Q: Do you have a store I can visit?
- A: You’re here now! My online listings are my store. I do have a warehouse in Mesa, Arizona, which I occasionally open for in-person sales. There, you’ll find a treasure trove of aviation pieces – fuselage skin, propellers, airplane windows, turbines, engine parts – from items that are 7ft tall and $7,000 to key chains for $15. For information on when an open house will happen, keep an eye on my social media accounts.
Q: Do you make custom pieces?
- A: I do, but not for rush orders. I am working full-time as a captain for Southwest Airlines and work on WyldeByrd Art on my days off. Please contact me directly with information on what you’re looking for?
Q: How do you go about purchasing plane parts for your art pieces?
- A: I have contacts at a few teardown facilities. I email a cutout request and pick it up when completed. Occasionally, I will walk airplane boneyard grounds and pull out galley pieces and such. This is not something the general public can do, which makes my pieces even more unique.
Q: What is it like to work with aircraft skin?
- Well there is no manual printed on how to do this. Home Depot doesn’t have a section to buy aviation art supplies. So, you figure it out! Sometimes, you look like you wrestled a rabbit in the briar patch. My hands are never clean. I work alone, so moving the overwing section of the B747 four window cutout by myself is a challenge. It is the heaviest section of any aircraft. Trust me, it is like working with a passed out grizzly bear. It is dead weight with razor sharp edges. Don’t try it at home. Trust me!
Q: What was your most memorable flight?
- A: I have two…
- 1) This first story is from my early flying days, I was up at Lake River in Polar Bear Provincial Park on James Bay, Ontario. The location was above the tree line with coastal rivers only to land on. This was before GPS with only map reading and the occasional ADF station. On this particular day, I found a small hole in the rear float of the plane, almost sinking the plane at the dock in Fort Albany Also, I had to make an extra flight that day, which left me flying later than planned. I got caught in a near whiteout with snow, falling ceilings, and darkness. Without ceiling or visibility, I had to land the airplane on a sliver of a river. There wasn’t a pre-landing check, this was a “land now and pray later” event. I had one passenger with me who didn’t speak English and a plane load of snow goose for the spring harvest. During the flight, he would nod and point his hand if he saw me flying off course. We landed in the river and I could just imagine what he was thinking. There was no dock, only mud to drive the plane onto for the night and secure it. My passenger and I found shelter in an old trapper’s tent with a pot-bellied stove. We took turns keeping the fire burning. Between the snow, stepping into the mud (almost losing my boot), and having to sleep back to back to keep from freezing, yep that was a fun flight!
- 2) My next story is more recent, flying for Southwest Airlines few years ago as a first officer on a 737-500 model from Austin to Dallas. It was at night on climb out, we received notifications from the flight attendants of smoke in the cabin – and began to smell the smoke simultaneously. As I was the flying pilot that segment, we began emergency procedures and returned immediately to Austin. The captain performed immediate action items as well as the Quick Reference Handbook checklist (QRH). I was tasked with flying, single pilot wearing the oxygen mask back to Austin, communicating with ATC, configuring the aircraft and landing. It is something pilots practice in the simulators, but doing it real life isn’t as fun. The flight was a back-page mention in local news and the USA Today online regional section. This is the life of being a pilot, we train for situations like this.
Q: What advice do you have for those looking to become airline pilots?
- Being a pilot takes a lot of humility and courage – an interesting mix. It’s rewarding, but not easy work. Pilot have to be prepared to follow our careers to places we have never desired to live. We must complete work that challenges our natural sleep cycle. We must be even-tempered in challenging situations – with equipment and people. Personally, my goal was to work for Southwest Airlines. I was not hired the first time I interviewed. Six years later, I interviewed again and was hired. If this is also your goal, know every flight, every coworker, every interaction with passengers, the FAA, check rides, job choices, how long, why I left, etc. was fair game and relevant to be questioned during an interview. Everything. Remember that. Be nice. Be professional. Seek wise council. Try to be patient with your career, and enjoy it too.