AirNet Express Capt. Keith McGeorge explains why he’s made a
career at the Columbus, OH-based overnight freight specialist: “It’s been a company that’s offered me an opportunity to raise a family and stay in one place with stability and security.” Since joining the airline in February 1984 while living in Traverse City, MI, McGeorge has moved with AirNet to Louisville, KY, and finally to Columbus, after it relocated from Pontiac, MI, to Port Columbus International Airport (CMH).
McGeorge previously owned a small flying service of his own. He says he joined AirNet after calculating he wouldn’t see any income for five years through his own efforts. “In the early days, it was a job, but one that offered a stable environment and a decent schedule. I recognized that right away,” he says. “I wanted to stay in the industry that I had trained for.”
McGeorge says he once considered applying to the majors, but knew that turmoil and uncertainty was inherent there, too. “I’ve known too many pilots who’ve chased a career and lost a family. I’d give up my career before jeopardizing or splitting up my family.” Now, he has no regrets about his decision to stay at AirNet; the overall atmosphere just works for him. “There are great people here,” he stresses. “They make it fun to go to work every day. They have a good attitude, very positive, and it’s a major influence on the reason this company is going forward.”
While AirNet’s operations and scheduling might be deemed “different” when compared to those of traditional airlines, McGeorge says he’s gotten very used to his job over the years, and it feels comfortable, like a favorite easy chair. “Your body clock adjusts to this. There is a schedule, which isn’t like the majors, and I like the four-day week. Some of us fly on weekends, but it isn’t a problem. It’s been a real pleasure for me and I enjoy my weekends off.”
McGeorge is such an AirNet veteran that he assesses himself as “very familiar with the entire route structure. I can fly for any of the out-based pilots, since I understand their routing. There are rarely any surprises. It’s a very relaxed sort of atmosphere, really. I do enjoy the opportunities to do some on-demand charter. It gives me an opportunity to fly new routes and try to meet that challenge. … It’s different than the normal flying routine.”
One of his most memorable workdays occurred Sept. 11, 2001, following the terrorist attacks against New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
“I called in knowing that the national air space had been closed down that day and asked whether I should come in to work or simply stand by. Steve Lister and Tom Brennan, vice president of our medical division, said ‘Yes, come in because we may have something going on.’ They worked tirelessly all day, getting us up and running to fly blood work for the American Red Cross to Philadelphia.”
McGeorge says he piloted the first flight out of Columbus to Detroit, where he picked up more blood and flew it to Philadelphia, bound for victims of this nation’s most horrifying recent disaster. “It was quite an experience, being the only airplane in the sky other than military,” he recalls, holding the memory close.
Comprehensive training is another way that AirNet stands out, according to McGeorge, but he cautions aspiring AirNet pilots: “You have to stay sharp. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to put your nose in the books, spend the time while you’re flying to look at checklists that help you better understand the equipment you’re flying, what the job duty requirements are. We all need to stay on top in an industry that’s constantly changing. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself falling behind.”
If McGeorge were to describe the character traits of an ideal pilot at AirNet, here’s how his list would read: “The person would have a positive attitude, be very active both mentally and physically, and enjoy having a good time, when it’s appropriate. A good outlook is important. It’s so easy for people to get off track when it comes to company objectives, to start thinking more of themselves rather than looking at what’s good for all of us overall.”
Finally, when asked for advice for pilots hoping to become an AirNet new hire, McGeorge says: “I’d tell them this really is a great place to be, with a company that cares not only about its people, but also about their families. Management here has gone out of its way to help team members in times of trouble and need, and has stood by team members when illness or other unfortunate circumstances have taken them away from work, even for extended periods of time.”
This captain ought to know—he developed a painful kidney stone several years ago, and was away from work for a month, anxiously awaiting positive clearance from the company physician that would allow his return to the cockpit. “They paid me through the whole experience and I still have a job that I love today. What more could you ask for? I’ve recommended AirNet to many other prospective pilots.”
