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The Lechota Legacy - Tom and Tim Take Off with Aviation
College of Aviation
… Hank provided one of his trademarked replies, saying he was simply carrying on the “family tradition.” WMU Alumni … and Western Michigan University. Originally, Tom Lechota was a “car guy.” Growing up in Flint, Mich., it was hard not … at the time” Lechota said. “Unfortunately, this was a civil-service job and the company received 600 applicants for one …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2015/04/lechota
Eric Epplett's Enlightened Aviation Adventure
College of Aviation
… Aviation Adventure Submitted by Tom Thinnes on If you want an out-of-the-box thinker, then Eric Epplett is your … Eastwood's character in "Heartbreak Ridge" when "Gunny Highway" muttered that Marines are never stumped because they … of virtually anything -- as well as on-demand charter service -- across the United States and around the world. …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2020/03/epplett
From Taipei to the Skies: The Inspiring Journey of SkyWest Captain Po Hsien 'Johnny' Chen
College of Aviation
… 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 … He bolstered his resume by working in the college's Line Service department. "I absorbed an immense amount of …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2025/01/chen
An "AAR"guably Great Experience - Will Wales Internship with AAR Corp
College of Aviation
… An "AAR"guably Great Experience - Will Wales Internship with AAR Corp Submitted by Tom Thinnes on … AAR Corp. AAR Corp. is an independent provider of aviation services to commercial and government customers in more than … of composite materials and mobility systems. AAR Corp. was founded in 1955. Today they receive approximately $2 …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2019/09/walesaar-0
Jumping In and Out with Keaton Jeffrey: Aviation Technical Operations Student, Sky Dive Bronco Member and RAI Jets Intern
College of Aviation
… WMU Skydive Broncos shortly after arriving on campus. "I wanted to get out of my comfort zone," Jeffrey says, "and jumping out of planes was the best way for me to do that." Request College of … Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport . The full-service family enterprise is now involved in aircraft …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2022/03/jeffrey
There “Arndt” Reasons to Skydive? Teagan Works to Maintain and Jump
College of Aviation
… Arndt sampled the industry by working as a customer-service representative at Oakland Air , a three-decades-old … Broncos at Bronco Bash Sensing that this kind of enterprise was right down her flight path, Arndt pointed her career radar westward. "I chose WMU because of its outstanding aviation …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2020/10/arndt
Souder Soars: How Aviation Tech Ops has Transformed Tom
College of Aviation
… hand to those who come after you. Souder admits that it wasn't easy for the Stillwater, Minn., native to add his name to the roster of … about everybody to help me run through my flashcards." It wasn't unusual "to lock myself in my room for hours" to get …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2019/11/souder
Bronco in the Sky: How WMU Took This Pilot from Jackson to Jet Set
College of Aviation
… College's director of recruitment, outreach and marketing, was booked on a short flight from Detroit to Kalamazoo when … the intercom. It can't be him, Thinnes wondered. But it was -- Cole Dillon, a 2018 recipient of a degree in aviation … of the airline industry." Closer to home was his service as an aviation ambassador. "I enjoyed attending …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2025/08/dillon
Finding His Footing – Calvin Freeland Lands in the Right Career
College of Aviation
… another option. For Calvin Freeland, the second option was a first cousin of the first. "When I enrolled at the … "I majored in flight science . But when I decided it was not the lifestyle I wanted, I changed to the program in … guidance? Thanks to the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Services Agency (K-RESA) and its Education for Employment …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2020/10/freeland
Make Way for Matteson – Alysse Finds Her Aviation Destiny
College of Aviation
… Make Way for Matteson – Alysse Finds Her Aviation Destiny … Fortress that pounded the heck out of German military and industrial targets during World War II. Grandmother … were the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds , the military service's precision-flight teams that, unknown to them as …
https://wmich.edu/aviation/news/2021/05/matteson