By AAH Jack Quirk
For Dillon Fuksa, the path to becoming an airline pilot didn’t begin in a cockpit, it started with a simple walk to class.
A 2017 Hennessey graduate, Fuksa, the son of Kevin and Traci Fuksa, originally enrolled at Oklahoma State University to study aerospace mechanical engineering. But while walking across campus each day, something kept catching his attention, training aircraft circling overhead.
That’s when it clicked.
“I knew I wanted to do something in aerospace,” Fuksa said. “Then I realized, I don’t just want to work on them, I want to fly them.”
He began working toward his private pilot’s license while still in school, just to see if he would enjoy it. He did more than that, he fell in love with it.
Over the next eight and a half years, Fuksa worked his way through the demanding ladder of aviation training. The first couple of years were spent earning ratings, proving he could safely operate an aircraft. From there, he advanced to a commercial license, allowing him to be paid to fly.
But the real grind came next.
To build the thousands of flight hours required for the airlines, Fuksa became a flight instructor, spending four and a half years teaching others how to fly. Along the way, he earned a rare “Gold Seal” instructor certification, placing him among the top instructors in the country.
“I actually really enjoyed teaching,” he said. “You sometimes get the ones that make you fall in love with flying all over again.”
In the meantime, Dillon married his college sweetheart, Madison, a veterinarian. About six months ago, the couple was blessed with their son, Roran. They currently live in Amarillo, Texas.
His training journey took him from a small flight school in Stillwater to advanced certification courses in Dallas, and eventually to Wichita, where he earned a jet rating flying Citation aircraft. Timing finally worked in his favor as airline hiring began to pick back up.
In his very first airline interview, he landed the job with SkyWest Airlines. SkyWest Airlines acts as a regional partner carrier and contracted operator for major airlines.
Now officially an airline pilot, Fuksa will be flying the Embraer 175, a regional jet that seats about 76 passengers. Based out of Portland, Oregon, he’ll commute from Amarillo while flying routes for major airline partners like Delta, United, American, and Alaska Air.
Despite the long road to get there, Fuksa says the appeal is simple.
“It’s probably the best desk job in the world,” he said. “Sitting at 38,000 feet, looking out the window, and thinking, ‘Man, I’m glad I’m not down there.’”
Looking ahead, his goals are just as ambitious. Within a couple of years, he hopes to upgrade to captain. Longer term, he’s aiming for international routes, flying widebody aircraft like the Boeing 787 or Airbus A350.
From small-town Oklahoma to the skies above the world, Fuksa’s journey is a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is looking up to find your path.
And for Hennessey, it’s one more hometown story reaching new heights. Photos provided
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