Ko and Lan pilot Boeing 767s from Honolulu and Miami.
By Hilary Reeves
Hongchul An (Ko) and Ran An (Lan) have many things in
common: they were both born and raised in Tokyo, emigrating to the United
States as teenagers. Both traveled internationally as children and showed an
early interest in aviation. Both became pilots and worked as flight instructors
and corporate charter pilots. But this husband-and-wife team – who were introduced
by a mutual friend, have a combined 38 years of experience, and now both pilot Boeing 767s for Northern Air
Cargo (NAC) – achieved their dreams via very different paths.
Ko
According
to Ko, most of the students attending his elementary and middle schools in
Japan were into “robots” and “heroes” – but not him.
“I was
really into transportation: trucks, buses, trains, and airplanes,” he said.
“Especially airplanes because I used to travel a lot with my family. Airplanes
became something special for me when a pilot took me inside the cockpit during
a flight to show me a sunrise. It was a very inspiring experience, and I
decided from that day on that I was going to be a pilot.”
“I decided – with the support of my family – to attend high school in Arizona, mainly to learn English. I chose Arizona because there wasn’t a large Japanese population – that was very important for me because I didn’t want to depend on other Japanese people when I was trying to learn English.”
-Ko
Ko could
have become a pilot in Japan, but he wanted to fly in the United States because
the pilot who had shown him the sunrise from the cockpit was with Northwest
Airlines.
“I knew it
wasn’t going to be an easy path, especially with the language barrier,” he
said. “I decided – with the support of my family – to attend high school in
Arizona, mainly to learn English. I chose Arizona because there wasn’t a large
Japanese population – that was very important for me because I didn’t want to
depend on other Japanese people when I was trying to learn English.”
Ko went on
to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona, graduating and
earning his pilot license. His first job was as a flight instructor in
Massachusetts. The real challenge at that time in his life, he said, was
obtaining his Permanent Resident Card, better known as a “Green Card.”
“I had to
find a sponsor operator, which is required by immigration law,” he explained. “Coming
straight out of college, I didn’t have much flying experience. ‘No experience, no
job,’ everyone would say, and of course, I couldn’t get any experience without
a job. So I drove to the area I wanted to live and visited all of the local
flight schools and charter operators. Eventually, I found a flight school/charter
operator who was willing to sponsor me for a work visa and my Green Card. The
whole process took me about eight years.”
A long
road, but Ko build his flight experience on Kingair, Learjet, Challenger, and
Falcon planes in the meantime.
“Flying
some of the wealthiest people all over the world on very high-tech jets was
absolutely exciting and interesting, but I felt like I had reached the pinnacle
of charter flying and wanted to fly something bigger, like the commercial jet I
saw the sunrise from.”
Ko began flying a Boeing
737 for a cargo outfit in Hawaii. Over the course of about a year, he logged
121 flights as pilot of the big jet. He learned Aloha Air Cargo was accepting
pilot applications, and both he and Lan applied.
“We were both able to get the job as 737 first officers,” he said. “We
loved the job and being supported and surrounded by wonderful people at Aloha.”
Lan
Lan spent her elementary years traveling between Japan and Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father worked.
“My family spent a lot of time traveling
during my childhood days, and we always flew out of Narita International
Airport,” she said. “I remember being excited at the airport for every trip. I
grew interested in aviation during those years. After graduating high school in
Japan, I decided to enter Aviation College in Cincinnati and started flying.”
After working as a flight
instructor in the Boston area, Lan began working at a charter company in Hawaii,
where there was a need for Japanese-speaking pilots. She met a corporate owner
on the job and began flying for a corporation out of South America. Four years
later, she was ready for a break.
“I took few years off, but
prior 737 experience landed me my first cargo job in Hawaii, which eventually
gave me the experience to fly for Aloha,” she said. “Ko and I both took the
opportunity to fly a heavy jet, which had been one of our goals. I think flying
an airplane is pure fun. I enjoy working out challenges with the crew, looking
at how different pilots face each task, and to this day, I haven`t had a ‘perfect’
flight. I try to learn something new during every flight and look forward to
future accomplishments. The hardest thing for me has been prioritizing my
family, taking time to live my life, and working towards my career.”
Connecting Miami
The
addition of Boeing 767s to Aloha and its sister companies’ fleet provided an
opportunity for Ko and Lan to each fly the 767 aircraft out of Honolulu. They
also spend 17 days every month in Miami.
“All of
the Honolulu-based B767 pilots are assigned to do temporary flight assignments
out of Miami for 17 days every month,” where Aloha sister company StratAir is
based, Ko explained. “During those 17 days, we’re on call, so we just fly to
wherever and whenever the company needs us to.”
“We deal with constant changes of schedule by the hour everyday between reserves,
flights, and delays,” Lan echoed. “I try to get as much rest as I can during
that time.”
“It was natural to offer to help at a time when flying an airplane meant more than just transporting cargo.”
-Lan
Ko and Lan were both in
Miami on Sept. 3, 2019, when Hurricane Dorian came to call.
“I was actually assigned to
go back to Hawaii a few days before the hurricane’s landfall in Florida, but my
flight scheduler called me to ask if I was willing to help the company conduct
rescue flights,” he said. “I thought it would
work out great for the company and us, too, as I’d never flown with my wife
before. Flying with her was a fun experience, and I was glad to hear that no
substantial damage was reported in Miami from the hurricane. I’m thankful for
the great opportunity that the company provided us.”
“It was
natural to offer to help at a time when flying an airplane meant more than just
transporting cargo,” said Lan. “The more I work with my fellow pilots and
coworkers at NAC, Aloha, and StratAir, the more I understand what ‘Aloha’
spirit is. I hope the mix of cultures
adds up to a positive effect.”
Hawaii is home
Ko and Lan are based in
Hawaii, and enjoy relaxing there – especially snorkeling, Ko’s “happy place.”
“One hobby of mine is
designing logos for airlines,” said Ko. “I enjoy creating
designs featuring the company I fly for – it would be really exciting to see my
designs on an actual airplane someday.”
Ko is also
designing a suitcase made from airplane parts.
“My
suitcase has gotten beat up pretty hard over just a couple of years. I’d like
to design a strong, user-friendly, stylish suitcase using recycled airplane
parts.”
Lan is interested in new opportunities to expand aviation education.
“I want to spend time
introducing fun activities, volunteer work, and products related to airplanes –
collaborating with other professionals – for local kids and grownups to enjoy,”
she said.
“We became pilots because we loved flying, but, interestingly enough, staying
home with our family has become our top priority as the flying experience
accumulates,” Ko concluded. “But to this day, I still love the spectacular view
from the cockpit, especially during sunrise. It never gets old.”
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