The friendly skies

While they might fly different types of airplanes or have different experiences in the cockpit, one thing several South Dakota State University-trained pilots agree on is their office provides the world’s best view.

It’s a far start from Michael Dill’s first experience. 

“The first time I went for a training flight, I was so nervous that my instructor had to hold the brake pedals for me to do the engine run-up checks because my legs were shaking so hard that the plane kept creeping forward,” Dill ’08 said. “It didn’t take long for me to get over the nervousness and realize how safe it is to fly.

“I would say that I do believe that it was that fear of flying that pushed me to always study as much as possible so I can be prepared for anything that comes my way while I am in the cockpit,” continued Dill, who works as a corporate pilot.

For Lisa Strohschein ’03, her first time in the cockpit sold her on the career.

“I went up the first day of September 2000. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” said Strohschein, who flies for UPS. “The job does provide a great view, but not every day as there are days when it’s cloudy or the weather is bad.

“A recent flight from Ontario, California, up the coast to Portland, was memorable,” she continued. “I couldn’t pick up Mount Jefferson but then I saw Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Ranier and then Mount Adams … the sun was coming up and seeing those huge mountains was awesome.”

As a Denver-based first officer for Southwest Airlines, Dallas Shearer ’04 has seen his share of mountains. He has also flown more than 100 combat missions in the KC-135 Stratotanker as part of his more than 3,000 flight hours as a member of the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, and currently serves as an instructor pilot within the organization.

“I am asked all the time, ‘Where have I been? What are my favorite places?’ The questions seem to go on and on, but I never get tired of answering them. I feel I am so fortunate to have such a great career,” said Shearer, a Brookings native. “I’m proud to be a member of the legacy of the early years of the program and even more proud to have a role in the future of the program.”

Shearer got his career start when he enlisted in the South Dakota Air National Guard as an F-16 avionics specialist in March 2000. He worked at that part time while attending SDSU and then became a full-time technician after graduation. He started at
Southwest in January 2017.

While Shearer planned to go into aviation, Strohschein had several majors before choosing aviation. Dill’s interest in planes came later.

Dill initially chose SDSU due to an opportunity to swim collegiately. On a date with his now wife, Sian, she suggested he look into SDSU’s aviation program. Like the others, his career started as a flight instructor before taking other positions and mastering
other aircraft.

“I feel like I belong in the sky. I spend my free time following industry trends and try to talk about airplanes as much as I can,” he said. “I don’t know many people who have that same fire about their jobs. Being a pilot is a different lifestyle than most, but I have grown to love it.

“There are many ways that I feel SDSU prepared me for my career,” Dill said. “As a smaller aviation program, it was very easy to go straight to the professors and get any questions answered or problems solved. The professors expected students to work hard and act as a professional from day one and that has made a big difference in my career, and I’ve brought that work ethic to all of my jobs.”

In addition to Southwest Airlines and UPS, SDSU graduates work at Delta, United and FedEx in addition to flying with various regional airlines.

“We were kind of cowboys who paved our own way,” Strohschein said. “We have built a huge network and do whatever we can to help get current students where they want to be.”

As part of that network, Strohschein planned to meet a recent graduate to help him prepare for a job interview.

“He reached out to me. After we meet, I’ll have him in my phone so if he wants a job at UPS in 10 years or so, he can call and I will do what I can to help him get a job there,” she said. “I love staying connected to the program. SDSU puts out great students. I like to give back but a lot of it goes back to what Cody (Christensen, SDSU assistant professor and aviation program coordinator) does and how much time and effort he puts in.”

Dill also likes the connection with students.

“I have spent time out at the airport helping students with interview preparation, simulator training or just drinking coffee and talking about airplanes,” he said. “I’m always willing to help students when they need it and help them grow their interest in aviation.

“Aviation is very much a career of continuous learning. The regulations are constantly changing and learning how to fly a new airplane can take a several weeks to a few months of exclusive training. My education and training at SDSU prepared me to be ready for those challenges.”

-Matt Schmidt