confidence and skills. 
 
"Whether it's helping with a community fundraiser or to be a student ambassador," Webley says, "by volunteering you instantly put yourself in a different group of people who are going above and beyond.  People notice that, and the next time they need assistance or have a special opportunity, they're going to go back to those who have been helpful in the past.  It's just how the world works." 
 
In other words, Webley advises to College of Aviation students, get involved.  Don't be a wallflower.  Don't hunker down in your dorm room or apartment playing video games, watching Netflix, or focusing all of your energies into social media. 
 
Raised in the Grand Rapids-area community of Kentwood, about 40 miles north of Western Michigan University's main campus in Kalamazoo, he attended East Kentwood High School.  His father had an affinity for aviation and encouraged his son's interest in soaring among the clouds, culminating in Webley majoring in aviation flight science at WMU. 

"There were a lot of factors that made WMU a great fit for me," he says.  "The experience that cemented my decision to enroll in the College of Aviation was attending one of its summer camps.  I met some lifelong friends and was able to spend two weeks experiencing the school first-hand." 
 
It turns out that Webley practiced when he now preaches.  Almost from the start, he worked as a front-door receptionist and then as an assistant to the COA's director of student services.  He called it "a great experience.  I was able to help plan student events, travel to help with recruitment, and work with lots of different COA staff."  He still has fond recollections for two of them -- former staff member Beth Seiler and Tony Dennis, now director of graduate student recruitment and retention for Western. 
 
During his four years at WMU, he was active in the campus chapter of the Multicultural Association of Aviation Professionals, which has since evolved into the WMU student chapter of OBAP, which is connected with the 3,000-plus-member OBAP that he now helps oversee.  Reflecting on that affiliation, Webley says "it was a chance to meet new people and learn a bit about networking and community service.  I suppose it was my first experience working in a non-profit capacity and it set the course for my future in community service." 
 
Like many of his peers, Webley served as a flight instructor for the College of Aviation where he says he soon learned that "the things we do every day matter and have a real impact on other people." 

To start his professional career after WMU, Webley decided to serve in the Air National Guard eventually becoming a pilot instructor in the KC-135 and later flying the Boeing KC-46, the strategic military-transport aircraft and refueling tankers known as "Pegasus." One of his most memorable assignments was a two-month hitch on the island nation of Curacao, about 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. 
 
There came another lesson.  "People are the key to success," he says.  "Seems obvious, but regardless of how great your technology is or how many resources you have, the key to being an effective team is how willing people are to adapt, innovate and persist through challenges." 
 
Which flashes back to one of the two big challenges he faced in pursuing his aviation career at Western.  The No. 1 challenge, he recalls, was "finding the money to fly."  The No. 2 challenge was "finding the money to fly."  That's why part of his role with OBAP is to guide youth toward considering a career in aviation and the aerospace industry, and, just as important, "try and provide resources for students through scholarships and other programs." 
 
After progressing in his military career, Webley signed on with the corporate air transportation group for General Electric as a captain/manager.  Soon there was more enlightenment. "Most all of business, regardless of the focus area, revolves around information management," he says.  "If you understand how information is used in an organization, and how it flows from person to person -- supplier to customer, for example -- you will better understand the organization as a whole.  My advice to students is that if you look at your job/role/career in terms of being a broker of information, things make a lot more sense.  It will help you cut to the heart of most things and be more effective." 
 
Webley is now part of the FedEx Express team, piloting the Boeing 767, a completely automated production freighter with powered freight handling.  "Flying the airplane is the easiest part of the job," he says.  "Understanding the hundreds of company policies and operational restrictions is by far the most challenging aspect of the job.  At FedEx we use every tool available to move freight.  This means a lot of operations specifications that allow for variation on normal operations.  Ultimately it means you have to 'stay in the books' even at this level." 

While Webley has picked up a lot of insight and experience since leaving Western, he believes he was well prepared to address those challenges and hiccups, thanks to such faculty members as Tom Grossman, now executive director of flight operations, and lead flight instructor Jim Whittles.  "Both were really passionate about aviation and really did a great job of communicating. They really are superstars." 
 
The duties of his FedEx job and its flexibility, the community service involved with OBAP allowed by that flexibility, giving back to the College of Aviation and WMU, and family life with his wife and two sons leaves almost no time for hobbies, although he says he'd like to have a few. 
 
"I think the experiences and career opportunities that aviation offers are truly life-changing," Webley says.  "The WMU College of Aviation has been a great leader in aviation training for a long time.  And the university, in general, is such an important part in helping people reach their goals and live out their dreams." 
 
And Joel Webley wants to keep it that way.