Southmoreland High School alumni Tanner Skovira likes to go to a restaurant for pie. But not just any pie, and deinitely not just any restaurant. Skovira often travels to Ohio for his favorite, cherry pie, and at a restaurant in Ohio.

It doesn’t take Skovira as long to get there as you would think. He just boards an airplane at the Hardy Airport in Connellsville and flies there. As the pilot.

Skovira, a 2014 graduate, has always dreamt of becoming a pilot.

“I have always had a fascination with the profession ever since I was younger, but I rediscovered my passion to pursue it around tenth or eleventh grade” Skovira says.

After Skovira graduated from Southmoreland in 2014, he attended the Community College of Beaver County Aviation Science Center. With hard work, he was able to graduate with a license in “Commercial, Multi/Single Engine, Airplane & Land.” Making him certified in multiple fields of aviation.

Now, Skovira works for Aviation Network’s air ambulance.

“Basically, we fly medical patients to different hospitals and specialists that they need but aren’t available in their area,” Skovira said.

For recreational use, Skovira has a Cessna 182 plane, and for his job, he usually flies a Piper Cheyenne II.

“At every airport I’ve been to, no matter what type of plane I am in, they treat you like a VIP every time,” Skovira said,  “Whether you come in a Cheyenne or a little Cessna, they always roll out the red carpet, and it seems like it’s one of the only industries that does that.”

Though Skovira loves his job now, he plans to fly for a jet charter company and, someday, to fly for a cargo company such as UPS or FedEx.

“I haven’t run into a pilot at one of the airports who isn’t eager to give a rookie advice or even a phone number to call to help you out,” Skovira said. “I really love my job.”

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Toni Brayo

Hi, I'm Toni and I am a senior at Southmoreland. I am the Vice President of the National Honor Society, a member of Art Council, Writer's Cafe, Random Acts of Kindness, and more. In the future, I plan to study Marketing and Studio Arts. I aspire to someday travel the world as an art dealer.

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