Wright took over as airport director on May 2 after serving as airport properties manager at General Mitchell International Airport near Milwaukee, Wis., for 10 years.
As he opened the doors of the aircraft and looked around inside, a smile was plastered on his face. Though well into a career in aviation management, he looked like a youngster bitten by the flying bug getting his first look in a cockpit.
His interest in aviation indeed started early, when his family flew to California out of the same airport in Milwaukee where he would work years later. He was fascinated by all the moving parts involved in making an airport run. It led him to writing school reports on flying and even creating a makeshift cockpit in his childhood closet.
“There’s been guys who graciously took me up in their airplanes … and got me hooked into flying,” Wright said.
He took pilot training in high school and went on to St. Cloud State University for its aviation program. He went to college wanting to become a pilot. While he was there, he learned about airport management, which would allow him to spend his days at an airport and still keep a reasonable schedule.
“It’s been a good niche career, to be in aviation, to be around airports,” Wright said. “And still be able to go home every night.”
The pilot to airport manager transition is a common one for many current airport managers, Wright said. They love aviation, but still love being involved in the community
Article source: http://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/4041786-ready-takeoff
