About Me

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 Current Employment:

  • B767-400 First Officer, Delta Air Lines
  • Academic Instructor (Professor), California Aeronautical University
Notable Previous Employment:
  • Line Oriented Safety Audit Pilot, Envoy Air
  • First Officer, Envoy Air
  • Corporate Pilot, King Air, Reiter Affiliated Companies
  • Check Airman, Air Resources Board
  • Check Instructor, California Aeronautical University
  • Executive, AED Institute of America
  • HM1(FMF/MTS), US Navy (Ret.)
Education:
  • Master's of Aviation Science, California Aeronautical University (High Honors Dean's List)
  • Bachelor's of Aeronautics, California Aeronautical University (Dean's List)
Qualifications:
  • Airline Transport Pilot
  • Type Ratings: B757/767, EMB-145
  • Commercial ASEL Pilot
  • CFI/II/MEI
  • Master Trainer Specialist
  • Basic/Senior/Master Instructor
  • Curriculum Developer Certificate
Volunteer:
  • Navigator (Mentor), Navigation Solutions (DoD)
  • President & Executive Director, Board of Directors, Kings SPCA (www.kingsspca.org)
  • Pilot2Pilot & Pilot Assistance Committee, ENY ALPA Union
  • EMS Captain, Richlands EMS/Rescue Squad (Past)

My name is Aaron Hepps.  I started this blog after being asked daily for advice and mentorship in others pursuits of becoming a professional pilot.  As this profession has brought me large amounts of joy, I hope to help others to enter this industry so they too can get a taste of flying!

After high school, I attended community college to start a career in pre-hospital emergency medicine (EMS).  While working full-time in the ER and full-time on an ambulance, I decided to serve and joined the United States Navy.  Enlisting in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, I elected to go "green side," which is a Field Medical Technician.  These specialized Corpsman are assigned to Marine Corps units to provide medical and dental services in both garrison and forward deployed around the world.

My first assignment was to a USMC infantry unit.  Stationed at Camp Lejeune, I deployed twice to combat in Afghanistan as a front line Corpsman.  Upon return from my second deployment, I oversaw the return of wounded Marines and Sailors from a third deployment before changing commands.  My next command was a training command.  I became qualified as a military instructor and served as a combat medicine instructor for Corpsman wishing to specialize in the field I had been working.  Upon a successful tour of duty there, I was transferred to Hawaii where I became a supervisor for Human Resources at the only Naval Health Clinic in Hawaii.

After nine years of active service, I exited the Navy on medical retirement.  Hired on as a Chief Compliance Officer and Training Center Coordinator for an American Heart Association center, I left that job and the medical field all together just six months later.  I had grown unhappy with my industry and really wanted to chase my dreams of flight.

I found a Part 61 flight school on the island and obtained my private pilot certificate in under thirty days.  I knew this was what I wanted to do, but had no idea how to get started past that point.  I reached out to a mentor of mine, one I had served with in the military and was now on his way to the airlines.  He provided the same information I am sharing with you, and soon I found myself on the fast track to achieving my goals.

I moved from Hawaii to California and attended California Aeronautical University.  It was there that I earned my Bachelors of Aeronautics and completed all my required flight training.  During the flight training, I completed:

  • Instrument Rating
  • Commercial Single-Engine
  • Commercial Multi-Engine
  • Certificated Flight Instructor
  • Certificated Flight Instructor-Instrument
  • Multi-Engine Instructor
Graduating Alpha Beta Kappa with honors, I was appointed as Alumni President for the university and entered into their Master's of Aviation Science (MAS) program.  Upon completing my thesis Flight Instructor Shortage, I was offered a staff position teaching online courses for the bachelors program and currently teach the next generation of professional pilots. During my time teaching, I have redesigned seven courses for the university to include instrument pilot, aircraft system, and the Certificated Flight Instructor ground course.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhepps



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