Ocean Aviation

10/05/2026

Big congratulations to Garrett Watcher on completing his first solo flight today!

His flight instructor, Olson Kwon said "It has been an absolute privilege to guide him through his training. His dedication, hard work, and focus have truly paid off". Garrett is training twice a day and consistently puts in the effort. The first solo is a huge milestone for every pilot, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him confidently take command of the aircraft on his own.

Blue skies and safe landings ahead!

10/04/2026

Attended a great Pathways to Aviation event on Friday morning  sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. Students from the local junior high schools and high schools attend. Speakers discuss opportunities and careers in aviation.

At one point, the guest speaker asked "who wants to be a pilot". My hand went up along with many of the young attendees. I thought about it afterwards. Starting in 1974, I have flown for almost 54 years and still have the passion I had when I started. Both to fly and also to watch these young people launch their own careers.

Aviation is not just a career. Its a passion that lasts a lifetime!

10/01/2026

Congratulations to Joel Watsky who earned his private pilot license today here at Ocean Aviation's Ocean City campus. His Flight Instructor Jin Kim noted that Joel worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a Private Pilot.
Well, the sky is the limit now and we're looking forward to watching Joel enjoy exploring the skies.

09/29/2026

Look for us at Wings and Wheels on Saturday at the Delaware Coastal Airport. Stop by and say hello!

08/19/2026

Happy National Aviation Day!

08/19/2026

Congratulations to Greg Wendell as he completes his first solo flights. All his hard work paid off, with 3 great laps in the pattern and smooth landings on his first time out alone. Greg’s positive attitude and determination will lead him to be an excellent pilot. Looking forward to seeing him all the way through and sending him off for his private pilot’s license soon!

08/11/2026

Congrats to Raúl Labarias on earning his Private Pilot License. Becoming a pilot takes discipline, patience, and a willingness to learn from every challenge, and you demonstrated all of those qualities along the way. Raúl is an example how every student pilot should be during flight training. He is always wanting to learn and apply his new found knowledge. This license is not just a certificate—it’s a reflection of the time, effort, and passion you put into reaching your goal. Remember that this is only the beginning of your aviation journey. Keep learning, keep flying, and keep chasing your dreams!

Kudos to his flight instructor Taylor Obrien. His professional instruction should be a standard for all instructors coming behind him. Wishing you blue skies as you move on to a great aviation career ahead.

07/30/2026

Congratulations to Shawn Thiede on earning his commercial pilot certificate yesterday! Shawn is an excellent pilot and dedicated student. He is eager to move on to the next step in his professional pilot program, where he will train to be a certified flight instructor!

Nice job Shawn!

06/13/2026

Congratulations to William Griffith on passing his Private Pilot checkride! This achievement represents far more than a single day of testing. It reflects countless hours of studying, training, preparation, and determination. You committed yourself to learning complex skills, accepted all the challenges along the way. We’re proud of you Billy!

06/10/2026

Can't think of another dream career with a Return on Investment anywhere like aviation.. just do the math. And now no college degree required! What are you waiting for?

An American Airlines Boeing 737 captain shared a pay stub online that stopped people mid-scroll. Year-to-date earnings: $457,894.51. A monthly gross of over $22,000. An hourly flight-pay rate north of $361.

The screenshot, shared anonymously on Reddit's r/Salary forum by a Miami-based Boeing 737 captain, showed year-to-date earnings of $457,894.51 as of mid-December. The hourly flight-pay rate listed was $361.04. The gross for the pay period between November 16 and December 15 was $22,154.76. One user on X reposted it, and from there, it took off.

The reactions came fast. "Dude makes what I make in a month in a day," one commenter wrote. Some readers were stunned. Others defended the pilot, with one Reddit user pointing to pilots' "strong unions, rare skills, years of training, and massive responsibility," arguing they collectively negotiated pay that reflects exactly that.

The original poster eventually deleted the screenshot once the post went viral, according to TheStreet, but by then it had already spread to Fortune and Yahoo Finance.

What surprised most readers was that this captain was not even at the top of the industry's pay scale. The $361 hourly rate is near the peak of American's narrow-body captain scale under its 2023 contract. A Boeing 777 captain at American can earn up to about $447 per hour, roughly 24 percent more. Pilots across American are also scheduled to receive additional pay raises through 2027. At Delta, some senior widebody captains reportedly approach $600,000 a year when profit sharing is included.

Airline pilot pay has climbed sharply since 2023, when American, Delta, and United all signed record-setting contracts in the wake of a post-pandemic pilot shortage. North American carriers are still short an estimated 12,000 pilots.

But becoming a captain is not easy money. Getting to the left seat of a 737 at a major U.S. airline typically takes around $150,000 in flight training costs and roughly a decade flying entry-level jobs at regional carriers before the big paychecks ever start.