Although she “officially” joined Skyward Aviation in 2008, Brianna has been a part of the company since her parents founded it in 1993.  Brianna has a degree in Studio Art from Allegheny College and enjoys bringing her creativity to Skyward.  Her key to success is “cute shoes and a positive attitude!”  As an avid home cook, her main hobby these days is feeding her five hungry children and husband.  Her burning desire is “to buy an RV, load up the kiddos, and travel across the country.”  The most influential people in her life have been her parents, Brianna adds, “I credit my parents for everything I have become.  They taught me how to be a strong, smart, and independent woman and gave me the opportunity I needed professionally to be successful.”

Erin Sakalik joined Skyward Aviation in 2021 as a Customer Service Representative and transitioned into the roles of Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Event Coordinator for the annual FlightFest at the Washington County Airport. Prior to working at Skyward, Erin worked in municipal government for over twenty years as a township manager, code enforcement officer, and secretary/treasurer. Erin has always been passionate about travel and says that her most memorable adventure was vacationing in British Columbia, Canada with her family.

Juriaan joined Skyward Aviation in 2013 and became our Chief Pilot and Beech Jet 400A Captain before rising to Director of Operations.  Having worked for other companies in the area, Juriaan was sought after by Ron for his work ethic and positive attitude. “My key to success is my friendly face, and in this business you either have it or you don’t.  Clearly I do,” says Juriaan.  Something few people know about Juriaan: “I am a card carrying member of the screen actor’s guild. I was the pilot at the end of the movie ‘She’s Out of My League’, which was filmed in Pittsburgh.”  Juriaan credits the most influential person in his childhood as the White Ranger, “Go Go Power Rangers!”

Jeff has been with Skyward Aviation since early 2019. He is the Chief Pilot and a Captain on the Lear 45. Jeff has spent the early portion of his career as an airline pilot but has enjoyed the last ten years in the Part 135 industry. When Jeff is not flying, he enjoys being at home with his family. “I believe in the Golden Rule and try to live by it.”

Tyler is a captain on the Learjet 31s at Skyward Aviation and serves as the Assistant to the Chief Pilot. Tyler is a native of southern West Virginia and currently lives in Fairmont. He graduated from Fairmont State University where he received a Bachelors in Aviation Administration. Tyler still serves as an Assistant Chief Pilot in the flight program for the university as well. When he’s not flying, you can find Tyler either at home with his family or serving at his church. Tyler also serves on the local airport board in Fairmont, WV where he has an aerobatic tail wheel airplane that he instructs in during his free time. Tyler says his parents taught him that striving to work hard and to always leave things better than you found them will take you as far as you want to go in life.

In 2018, Eric joined the Skyward family, bringing a wealth of aviation knowledge and expertise.  His key to success has been, “treating everyone with respect, regardless of their status in life, as well as having an attitude that ‘everything’ is my job.”  Even though he’s a hopeless Cleveland Browns fan, Eric has a passion for Pittsburgh and his burning desire is “to become the premier private aviation company in the region.”  When he’s not at work you can find him spending time with his family or volunteering his DJ services and equipment to charitable events.  “The most influential people in my life growing up were my minister at church and my mom.”

Robert joined our team in 2018 as the Charter Sales Manager, specializing in international and organ procurement flights.  Having been in the aviation industry for well over a decade, Robert states his key to success is, “having a strong work ethic, persistence, and keeping calm when the situation gets stressful.”  He credits his father for his love of aviation and being the most influential person while growing up.  “My father was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force who then went on to work in aircraft manufacturing.  My love of aviation, cars, and work ethic comes from the experiences I shared with him growing up.”  A self professed gamer geek, Robert was the creator of content for 3 online persistent worlds based off of the RPG Neverwinter Nights.  When he’s not gaming or running the charter department, you can find Robert spending time with his wife and their 4 children.

Amanda joined the Skyward family in 2018 with almost 20 years of charter experience. She specializes in making each customer’s experience personal and luxurious. Not surprisingly, Amanda says the key to her success has been “being a hard worker who goes above and beyond for my customers.” Her burning desire is to be successful enough to retire early and travel the world. She enjoys spending her free time with her kids, Makenna and Bryce, their dog Mia, and her boyfriend Fred. “The most influential person in my life is my dad. He was always there to offer support or a shoulder to cry on, but always one to encourage hard work. There were times he would work 2-3 jobs so that my mom could stay home with my sister and I. I never heard him complain, but instead he would tell me “you can’t sweat the small stuff!”

Samantha has been with Skyward Aviation since 2017, starting out at our FBO as a Customer Service Representative and worked her way up to Charter Representative. Samantha graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Samantha loves that she is able to help people whether it is sending families on family vacations or helping save someone’s life when she is on call for our organ procurement flights. When she isn’t working, you can find her at Heinz Field cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers or hanging out with her friends, whether it is shopping or out on a hike, just depends on the weather.

Alyssa started her career at Skyward in 2021. She is currently a CSR and Charter Assistant. She graduated from Clarion University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. New to aviation, Alyssa says she loves working at Skyward because she learns something new every day. She would very much like to visit her birth country of South Korea someday.

Sage started at Skyward Aviation in 2019, right after she finished high school. She graduated from Pittsburgh Technical College in the spring of 2021, with an Associate Degree in Hospitality Management Administration, Travel and Tourism concentration. Sage says that she loves working at Skyward Aviation because every day is unique. “On a daily basis I get to meet new and interesting people and enjoy helping to make every client’s experience positive. Learning new things and finding ways to solve problems is always my goal. I hope to be a part of the Skyward family for many years to come.” Sage says that the most influential people in her life are her family. They encourage her to always give 100%. In her free time, she enjoys experiencing new places, running, and being with family and friends.

Bailey is currently attending Washington & Jefferson College, enrolled in the Pre-health Professions Program. Fun fact about Bailey: she is a certified professional ski instructor! Bailey also plays tennis for her college, but she will self disclose that she isn’t very good, but enjoys playing the sport anyway! Bailey spends her free time playing tennis or playing with her German Shepherd, Draco.

Hunter started at Skyward in September of 2020. He is currently attending Community College of Beaver County and is enlisted in the Air National Guard. Hunter began at Skyward as a Line Service Technician before being promoted to Line Service Supervisor. Hunter was also awarded with the first ever company safety award, in April 2022, for his commitment to safety!

Having joined the FBO team in 2014, Jon is Skyward’s longest reigning and most knowledgeable line service technician. Jon chose to become a line service technician after finishing a long career as a pilot. Aviation is still his passion! In his spare time, Jon enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and is he is also an avid runner.

Preston works as a Line Service Technician for Skyward Aviation. Once he graduates from Trinity Area School District he plans to study at Kent State University to be a professional pilot. Preston is wrapping up his Private Pilot’s License with a total of 40.9 hours. He is passionate about airplanes, golf, and tinkering with cars. “Just remember “Onward, Upward, Skyward!”

Hired in 2000, Chris has been a crew member longer than any pilot at Skyward Aviation. Starting as a captain in our King Air fleet, Chris worked his way up into the light jets in our fleet, including the Learjet 35A, Learjet 31A and Beech Jet 400A. Currently the captain of our Learjet 60, a mid-sized jet, Chris has officially captained almost every jet in our fleet! “My key to success is honesty,” says Chris, ” you may not always like it, but I’ll tell you the truth!” Something no one knows about Chris: “I love to play golf and I have hit a hole-in-one twice in my life.”

Fred has been a captain at Skyward Aviation on the Lear 60 since 2015. With a lifelong passion for aviation, he began flying light aircraft in the early 80s, with jobs including flight instructing, aerial photography and banner towing. Prior to joining the Skyward family, Fred enjoyed 24 years flying for the airlines. “I must admit, though I have found pleasure in all my flying endeavors, the years spent at Skyward have been the most rewarding and enjoyable.” A senior captain once gave him sound advice many years ago, and that is “Always take care of your people.” That is one value he tries to live by every day. When he’s not flying the Lear 60 Fred enjoys playing with his grandkids, flying his 1954 Piper Super Cub and radio-controlled models.

When Trevor is not flying, he enjoys ballroom dancing and making music. Aircraft maintenance and restoration are also a passion of his. He loves the Lear 60 and looks forward to flying you and your family to your sought-after destination.

Chris is a native of Washington, PA, graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 2010, and spent 10 years working in Athletics at W&J. He now lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and very lazy beagle-basset hound. Chris’ parents used to bring him to the Washington County Airport as a kid to watch airplanes takeoff and land, so he says it’s pretty amazing to be flying jets out of that same airport 25 years later. When he is not flying, Chris and his wife travel as much as possible. He also spends a good deal of time “doing fitness” in his garage gym (yes, yes, I’m one of those CrossFit junkies). “I’m very thrilled to be a part of the Skyward team!”

Greg joined our team in the spring of 2019. Before Skyward, he worked as a flight instructor at Fairmont State University. In his free time Greg enjoys being around his family and friends. Greg also enjoys exploring new places and loves aviation. You can find him at any airport with a camera in hand plane spotting. Greg enjoys building relationships with his coworkers and the customers that we serve. Greg lives by the motto “this too shall pass;” knowing to not sweat the small stuff and that everything works out in the end.

Steven joined Skyward Aviation in 2007 as a Pilot.  Since he began at Skyward, Steven has flown the Learjet 35A, 31A, 60 and 60XR. Using his art background, Steven helped the owners create the current paint and stripe design of the Learjet 35A. When he’s not flying the friendly skies, Steven can be found modifying his 1971 Roadrunner and spending time with his two children, family, and friends.  His burning desire is to “work on a muscle car with my son and go to car shows with him when he’s older.  I would also like to own a light twin and fly and travel around on vacations with my family.”

Alex is a Lear 45 pilot with Skyward Aviation and was hooked on airplanes from an early age. His first flight was in a Stearman biplane at the age of 14. He earned his private pilot certificate while in high school. After high school Alex enrolled in Fairmont State University’s aviation program; graduating in 2013 with an instrument, commercial multi-engine, and commercial single engine certificates and ratings. Alex joined Skyward in 2019 after five years as a flight instructor. His main goal is to provide a stable life for his wife and children, while having fun and going interesting places in the process. In addition to quality time he spends with his family, he is a history buff and enjoy anything related to early American history, target shooting with antique firearms, and tinkering with cars.

Chris is the captain on the Hawker 900xp. He has been in the 135 world for ten years now and loved every minute of it. When Chris is not in the clouds, he enjoys riding horses and his Harley. “I believe in treating others as you want to be treated.”

Eric joined the Skyward Aviation team in 2020. He has been flying Hawkers since 2017. Eric loves traveling to all the new places his job takes him to. When he is not flying, Eric enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoys golfing, skiing and taking his daughter and wife to new destinations

In 2005, Sharon joined Skyward Aviation after 18 years of being a stay-at-home mom and raising her two children.  Before working at SA, Sharon also held jobs as a truck dispatcher and horse trainer.  Having grown up on a farm, it is no surprise that her hobbies include target hunting and shooting “big” guns.  “After a long day, I like to set up a bail of hay and shoot 100 rounds of ammo off my front porch!”  Aside from shooting hay, her burning desire is “to appear on the TLC show Hoarders and pitch everyone’s clutter!”

Lisa joined the team in 2018 in the accounting department.  She says her key to success has been being organized and finally believing in herself.  She is very involved in her local church and her hidden talent is that she can sing.  When not at work, you can find Lisa spending time with her son and family.  “The most influential people in my life are my parents.”

Brad began working at Skyward in 2018. He has been a mechanic since 2003, when he began his career in the Army National Guard as an Apache crew chief. Brad is an extremely dedicated employee and keeps Skyward’s fleet going 24/7. In his spare time he likes to play pool, shoot guns, and hang out with his family. Brad’s favorite places to travel are the islands, such as St. Lucia and Jamaica; although, with two small children he says, “I never get to go to those places anymore!”

Dave began his journey with Skyward Aviation in 2019. Bringing his avionics expertise to Skyward, Dave has performed many upgrades to Skyward’s fleet.
Originally from Florida, he currently lives in Canonsburg, where he will tell you it is much much colder than where he used to live. Since there are no palm trees in PA, Dave keeps a picture of one in his office. In his spare time, Dave enjoys fishing.

Bobby has been an aircraft mechanic for Skyward since it’s inception. As Ron’s (owner of Skyward) friend from high school, Bobby tells the funniest “Ron” stories! Bobby is also a private pilot and owns his own piston aircraft. He is a member of the Washington County Airport’s Flyer’s Club. In his younger years, Bobby was the night shift mechanic and was jokingly referred to as the airport’s best night security guard!

Chris joined Skyward Aviation in 2021 as a part of the maintenance team. Chris has been an aircraft mechanic since 2015. When the company is in a pinch, he has also been found to help out at the FBO as a lineman. Chris has a positive attitude and is always willing to help out the team! He is a proud father of two beautiful daughters. In his spare time, Chris enjoys working on his cars and working on his house.

Lucas joined the maintenance team in 2021 and has been working on aircraft since 2011. When not turning wrench, Lucas can be found spending time with his wife and three children.

Julie joined the Skyward team in 2017 when the company purchased an aircraft refurbishment business in Wheeling, West Virginia. Shortly after the purchase, Skyward consolidated and Julie began working with the team in Washington. She is an excellent seamstress and keeps the entire jet fleet in perfect condition! Julie also works part-time in the parts department. Hailing from Ohio, Julie can be found at Sugarcreek or a heavy metal concert when she isn’t busy at Skyward!

J.R. is the Swiss army knife of Skyward Aviation. He wears many hats and wears them well. Officially, J.R. is Skyward’s groundskeeper and facility maintenance manager, in addition to the aircraft paint refurbishment work he performs…really the list could go on! When he is not at Skyward, J.R. is a professional baker. His cakes are worthy of Food Network competitions and he is in high demand locally. He also likes to build custom cars in his “spare time.”