United in Love and Aviation: Ben and Shelby Egan Find Their Fit with Each Other and the Airlines
Students, faculty, staff and alumni equate the nurturing environment of the WMU College of Aviation as akin to "family."
Shelby and Ben Egan have gone to the next level. The 2017 graduates ARE family -- wife and husband -- and both commercial pilots now wearing the uniform of United Airlines.
Obviously, that's not the way they came to Western's Kalamazoo campus after receiving their high-school diplomas in 2013 -- Shelby from Mio AuSable High in Oscoda County in the northern part of Michigan and Ben from Cary-Grove High in Fox River Grove, Ill., located in the upper northeast part of the state adjacent to the Wisconsin border.
As Shelby Satkowiak, she doubled-majored in aviation flight science and aviation administration, selecting that kind of career because "I always knew from a young age that I wanted to travel and see the world," she says. The College of Aviation was an easy choice -- it "provided the perfect balance of education and training while staying close to home."
Growing up "across the pond" known as Lake Michigan, Ben says his interest in aviation began at a young age. "When we had to pick up family members at O'Hare, we always would go early to watch the planes." He was so solidly enthralled that he had "soloed" before coming to Western's flight program, which, he says, is "built around the idea of getting you hired by a major airline or corporate flight department. It provides elite training and focused education to prepare you for the next step in an aviation career." And both Ben and Shelby know -- and have taken -- those steps.
Not too long into their Western years, both began to practice at the College of Aviation what they had been preached by its instructors. Shelby advanced from student dispatcher to simulator-check employee to two levels of flight instructor for the college. Ben also worked as a CFI I and II as well as an MEI (multi-engine instructor). Both also earned SOF (supervisor of flying) status.
Ben brought with him some additional experience. He started his "professional" career "on the ramp" for Envoy Air's operations at Chicago's O'Hare, one of the regional airline's four hubs. Based near Dallas, Envoy features a fleet of 149 jets that flies to 176 destinations in North America. As a Bronco junior, he served as a spring-semester intern for Delta Air Lines and later joined Endeavor Air as a full-time "brand ambassador" to promote the airline on campus.
He kind of promoted himself and his future spouse because, once they had both qualified for the ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) certificate -- a pinnacle achievement for aviators -- they joined Endeavor, which is headquartered in Minneapolis-St. Paul and has one of its six hubs at Detroit Metro. Endeavor's fleet of 142 jets books passage to 145 destinations in this part of the world.
Shelby was hired as a first officer aboard the CRJ-200 and also became involved in pilot recruitment, hiring and mentoring for Endeavor. Based out of Detroit, she was upgraded to a CRJ-200 captain. Ben's first-officer status for Endeavor was aboard the CRJ-900 and later the CRJ-200, also out of Detroit. In September of 2022, he was hired by United to fly the 777 out of Newark, N.J., and now pilots a 737 from Chicago. Two months after he donned a United uniform, future wife Shelby had to be fitted for one, and she too now flies United 737s out of O'Hare.
Their paths had intersected regularly during their Western days, but none more than with the networking and making-industry-connection activities they engaged in as members of the Bronco chapter of Women in Aviation International. Shelby, who still mentors current members, held officer status as chapter secretary and president. Ben served as the outreach chair.
Shelby wore the Bronco brown-and-gold in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as a member of Western's entry into the national Women's Air Race Classic. The annual 2,400-mile transcontinental competition for female aviators traces its origins to 1929 -- the Women's Air Derby organized by Amelia Earhart and her peers.
The event, which evolved after what had been called the Powder Puff Derby ended in 1977, attracts women pilots who are students, teachers, physicians, airline pilots, business owners and all kinds of professionals ranging in age from teens to 90-plus. One of Shelby's favorite Western memories is winning the Classic's collegiate competition in 2018.
Both still appreciate what they learned in the college's course offerings. For Shelby, it's Jeremy Hierholzer's class in aircraft systems. "It was very interactive," she says, "and Jeremy kept the students engaged with his very hands-on approach." Lead flight instructor Dominic Nicolai "was a fantastic mentor in the classroom and for our Women's Air Race Classic team. His guidance helped me become a well-rounded aviator."
Instrument instructor Kyle Jehnzen made a lasting mark on Ben. "He pushed me to build a rock-solid foundation of knowledge and fundamentals that I still use today. We always had a good time flying together, making a tough course enjoyable."
Also coming in for some kudos from the pilot couple are chief instructor Rob Bunday, who, according to Ben, has "a leadership style that made him very approachable both when I was a student and when he was my boss." For Shelby, it's Annie Quardokus, the college's former director of dispatch, and administrative assistant Kim Courter. "Both ladies were fantastic to work with," she says, "very entertaining, and they could brighten anyone's day."
"You can't beat flying around the world with family and friends," says Shelby about the perks of her career. It's been rare, but right up on Ben's flagpole of special events is when he and his wife are in the same airline cockpit. That's still an ultimate objective, but they often settle for receiving the same flight schedules so that they can enjoy the same days off.
"I really like the variety that the job brings," Ben says. "Even though it can be the same cities, it brings new challenges everyday. United has an expansive route network that allows us to fly to every corner of the world." Shelby agrees. Among those "corners of the world" are Greece. Germany, England, Ireland, Vietnam, Thailand, The Netherlands, the Cayman Islands, Hawaii, Mexico, Japan, France and Canada. No matter what the destination, a bit of Bronco goes with him in the form of the WMU alumni pin on Ben's uniform.
"We collect magnets from all of our travel destinations," she says, "and we have a world map that we scratch off each time we've gone to a new state or new country." The front of the refrigerator might be getting a bit crowded with magnets too. When not packing a suitcase, the Egans enjoy working out, camping around Michigan, sampling the products at local breweries, golfing and, of course, pickleball.
"God Is My Co-Pilot" was a 1945 movie about a mercenary aviator who flies transports from India "across the Hump" to supply the Flying Tigers, American combat pilots who volunteered for China to fight the Japanese prior to World War II. The main hero eventually found himself in those aerial dogfights.
In Shelby's case, a "God Guy" was her co-pilot. At Western, Craig Scalpone was her commercial multi-instructor. He is "very knowledgeable, made flying fun, and pushed me to the next level in my aviation career."
And he was a bit more. Scalpone is the ordained minister, and Delta Air Line pilot, who married Ben and Shelby on Aug. 12, 2023.
Now united in their profession by United, the couple was united by a fellow who is not only close to God on earth, but gets a little bit closer when he's flying the friendly skies.
