Interview with an Aviator: Doug Nelson & Chris Clark

In this Interview with an Aviator, we explore the careers of two Jet Linx flight professionals – both of whom found themselves flying for Jet Linx not once, but twice in their careers. Doug Nelson (DN) is a system floater pilot that used to fend off feral dogs and ostriches while living in Luanda, Angola. Chris Clark (CC) is a pilot for Jet Linx Dallas and  a former Marine with a deep love for his home state of Texas. Read their stories and learn how their desire to Supply the High brought them back to Jet Linx.

When did your interest in aviation begin?

CC: I first became interested in becoming a pilot after I left the Marine Corps, and was looking at various colleges, and trying to decide what to major in. I was not in the Air Wing, or around aviation at all while on Active Duty in the military. One day when I was bored I took a discovery flight at the airport. I just wanted to see what it was like; I didn’t expect a whole lot out of it. That first flight got me – I was totally addicted after just one ride. I never looked back. I then went to school and became a pilot. I knew I could never sit in an office all day, and flying for a living is nearly the opposite of that!

DN: I was always interested in airplanes and aviation in general. And as it happens, I had some older distant relatives who were pilots, but I didn’t know they were pilots until after I started flying.

What do you enjoy most about being a pilot?

CC: I love aviation. This is what I was meant to do. I like the history of it, and where it is growing as an entire industry. A lot of the technology and communications, such as Wifi in the airplane, is really fascinating if you think about it. Aviation has afforded me numerous opportunities with more coming. It has allowed me to live in various parts of the great state of Texas and has taken me around the globe. Plus, it’s not a 9-to-5’er, and every day is completely different from the last.

DN: I like the places it has taken me. I’ve been all over. My time working in Africa was an experience I’ll never forget. I like the opportunity that comes along with flying. You can work anywhere and meet anyone. No day is ever the same.

Can you describe your career path before coming to Jet Linx?

Chris Clark, Jet Linx Dallas

CC: After 9/11 happened I felt the need to go serve my country. My grandfather served in WWII and his father served in WWI. Neither of my parents were military, and I had never thought much about joining until the towers fell. I wanted to honor the American tradition of answering the call and defend the legacy my grandfathers and their fathers left for me. I ended up in the Marine Corps because they’re highly trained in multiple fields, and I wanted a challenge that no other place could offer. The Marines are the real deal. While a Marine, I served on an Amtrack (not the train), which is an amphibious vehicle, kind of a cross between a tank and a boat, although the vehicles are only equipped with .50 caliber machine guns and an automatic grenade launcher. I was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, with the 3rd Tracks Battalion. My one and only deployment didn’t involve Iraq or Afghanistan, but I’m proud to have trained newly commissioned Officers as they were going through Initial Amtrack training. The Marine Corps was the most challenging thing I have ever done, and I’m proud of it!

After the Marine Corps, my primary flight training came from various certificate 141 training centers and colleges. After that, I became a flight instructor to earn more hours and experience. I then flew freight for several years on the back side of the clock, gaining more flight experience and building the right type of flight experience. When I came to Jet Linx, they afforded me the opportunity to move in to Part 135 flying. Since that time, I have earned four type/jet ratings with them.

DN: I was at a career fair as a junior in high school and followed a friend into an aviation seminar. The presenter represented a local community college with a respected aviation program. He explained the opportunities available to graduates of his program and the expected pilot shortage in the future. I decided to attend Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, earning an Associate Degree, a commercial instrument rating and a flight instructor certificate.

After school I became a multi-engine cargo pilot and then worked as a pilot for Great Lakes Airline for nine years. In my next role, I was a Chief Pilot for Air Cargo Masters in Sioux Falls, and after a shuffling of the company I found myself acting as the Director of Operations. I realized I wasn’t suited to sit in an office all day, so I moved on to fly a Mitsubishi Diamond Jet for the Setliff Sinus Institute in Omaha. In 2004, I was hired by Jet Linx where I found the first-class professional environment that I craved.