FEATURE FEATURE HIGH FLYING CAREER

Sky Quest offers candidates the chance to rise up. By Jill Sell

You know that dream some people have about working in a restaurant, being discovered by a famous Hollywood director and then becoming a big star? It wasn’t exactly like that, but Lorain resident Steven Herrera shares a similar experience.

Herrera was 16 years old, a busboy at a busy restaurant and flying around the dining area cleaning tables. He had no idea he was being watched by Corey Head, founder, president and CEO of Sky Quest, Northeast Ohio’s largest managed fleet of private jets, catering to business and leisure travelers.

“That was just my high school job, but Corey told me he liked my work ethic and that I had a good hustle,” says Herrera, now 20. “The next time he came in, Corey gave me his business card and told me to email him if I was interested in working in aviation, starting in ground support. I didn’t even have a high school diploma yet.”

After about two years of cleaning aircraft and client cars at Sky Quest, Herrera, nearing his high school graduation, was asked by Head if he was interested in becoming a pilot or mechanic. Having always enjoyed working on cars, Herrera chose the second. Sky Quest, located in Cleveland, then paid two-thirds of Herrera’s fees to attend an FAA-certified aviation maintenance technician school in Youngstown.

“Steven drove an hour and a half to

Youngstown and then an hour and a half back five days a week for a year, and for months he worked here at Sky Quest on weekends,” recalls Seth Spitale, vice president/director of charter sales. “He’s a special guy with a great attitude, personality and work ethic who fits with our culture. I think Steven reminded Corey of himself at that age — always positive, always working. If you are willing to put the effort in, Sky Quest will reward you, regardless of your age.” given me. In 10 years, I hope to really move up here.”

Spitale, a 10-year Sky Quest employee, says the company does not have a formal apprenticeship program. But each individual selected to be supported by Sky Quest on his or her way to a pilot or mechanic’s license is given guidance. The flexible schedule and agreements benefit both the company and the employee. Since 2019, Sky Quest has supported about five individuals in their path toward a career in aviation.

Today Herrera is a certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic who performs and conducts preventative maintenance and repairs. According to the National Aviation Academy, an A&P certification covers “everything from a hot air balloon to a wide body jumbo jet.” Mechanics are responsible for pre- and post-flight work as well as documentation.

“Steven went from washing planes to inspecting them to fixing them,” says Spitale. “That’s a pretty cool progression.”

“It takes a lot of time and effort to get certified, but it’s a great career,” says Herrera. “Anyone can change brakes on their car, but not airplane brakes. I know what a world of opportunity this company has

“Another one of our employees started out washing cars. We helped him get some pilot ratings (requirements toward a license), and now he is one of our pilots,” says Spitale.

Sky Quest has about 140 employees, including pilots, mechanics, ground support personnel, scheduling and accounting staff. The company manages 24 private jets, ranging from the smaller Beechjet to the large Gulfstream jet.

“Also, we have employees who have retired from different kinds of jobs. One is a former IT professional with a large company. He wanted to continue working, but not at a stressful job. So he’s here washing airplanes and loving it,” says Spitale.