Flying High: Former Colonel Kevin Simpson realizes lifelong dream of becoming a pilot

As a football player and track-and-field athlete at Whitley County High School, Kevin Simpson was always used to going fast. Whether it was trying to beat a defender into the endzone or cross the finish line before an opposing runner, speed was always the key to his success. Fast forward nearly a decade later, and the 2015 grad is still going places in a hurry as a First Officer for JetBlue Airways and a Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Kentucky National Guard.

“Flying was always my childhood dream,” Simpson said. “Growing up in Williamsburg, there weren’t many resources to accomplish becoming a pilot, so that dream dissipated and fell to the wayside as I thought it would never actually happen.”

Despite giving up on his dream for a time, a series of events after his graduation from Whitley County eventually led to Simpson once again setting his eyes on the skies.

“My first year after high school, I attended and played football at the University of the Cumberlands,” Simpson explained. “I then joined the Kentucky Army National Guard, and transferred to Eastern Kentucky University where I was a part of the ROTC program and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.”

“While at EKU, I had the opportunity to spend three years in the 20th Special Forces Group (A), where I met some amazing mentors and was able to be in-and-around aircraft. This really reignited my passion for flying, and gave me an opportunity to begin my flight training.”

From there, Simpson was able to attend and graduate from Army flight school, eventually being commissioned as an Army Officer. “Once I saw that my dream was possible, I started taking flight lessons out of the London-Corbin Airport to prepare me for flight school,” he said. “Things started falling into place, and my career just took off from there. I caught what they call the ‘aviation bug,’ and chased the dream as fast as I could get there.”

These days, Simpson continues to spend a lot of time in the air, both as a commercial airline pilot with JetBlue, and as a helicopter pilot for the National Guard.

“My main duties are to be responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft, including the safety of the passengers and the crew, from our point of origin to our final destination,” Simpson said when asked to describe his job as a pilot. “You want to provide the best possible travel experience for those who choose to fly with us. As pilots, we also navigate and deal with complex situations on a daily basis, with a couple of examples being traversing massive squall line thunderstorms, or getting in-and-out of complex airports in undesirable weather conditions.”

“As a Black Hawk pilot in the KYNG, my duties are to lead and mentor soldiers, oversee and plan operations, and be accountable for soldiers’ lives, as well as millions of dollars’ worth of equipment,” Simpson added. “I have had the opportunity to pilot a Black Hawk in support of missions all over the state, most recently the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky.”

As for what it feels like to be in the cockpit, Simpson said, “It’s impossible to truly answer that. It is just something that a person has to experience for themselves. For me, though, flying has always brought a sense of freedom. Some might refer to it as their ‘zen.’ It comes from being able to get above all of the noise on the ground, and just see how beautiful the world is. I think that’s what flying is all about. There is truly nothing like being at 40,000 feet and having a front row view of God’s creation.”

“The experiences I had at Whitley County have helped to shape me into the person I am today,” Simpson said when reflecting on his time growing up in Williamsburg. “That same work ethic that I developed as a student-athlete is the same work ethic that has now translated into my everyday life. I cannot thank my coaches and teachers enough for the influence on my life. Special thanks to Coach Jason Chappell (football), Coach David Lennon (track and field), and all of the others for their positive impact on so many young lives.” As for the future, Simpson obviously plans to continue flying, as well as build a business in the real estate sector.

“I own an investment company that specializes in buying and renovating real estate,” Simpson said. “We strive to provide quality housing at a fair and affordable price. Turning less-than-desirable homes into upscale living spaces and renting them out at, or under, market value in order to provide a fair deal for everyone involved has become another huge passion of mine.”

“As my fiancé and I get settled into a new home, and she gets settled into a new job, I plan on focusing most of my attention on the real estate side of things, with some big plans to do more projects in the tri-county area,” Simpson continued. “Most of my investments have been done elsewhere, so I am looking forward to bringing that same passion back home.”

“Additionally, I do plan to upgrade to the title of Captain at JetBlue on the next training cycle.”

Simpson encouraged anyone looking to sell a home, or if anyone who might have questions about possibly becoming an airline pilot, to contact him at kevin.simpsonsholdinggroup@gmail.com.