Flying high in Rush City and beyond

Fly-in draws a crowd

Many come out for the annual Rush City Regional Airport Fly-In/Drive-In where the Lions hold their pancake breakfast, color guard presents colors, food and drinks are enjoyed, kids enjoy bouncy house, warbirds, antique planes, classic cars and antique tractors are on hand. Some attendees enjoy airplane rides as well!

For Kevin Nelson, who grew up in Rush City, flying comes second nature having gone up with his father Mark Nelson in small aircrafts before he could even remember.

The Rush City Airport was Kevin's stomping ground growing up as his parents owned and operated Hawk Aviation, a single-operator flight school founded in 2001. Kevin's dad Mark is also a pilot for SkyWest Airlines as his day job.

Growing up around the flight school, it was almost inevitable that Kevin would soon by flying. "I spent a lot of time at the airport and flying around with my dad," he recalls. "That early exposure to aviation planted the seed, and it just took off from there."

His passion for flying began to grow, and he decided he wanted formal training. So during high school, Kevin received training from his dad at Hawk Aviation. After that, he flight instructed for a couple years to build flight hours.

He has now turned that experience and passion into a full-time career and is working as a pilot for Delta after gaining professional experience working for SkyWest Airlines with his father.

At SkyWest, he began as a first officer on a Bombardier CRJ aircraft. This position assists the captain in operating the aircraft, sits to the right seat of the cockpit and is responsible for a variety of tasks including pre-flight checks, navigation and system monitoring.

Kevin later was promoted to captain on the Embraer ERJ-175 at SkyWest. The captain is the highest-ranking pilot and has ultimate responsibility for the aircraft and its passengers, including making all final decisions on flight operations, safety and navigation.

Today, Kevin is a first officer at Delta Air Lines, flying a Boeing 737, with routes varying but typically flying throughout North and Central America on everything from short-haul trips to transcontinental flights. Prior to flying, he graduated with a degree in geography and business at UMD.

A lot to love about flying

There's a lot to love about flying, says Kevin.

"I enjoy the technical skill and precision it requires, but I also really value the opportunity to serve people," he says. "One of the most rewarding parts of this career is being able to carry passengers safely and comfortably all over the country. Whether they're traveling for work or vacation, it's meaningful to be part of that journey. At the airlines, we operate all aircraft as a two-person crew, so I share flying responsibilities with the captain. We alternate roles between pilot flying and pilot monitoring."

When asked what makes him most nervous about flying, he responded, "Honestly, not much."

"Flying is the safest form of travel, and the training we go through as pilots is extremely rigorous," he says. "I trust in the aviation system, in our training and the professionalism of every crew I fly with."

He says thankfully he hasn't had anything truly frightening happen in the air. "That said, every pilot has unexpected challenges through a career – like unexpected weather, or other operational challenges. It just reinforces the importance of our training, being prepared, and staying calm under pressure."

Flying a family tradition

Kevin is one of three triplets, with siblings Kyle and Kayla also embracing the aviation life. Kayla is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. She has a private pilot license and works for the DNR.

Kyle, a private pilot and flight instructor for Hawk Aviation, graduated from UMD with a degree in civil engineering and is working for SEH as an airport engineer, along with his wife Bailey, who works at the same firm.

Flying, training at Rush

When time allows, Kevin also helps teach at Hawk Aviation and gives rides at the annual Rush City Breakfast Fly-In.

"For several years now, I've been giving rides at the annual fly-in; it's a tradition I really enjoy," he says. "I typically fly light aircraft during this event, like Cessna 172s or a Beechcraft Duchess. It's a great way to connect with the community and hopefully inspire the next generation of pilots."

Kevin now lives in Forest Lake and is going to spend some time on the ground this fall, however, as he'll be getting married to his fiance, Cassidy Baker.