Moving halfway around the world to start their careers as airline pilots, SkyWest Captains Daniel Suber and Kylie Dewar — who didn’t know each other until they met at SkyWest — admitted they got more than they bargained for when they joined the world’s largest regional airline.
“We went from seatmates to soulmates pretty fast,” Daniel said with a smile.
“To this day, our family still laughs and reminds us, “We can’t believe you went all the way to America just to bring home an Australian,” added Kylie. “I knew SkyWest was a great company — and it’s certainly surpassed all my expectations — but I just didn’t realize they would also help me find my true love too.”
Before coming to SkyWest, Daniel worked as a flight instructor and also helped fight wildfires during the fire season. Wanting something more, Daniel applied with Qantas and got accepted.
“Everything seemed great at first, but because positions were full, I had to
wait until a position opened up,” said Daniel. “After about a year I was getting tired of waiting. Then I heard about SkyWest and after doing some research, it seemed like the perfect fit for me. What jumped out to me was its departures and massive fleet. SkyWest has more airplanes in its fleet than all the airlines in Australia combined.”
For Kylie, becoming a pilot was something that she had never planned on doing. Before coming to SkyWest, she started out as a flight attendant at SkyWest Australia, which later became Virgin Australia.
During her time as a flight attendant, Kylie remembers going into the flight deck during trips and just being in awe of the views. And although she enjoyed being a flight attendant, she knew something was missing. After talking with some of the pilots, they told her to take a flying lesson and to try it out.
“I thought they were crazy. I kept thinking, ‘there’s no way I could afford to be a pilot, let alone learn how to fly.’ But I ended up taking a lesson, loved it, and the rest is history.”
After completing her flight training and being hired at SkyWest, a friend put her in touch with Daniel so she could get some advice about the airline and to help answer questions about life in the states.
“I didn’t waste any time, Kylie said laughing. “Daniel was super helpful with everything. Coming from Australia, I didn’t know where to send my mail and everything. He told me that I could send it to his place and that he would hold everything for me. He could have gone through all my mail and took everything, but he didn’t, and that trust only deepened between the two of us.”
Before Kylie upgraded to captain, the duo was able to schedule several trips together. In fact, they flew for a month with one another in what Kylie describes as the ultimate test for Daniel.
“That was the final test and he passed,” Kylie laughed. “But honestly, it was a big blessing for me as he was a great mentor and really prepared me so that I went into my upgrade with a lot of confidence.”
To top it off, the couple got engaged on Christmas Eve at a place where it all started: Chicago O’Hare.
“You could say it was a match made in an airport,” Daniel said with a smile. “I had been thinking of proposing for quite some time, but things kept changing, especially with the pandemic and everything. We are both based here and the airport has been a big part of our lives. It has a lot of significance for us and with all the decorations and lights, I jumped at the chance.”
To set up his plan, Daniel convinced Kylie that there was a crew Christmas
party at the airport. Daniel recruited a friend to take Kylie’s picture in the decorated hall on their way to the party. The friend was recording the event and captured the moment when jumped out and got down on one knee.
“It worked perfectly,” said Daniel. “She fell right into it.”
“I had an idea it was coming, I just didn’t know when,” added Kylie. “Daniel isn’t the best at keeping secrets, but I have to admit that he got me good.”
After a wild year with the ongoing pandemic, 2020 ended in the best way possible for Daniel and Kylie.
“We are both grateful for SkyWest and the opportunities it has given us,” said Daniel. “The company gives you the resources you need to succeed and it’s been a blast. I’m not sure why anyone would want to leave.”
“We can’t see ourselves ever leaving,” added Kylie. “The flying is awesome, the crews are amazing and we have such a great team throughout the system. We love our jobs and love being at SkyWest.”
To the more than 13,000 SkyWest employees and many more who share a love for all things aviation: Happy Valentine’s Day!
through, and a time to learn something you did not know,” said Williams. “It brings awareness and is a time for people to learn more about Black history and culture. Black History Month is for everyone.”
For Newton, Black History Month is important because it raises awareness and highlights opportunities for people to learn more about Black history.
Chicago-based CRJ First Officer Brian Lucas loves to fly and uses his skill set to give back.
In March, a passenger visiting family in Pierre, South Dakota (PIR) was dropped off at the airport and realized he had left his wallet at a relative’s house. When the passenger was unable to reach family members, Bob loaned him his 1996 blue Chevy pick up to go retrieve it.
Stress and concern about COVID-19 has been a challenge for many individuals. To help, Minneapolis-based Flight Attendant Debby Thompson decided to create goodie bags for her fellow colleagues in MSP. The bags include chocolates and a note thanking the crew for their work.
SkyWest flight attendants cross paths with countless passengers from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances. That extensive background is what made unaccompanied minor Janiyah stand out to Chicago-based flight attendant Tina Meeke on a recent flight.
For SkyWest Dispatcher Nicole Manson, being Native American is something that she is proud of and holds close to her heart. She is a member of the Diné (Navajo) Tribe and was born and raised in LeChee, Arizona.
SLC Mechanic II Michael Gardner is both Athabaskin and Inuit, two tribes native to Alaska, and although he was adopted and raised outside of his tribal community, Michael still feels a strong connection to his Alaskan Native heritage.
For ERJ Captain Rick Meyer, flying planes was something that he always wanted to do. However, without any family ties to aviation, becoming a pilot wasn’t the typical path in his family.
Sam Capitan is a member of the Navajo Nation. He has been flying with SkyWest since 2019 and is based in Salt Lake City (SLC) as a flight attendant. He loves the aviation industry and hopes to eventually become a pilot.
SkyWest flight attendants cross paths with countless passengers from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances. That extensive background is what made unaccompanied minor Janiyah stand out to Chicago-based flight attendant Tina Meeke on a recent flight.
her great grandmother because she and her mom could “no longer live together”.
Tina was so affected by her interaction with Janiyah that she decided to share how she was inspired to help one of her passengers that day. Almost immediately, she began to hear from her friends and SkyWest colleagues asking if there was something they could do to help. “I was overwhelmed with the amount of SkyWest people who came forward and wanted to help our passenger,” Tina said.
supplies. The two had a wonderful outing, purchasing school supplies, clothes, shoes, and a computer and phone with a 1 year of prepaid calling. In addition, several packaged gifts and over $500 in nonperishable food items were delivered to Janiyah.
Tina’s unexpected connection with Janiyah may seem out of the ordinary, but SkyWest people are known for extraordinary service and compassion.
The 
the team made arrangements to bring back two flags that were flown during their deployment. On the certificate of authenticity, it points out that the flag was flown onboard a UH-60 Blackhawk during a three-day combat mission, one of the longest missions of the deployment.
Strongbow is known for being a hard worker in life and has been successful in his many pursuits, including fashion photography, where he was sponsored by Nikon, and as a state champion football coach. Strongbow also enjoys going to powwows and finds his background in fashion photography allows him to capture his culture through his art. 
Using her platform as a Latina pilot, Captain Jessica Montiel hopes to bring awareness and to inspire the next generation of female pilots.
On his 14th birthday, Captain Victor Vazquez’s mother gifted him with an intro flight. He was hooked and wanted to keep flying through his high school years. He made a deal with his parents to work at the family restaurant to help pay for flight lessons. Upon graduation, Captain Vazquez had obtained his Private Pilot and Instrument Rating. This put him ahead when he enrolled in college and allowed him to complete his degree sooner than expected.
While First Officer Melissa Montiel was studying marketing in college, the aviation bug started to pull her towards flying. She joined an introductory aviation class to learn more about operating an airplane. After extensive research, she decided to begin flight training in San Diego. Her grandmother helped inspire her passion for flight, taking her family to airshows in San Diego anytime the show came to town.
Flight Attendant Melinda Lopez dreamed of being a flight attendant since she was a little girl. She encourages other Hispanic people interested in a career in aviation to follow their dreams and work hard. She has seen the aviation industry become a more diverse career field.
For Boise Flight Attendant Vanet Ortega-Garcia, familia is everything! With a deep Hispanic heritage, Vanet is grateful for her experiences and continues to instill the Mexican traditions and culture of hard work and passion to her kids and future generations.