From Taipei to the Skies: The Inspiring Journey of SkyWest Captain Po Hsien 'Johnny' Chen

Contact: Tom Thinnes
January 10, 2025
Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen After Line Check Upgrade with the Airlines
Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen, SkyWest Airlines Captain and WMU College of Aviation Alumni

The WMU College of Aviation attracts students from around the globe -- meet Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen, whose roots are in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, and who ended up in Southwest Michigan by way of the northern Indiana community of Elkhart. 

Now with captain status for SkyWest Airlines, Chen is the poster child for any young person who declines to heed the counsel and advice from a so-called mentor in pursuit of a dream. 

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Growing up in a home situated under one of the approach runways at Taipei's international airport, Chen's morning alarm clock was the roar of airline engines on the arriving aircraft overhead.  "My fascination with aviation only grew from there," he says. 

"Knowing my path to the front of a flight deck would be difficult in Taiwan due to scarcity of opportunities and a lack of general aviation," Chen says, "I knew I had to leave home at a relatively young age.  Because I had been sent to a boarding school due to the demanding work schedule of my parents, I was somewhat attuned to leaving my home country alone at the age of 16." 

Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen and His Family
Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen with his Father and sister at the Taiwan Civil Aviation Museum

Chen said that also came about because of the educational environment he faced in his home country.  "Many teachers just dismissed my goals and dreams," he says, "and told me to be realistic and settle for less."  However, one offered a realistic path for Chen to consider -- become a foreign-exchange student.  The journey from Taiwan to the United States had some major hurdles -- he didn't know a single person in the Midwest and his fluency in English was next to nothing. 

Following two years at a vocational high school in Taiwan, Chen found himself at Elkhart Memorial High School from which he graduated in 2016.  He polished his academic skills at the University of Indiana's South Bend campus and was introduced to what was offered by a collegiate aviation program based near a place called Kalamazoo.  His "host father" in Elkhart had a high-school buddy in that community.  That "buddy" was Ed Kudzia, a faculty specialist at the WMU College of Aviation who would eventually be Chen's simulation instructor in his LOFT (Line Oriented Flight Training) course. 

Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen Doing His Flight Training at WMU
Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen flight training at WMU with Brian DePuy

Chen is a 2021 double-major graduate of the college with degrees in aviation flight science and aviation management and operations.  He bolstered his resume by working in the college's Line Service department.  "I absorbed an immense amount of experience in safety operations, aircraft handling, detailing and refueling," he says.  "My supervisor, Aleks Copeland, also taught me patience, which was important to my down-the-road development as a pilot."  

Armed with three certifications as a flight instructor, Chen used those skills at the Plainwell Aviation and STEM Academy north of Kalamazoo and its summer-camp programs there and in Ludington.  He also volunteered his services to the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program that gives youths 8 to 17 the chance to experience flight in general-aviation aircraft and learn about the aviation industry.  "It allowed me to showcase the wonderful opportunities that aviation brings." he says.  "Volunteering for Young Eagles gave me the chance to bring a piece of aviation to many people who may have never considered that path. 

Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen Flight Instructing Camp Students
Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen Working with students from the Plainwell Aviation and STEM Academy

"All of that experience was nothing short of incredible," he says.  "It taught me more than just flying but also presenting opportunities for those in need."  For Chen, there is nothing more personally enriching than to see a young person he trained evolve into becoming a successful pilot.  All of this also appealed to the hiring folks at SkyWest, the regional airline based in St. George, Utah, that partners with the major aviation companies.  Its fleet of 180-plus aircraft fly to 250 destinations in North America with hubs in Detroit, Chicago and nine other major airports.  When he signed on as a first officer, Chen became one of more than 14,000 "SkyWesters." 

During his student days, Chen took advantage of what WMU has to offer as a comprehensive university, serving as the treasurer and vice president of Western's Taiwanese Students Association.  "That impacted on me personally, connecting me with fellow Taiwanese students," he says.  "Those connections remain important and also help me when flying with others from different international communities."  Another bonus, he says, was the WMU class in international aviation.  "It broadened our view of the aviation industry beyond the American continent," he says, "and illustrates how different countries impact it. The course was fascinating for those of us coming from different backgrounds." 

Po Hsien and Fellow WMU Alumni Mirazia Isomilov from Ubzekistan
Broncos are Everywhere in Aviation!  Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen and fellow WMU Alumni, Miraziz Isomilov from Uzbekistan during a SkyWest trip

Chen also hosts warm regards for Raymond Thompson, the college's current dean, for his support of the program's international students during Chen's days on campus; for assistant professor Kevin High and how he used humor in his courses to make key academic points; and former instructor Brian DePuy, a 2017 College of Aviation alumnus who now pilots aircraft for United Airlines.  They, along with student progress specialist LaTonja Wilson and former staff member Tracey Kauppila, all have Chen's respect for their roles in charting his career.  He intends to pay some of that goodwill back by speaking to the WMU chapter of the Professional Asian Pilots Association about the status of the industry and its opportunities. 

In retrospect, Chen admits that his Taiwanese father might have subliminally factored into his choice of a career.  "My father's love for aviation was deep-rooted through his collection of model airplanes and his global travels as an electrical engineer."  His "host father" in Elkhart harbored dreams of being an Air Force pilot but that was curtailed by a medical condition.  "He shared his passion for aviation," Chen says, "and strengthened my decision to attend WMU." 

Po Hsien "Johnny" Chen Flight Training at WMU
Celebrating his instrument checkride at WMU College of Aviation

As a result, Chen is enjoying a career that connects him with people from all over the world by taking them to where they want to go. "There is no better feeling than knowing that you indirectly help others," he says.  But the other side of that coin is the sense of the status of immigration.  Now in the process of securing the status of "permanent residency," Chen says there is still the personal issue of "where to go and what to do.  That is always challenging for us international students who have yet to secure something more permanent.  Being away from home always makes things harder." 

What soothes that a bit is the sense of viewing the planet from 20,000 feet and higher.  He says it's hard to describe what is seen while flying over Montana's glaciers and other incredible scenery.  Other than that perspective, Chen's off hours find him still doing what he did earlier in life -- in a boxing gym practicing "the skilled science."  Following in the footsteps of his father, who also operated a restaurant in Taiwan, Chen pursues a passion for cooking. 

If there was a "pub crawl" targeting the world' greatest Chinese restaurants, SkyWest Capt. "Johnny" Chen should be the one calling the shots on the destinations because he's probably been to a lot of them.