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Claire came
to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1966 with her family and, except for
traveling, has been in this great state ever since. She graduated from
the University of Alaska, Fairbanks with an AA Degree in Aviation Technology
and an FAA Airframe & Powerplant license. Claire holds an FAA Commercial
Single Engine and Multi Engine Certificate with an instrument rating.
In the 42 years she has been flying in Alaska, she has accumulated over
10,000 hours of flight time and flown across in state in a variety of
aircraft for several different air taxis. She started Smokey Bay Air in
1998. |
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A native
of Alaska, Deb grew up flying with her parents and twin sister
all around Alaska. Her parents, who are both licensed pilots, often
flew the family to remote Alaska destinations for family outtings. Deb
received both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Business
Studies from Uppsala Universitet, in Uppsala, Sweden. After college,
her father encouraged her to become an Alaskan Bush Pilot. Deb has been
flying commercially in Alaska ever since. Deb holds an FAA ATP multi-engine
certificate with commercial and instrument single-engine land, sea and
helicopter privileges. She has 5,800 hours of logged flight time, almost
all of which was accumulated flying in Alaska. Deb lives year round
in Homer with her 6 year old son, Johnny and baby girl, Kate. |
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Kelly
grew up in Colorado and moved to Alaska with his girlfriend, Dorothy,
in 2002 for a job in Denali National Park. From there they moved to Anchorage
where Kelly worked for the Parks and Recreation Division of the Municipality
of Anchorage for a couple of seasons before moving to Homer. Kelly attended
Kenai Peninsula College at the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, obtaining
a degree in General Business. He began working at Smokey Bay Air in May
of 2006 and has been a full time employee since. He and Dorothy have built
their own cabin in Homer and both enjoy spending time doing house projects
and working on their land. |
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Bill
is a licensed Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic with Inspection
Authorization with over 45 years aircraft mechanic experience. In 1960
Bill started his mechanics career as an A&P mechanic for the Alaska
Air National Guard and Cordova Airlines. In 1965 Bill moved to Kansas
and started Sheldon Aircraft Service. Next he moved to Colorado and
worked for Valley Airpark and again formed his own business in Colorado,
again called Sheldon Aircraft Service. In 1983 Bill returned to Alaska
and started Pennisula Aircraft Salvage and Pennisula Air Metals. He
has been the Director of Maintenance for Smokey Bay Air since 1998.
Bill is also a licensed pilot. He resides in Homer with his wife. They
enjoy spending time with their kids and grandkids. |
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Sarah was
born and raised in Pasadena, CA. She started flying gliders at
16 and attended flight school in McMinnville, OR where she earned her
commercial, seaplane, tailwheel and flight instructor ratings. She worked
as a flight instructor, glider tow pilot, and apprentice mechanic restoring
aircraft in Oregon. Sarah moved to Alaska in 2005 where she earned her
FAA Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics certification. Sarah began flying
at Smokey Bay Air Spring of 2007. She lives in Homer with her boyfriend
Jimmy, dog Maggie and enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and playing banjo. |
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Stephanie
grew up in Hopkins, MN and attended college at Wake Forest University
in NC for a degree in history. After college, she worked at a gold mine
in the Forty-mile region of Alaska. There she learned to weld, and operate
and repair Caterpillar tractors. Her trip out of the mine after that first
season; a thirty mile hike alone through the mountains to the nearest
town; inspired her to become an Alaskan bush pilot. She has flown Twin
Otters for skydivers in Mexico and Chicago, and she worked as a flight
instructor in Minnesota, before accepting a pilot position at Smokey Bay
Air. Stephanie holds an FAA Multi-Engine and Single-Engine Land and Sea
Commercial Certificate with an Instrument Rating. Stephanie is an Alaska
State certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT 1). |
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Jim is a
native Alaskan who grew up next to Merrill Field in Anchorage.
Over the years, Jim has lived in 14 towns and villages throughout Alaska.
Upon joining the US Navy in 1972, Jim attended US Navy Electronics School
and attained the rank of E-5 in 3 years. After being discharged from the
Navy in 1976, Jim earned his pilot certificate and started flying commercially
in 1983. Jim has accumulated over 10,000 accident free hours of Alaska
flying time. This experience is mostly in 200 and 400 series Cessna's,
Caravan and Twin Otter aircraft landing at over 100 different airports
and many other off airport locations in Alaska including glacier landings
on Mt. McKinley. In 1992 Jim graduated from UAA in Anchorage with an A&P
certificate and began working on aircraft full time. He has since attained
an Inspection Authorization. Jim has worked on a multitude of aircraft
over the years from Turbo Props to J3's. In 2006 Jim completed a ground
up show quality restoration of a Piper J3C-65 that was featured in the
Alaska Airmen's Association Trade Show that year. Jim enjoys living in
Homer, raising his foster children and misses his grown daughter Rachel,
now attending college. |
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Sonja was
born in Switzerland and raised in Homer, Alaska. She
is half Swiss and half Native Alaskan, and proud of her heritage. She
returns to us after a 2 year hiatius in Hawaii and Oregon. She previosuly
worked at Smokey Bay Air for 3 years. Sonja enjoys spending time with
her close knit family, traveling, rafting, clam digging, bike riding and
swimming in the ocean. Sonja gradutated from Homer High School and attended
Seattle Central Community College, graduating with an Associate's Degree.
She lives in Homer with her husband, Akin, and 2 year old daughter, Annabelle.
With her welcoming smile and great sense of humor, we are glad to have
Sonja back at Smokey Bay Air! |
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Wes comes
from a family of pilots and grew up flying with his father in
the mountains of Colorado. After spending three years in the U.S. Army’s
elite 1st Ranger Battalion, Wes moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he attended
the highly prestigious Spartan School of Aeronautics and the University
of Tulsa. He graduated Cum Laude with a double major in International
Business/Spanish, and a minor in Economics. Wes has flown planes as large
as the Gulfstream III corporate jet to the small, but venerable, J-3 Piper
Cub. Wes holds an FAA Multi-Engine Land and Single-Engine Land and Sea
Commercial Certificate with an Instrument Rating, as well as a Senior
Parachute Rigger certificate. Wes is an Alaska State certified Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT 1). Although Wes has flown in the United States,
Europe, Africa, and Mexico, he believes that Alaska is the most beautiful
flying he has done in his lifetime. |
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Sarah
was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended the University
of Missouri - Kansas City and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Communications
in 2005. She has exceptional customer service skills and looks forward
to providing an outstanding experience at Smokey Bay Air. Sarah's next
goal is to become a pilot. Sarah enjoys hiking, running and biking. She
is dangerously single and lives in Homer with her very old, arthritic,
one eyed dog, Oscar. She is excited for her family to come visit her in
Alaska. This is Sarah's second summer season with Smokey Bay Air. We are
very glad to have her back! |
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Andrei
was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. He moved to Maryland
with his family at the age of 18. Andrei graduated from University of
Maryland with a degree in Computer Science. He has flown commercially
in the Grand Canyon, Texas, Western Alaska, South Central Alaska and in
Denali National Park. Andrei holds an FAA multiengine ATP certificate
with commercial and instrument single engine land and sea privileges.
He has more than 6,000 hours of flight time, more than half of which was
accumulated flying in Alaska. Andrei's hobbies include scuba diving, hiking,
camping and hitting golf balls at the local Homer golf course. Andrei
enjoys spending as much time as possible with his new born girl, Kate. |
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Micaela grew
up in Big Lake, Washington and spent several summers in Alaska
before deciding to move to Girdwood in 2003. After restoring her '59 Chevy
Bel Air with her father, she became interested in mechanics. She eventually
pursued an FAA Airframe & Powerplant certification, which she received
in 2008. Although Smokey Bay Air is her first job in the aviation industry,
she enjoys applying the skills she's learned to obtain her A&P certificate
to real applications. Micaela spends her free time playing outdoors, snowboarding,
cross country skiing, camping, hiking, hula hooping and unicycling. |
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Paul
grew up in San Diego, CA and learned to fly when he was 14 years
old. Paul has worked as a flight engineer on the C-141 and C-5 transports,
traveling to every part of the world. He was a pilot for the US Army in
the Marshall Islands and a contract pilot the the Edwards AFB Flight test
center. He began flying in Alaska in 1988, in Kotzebue. Paul holds an
FAA multiengine and single engine ATP certificate with commercial and
instrument single engine sea privileges. Paul has accumulated more than
10,000 hours of flight time. Paul works for Smokey Bay Air in Ft. Wainwright
on our BLM, Alaska Fire Service contract. |