VANNAKAY HURNEVICH ’86
The Sky’s the Limit Vannakay Hurnevich ’86 traces her love of aviation to her childhood, and she has many fond memories of flying with her father in small airplanes. Today, she has channeled that passion into a career as a captain for Delta Airlines, flying the Airbus 319/320/321 across the globe. She was also named Chief Pilot for USA 3000 Airlines, a position few women have held. Born in Bernardsville, Hurnevich was also an avid equestrian, and she spent much of her free time during her days as a Morristown Beard student riding her horse and competing in horse shows. “While I loved high school sports, I was unable to dedicate the time required for practice and games,” she said. Still, Hurnevich was able to stay involved with her MBS friends by serving as the softball team’s statistician. “This allowed me to be part of the team yet still ride my horse on most days,” she said. “During my senior year (1986), we were undefeated and state champions, and I was so proud of the team!” She enjoyed her time with MBS Softball Coach Spike Billings, and credits Headmaster Phil Anderson with being “a wonderful teacher, advisor, and mentor.” After graduating from MBS, Hurnevich decided to pursue a degree in Economics at Southern Methodist University. As a sophomore there, she started taking flying lessons at a local airfield near the school. “Once I started flying, I was hooked on aviation,” she said. “When the time came to graduate with my Economics degree, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to try something in aviation.” She began in aircraft sales and marketing before going to flight school to become a commercial airline pilot. After completing her training, she was an instructor for several years and flew for a few regional airlines until being hired by U.S. Airways in 1999. Unfortunately, due to the economic impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the airline industry, she was furloughed from U.S. Airways and was unemployed for nine months. She then began flying for USA 3000 Airlines, a former Airbus 320 carrier owned by Apple Vacations. During her 10 years there, she flew as Captain of the Airbus 320 and, for the final year and half, was the FAA-designated Chief Pilot for the airline.
“As one of only a few female pilots to be named an FAA-appointed Chief Pilot for a Part 121 Air Carrier, it was quite an honor,” she said. In 2011, she was hired by Delta Air Lines as a simulator instructor on the Airbus 320, where she taught for almost four years. At the time, Delta was not actively hiring pilots, but she was fortunate enough to be hired as a pilot there in 2015. Since that time, she has flown the Boeing 757/767, the McDonnell Douglas 88/90 aircraft, and is currently a Captain on the Airbus 319/320/321. She said that one thing she loves about her job is that there is no such thing as a typical day. “Every flight is potentially in a different city, with a different crew, airplane, weather, and passengers,” she said. “I love being able to connect people to new places, family, friends, and more. I love exploring new places and cultures. I love that every day is a bit different, and the views from my office window are sometimes incredible.” Hurnevich usually flies two to four-day trips with each day consisting of anywhere from two to four different flights, depending on the length of the flight. Because she is on the road so much, Hurnevich says that most of her days off are spent at home with her family and pets. “I also still ride horses and on most of my days off, you can find me at the barn.” Crimson Spring 2022
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