Citation Pilot – North Carolina

JetPro Pilots is helping Walt Morgan write the latest chapter in a storybook aviation career.

Walt is in his seventh year with JetPro, working out of Charlotte, not far from his family’s home in Davidson, N.C. He is a pilot for JetPro Trip, the company’s on-demand pilot placement service that has provided him with consistent flights as captain of Citation XL and Citation XLS aircraft. He has returned the favor by referring friends to JetPro made during his nearly 50 years on flight decks.

“Before they contact you to check your availability, they’ve vetted the employer,” he said of the groundwork JetPro conducts in establishing its contracts, insurance requirements, etc. “That gives you a lot of reassurance and that provides you with a level of comfort that helps you do a perfect job.”

Aviation is demanding work, and Walt has always been up to the challenge.  He’s a native of Wilmington, N.C., and like many of his fellow fliers, became fascinated by airplanes as a youngster. His father had served in World War II and his father-in-law had flown for the Navy in that war. “At that time, when you were a boy, you always felt like you wanted to be a pilot,” he recalled. “In 1971, I graduated from North Carolina State with degree in geology, but the seed had been planted for me to be a pilot in the service.” He was accepted for flight training by both the Navy and Air Force and chose the Air Force.  He earned his wings in late 1972 and was at the controls of WC-130 transports a few months later.

Following a three-year stint as a “hurricane hunter” operating throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean, Walt was awarded the USAF Air Medal and had achieved a Commercial Pilot License with enough certifications to launch a civilian career.

“I came out of the Air Force well-prepared for commercial aviation,” he declared. He landed with Delta Airlines as a flight engineer and was soon occupying a DC-9 right seat.  He flew and instructed in 767 and 777 aircraft for 28 years before retiring from Delta in 2005, at age 55.

“I spent about year and half out of aviation but got bored just playing golf and doing things around the house,” he remembers. “I found some corporate work through a friend, but discovered it was difficult to break into that world without out a lot of organizational help.”  He found that help with JetPro.

“JetPro does a great job for pilots,” he declared. “Couldn’t be happier with them.”