Who’s Who – Get to Know Michael Takeda
The world of aviation brings together people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences. Here at Ameriflight, our employees have unique and interesting stories to tell and we’re here to share them.
We’re featuring employees across our company, check it out! 👇
Meet Michael Takeda 👋👨✈️
Michael is an EMB120 First Officer in our ESCS (Charter) Department based in DFW. He’s always had a passion for aviation which is what led him to where he is today. Check out his aviation story!
“I grew up in Myrtle Beach, SC, but I have lived all over the country – Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and the New England area. I was the first person in my family to enter the world of aviation. I’ve always been fascinated by airplanes and how they work, and as a child I wanted to be an engineer who designed them but also fly for fun on the side. Somewhere along the way, I realized I could fly for a living and here I am!
Before really getting into flying, I worked for Delta Airlines as a Regional Security Manager in Atlanta, GA. I eventually began flying on the side and building my fight time as a Flight Instructor. It took me about a year of instructing and flying on the side to meet all the qualifications for a First Officer position at Ameriflight. Once I heard of an opening, I applied and was hired into the August 2022 InDoc class. I currently fly in the Expedited Supply Chain Solutions (ESCS) department based in DFW, which is what I wanted to do from the beginning.
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- Delta Airlines Regional Security Manager
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- Ameriflight EMB120 First Officer
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- Commercail Multi-Engine Pilot
Every day in the ESCS Department is a bit different. The first thing I do is check-in and determine if we have been assigned a trip. Most of the time we have a “go now trip” which means we must depart as soon as possible to pick up cargo/goods for delivery and transport. If we have been assigned a trip, I will first check-in with the captain. Then, I’ll go to the ramp to begin my preflight while my Captain does the paperwork and flight planning.
Once the preflight is done and the captain has all the trip details, we depart to pick up cargo and begin the trip. Crew members in ESCS are required to load and unload cargo. Cargo can range from car parts to medical goods, HAZMAT, and much more. Depending on the load and length of the duty day, we will either return to DFW or spend the night in the town the cargo was delivered to.
Every trip is different in ESCS and we go all over the U.S. and Mexico. I’ve been on trips to San Diego, CA, and Niagara Falls (one of my favorites), and I have also been as far south as Mexico City, Mexico. When I’m not working, you can find me traveling around to visit family and friends or hiking / paddleboarding wherever I can find a cool lake or pond.
I’ve enjoyed my time at Ameriflight so far, and look forward to more adventures.”
We’re proud to have you on our team, Michael! Keep up the good work 👍
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- Visiting the Grand Canyon
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- Paddleboarding
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- Ringing the bell after becoming Instrument Rated