Polk State Flight Team

Flight Team to the Flight Deck: Casey Kalita – First Officer, SkyWest Airlines

Casey, our 2019 Flight Team Captain, started at SkyWest Airlines – the largest regional carrier which operates as Alaska SkyWest, American Eagle, Delta Connection & United Express – as a First Officer in July 2021. She is based at Chicago O’Hare International Airport & flies the Bombardier CRJ 900, 700 & 200 series aircraft.

A 2020 Polk State College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences, Casey currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. In the future, she looks forward to working her way up to a base closer to home. Aside from flying, she enjoys rock climbing, bike riding & sewing. Casey emphasized that training in the Polk State Aerospace program & with the Flight Team helped prepare her to succeed as an airline pilot, especially by providing adequate time to study & properly learn concepts. She also noted the benefits of competing for our Flight Team.

“Some of my favorite memories from college to look back on are from the flight team,” she shared. “I made great friendships and pushed myself to be a better pilot.”

Flight Team to the Flight Deck: Ismael Jimenez – Captain, Ameriflight

Ismael serves as a Captain for Ameriflight – the nation’s largest Part 135 operator – flying the SA227 Metroliner. In March, he’ll begin flying the Embraer 120 Brasilia as a Captain. Ismael is part of the UPS FlightPath program, which sends the brightest aviators to UPS Airlines through Ameriflight.

He originally joined the program as a Flight Operations Technical & Safety intern at the UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky from 2019-20. He enjoys the opportunity Ameriflight provides him to fly all over the United States and South America. He is currently based in Dallas, Texas at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Originally from Naguabo, Puerto Rico , Ismael earned his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences from Polk State College in 2020. He served as the First Officer – Flight for our team during the 2017-18 competition season. He shared that training & instructing in the Polk State College – Aerospace program & competing for the Flight Team set him up for success as a cargo pilot.

“The Aerospace program at Polk State in conjunction with the Polk State Flight Team prepared me for my current role as a Captain at the nation’s largest Part 135 airline,” he said. “From the instructors and professors to Coach Carl and the Flight Team they all helped me and encouraged me to develop my skills as a pilot and as a team player in the cockpit. The camaraderie at Polk State motivated me to study hard and hone my skills to become the best pilot I can be.”

Flight Team to the Flight Deck: Ani Olafemi – First Officer, Atlas Air

Ani was one of our first Flight Team members & joined Atlas as a First Officer in 2019. He flies the Boeing 777 with heavy freight all over the world for one of the global leaders in cargo air transportation. He lives nearby in his hometown of Tampa, Florida & is based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), which is home to one of the largest air cargo hubs globally. Ani’s favorite moments with the Flight Team were helping get the team started.

“I enjoyed being a part of a great team of guys,” he said. “We had to figure it out as we moved along. And it was fun!”

Ani’s future plans are to upgrade to Captain & to continue flying cargo around the globe. Aside from flying, he enjoys working on cars & spending quality time with his wife & daughter. He earned a degree in Professional Pilot Science from Polk State College & is thankful for the way Polk State Aerospace prepared him for the aviation industry. He shared an impactful story which has stuck with him in his career.

“I’ll never forget Eric Crump telling us to go with a digital logbook on the first day of commercial ground school. That was a huge gem he laid on us. I’ve had a digital logbook since then, and boy has it saved me a lot of headaches. Thanks Eric!”

Flight Team to the Flight Deck: Jake Sikora – First Officer, PSA Airlines

Jake started with PSA Airlines – a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group which operates as American Eagle – as a First Officer in July 2019. He flies the Bombardier CRJ-900 & CRJ-700 with plans to upgrade to Captain in the coming months. Jake studied Aerospace Sciences at Polk State College while completing his flight training to set the stage for his airline career. He currently lives in Clermont, Florida and is originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky. Aside from flying, he enjoys spending time with his family and pets.

Jake emphasized that training in the Polk State Aerospace program & competing for the Flight Team set him up for success as an airline pilot.

“The Polk State flight program is perfectly laid out for an airline career. It is tailored to become an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) at a rapid yet reasonable and steady rate,” he shared with pride. “The leaders in charge of the Aerospace program and the flight school are knowledgeable individuals that made a difference in my life and my career. The Flight Team is an extension of this. It lets students expand their knowledge and put it to the test in competition. The bonds, friendships and connections made during my time on Flight Team will always be of value to me.”

Meet Chance Jaffray from sunny Fort Myers, Florida. A highly dedicated & loyal teammate, he joined the team last season & helped us qualify for National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) nationals for the first time in school history.

Chance is an instrument rated pilot currently pursuing his commercial pilot certificate & degrees in Professional Pilot Science & Aerospace Sciences. He competed in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation, preflight inspection & aircraft recognition at NIFA regionals.

In addition to flying, Chance enjoys playing chess & card games, as well as hunting. With Flight Team, he enjoys learning along with his teammates & friends to become a better pilot.

Our Polk State Flight Team is accepting donations to help fund our nationals trip to Ohio State University in May. To donate, visit www.polkstateflightteam.com/donate.

Meet Daniel Bontrager from Merritt Island, Florida. Dan is an absolute unit & the kind of teammate & friend who naturally gets everyone pumped up for competition. He also organizes our aircraft recognition ground event practices for the squad. Dan placed 6th in the Ground Trainer simulator event at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region IX competition, helping us qualify for nationals.

A private pilot who is completing his instrument training, Dan joined the team in 2020 & is pursuing a degree in Professional Pilot Science. He also completed a separate A.A. degree last semester. Dan is a U.S. Air Force Reservist at the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville, Florida where he works as a mechanic on turbofan engines for the F-15s.

Long-term, Dan aspires to become a U.S. Air Force pilot. He was raised in a military family which inspired him to discover his love for aviation at a young age. Dan also flew solo gliders during his high school years. His father launched rockets for the U.S. Air Force & still works in aerospace at Cape Canaveral.

Our Polk State Flight Team is accepting donations to help fund our nationals trip to Ohio State University in May. To donate, visit www.polkstateflightteam.com/donate.

Meet Autumn Richarz, who is originally from Jackson, Mississippi & joined our team in 2021. Autumn finished 5th in Short Field Landing at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region IX competition in November, helping us qualify for our team’s first ever trip to nationals. Her favorite part of flight team is the competitive aspect, which creates a fun environment for our squad & the teams we compete against.

Autumn is an instrument rated pilot who is currently pursuing her commercial pilot certificate & bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys learning languages, playing sports & musical instruments.

Long-term, Autumn aspires to fly professionally in corporate or cargo aviation.

Our Polk State Flight Team is accepting donations to help fund our nationals trip to Ohio State University in May. To donate, visit www.polkstateflightteam.com/donate.

Meet Isaac Castellanos – a valuable team member from here in Lakeland, Florida. Isaac is an instrument rated pilot, commercial flight student & all-around aviation enthusiast. His knowledge & passion is a huge asset to us, helping our team qualify for National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) nationals for the first time in school history.

Isaac is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences with aspirations to fly in the airlines or corporate aviation & may explore a military flying career. He joined Polk State College – Aerospace after graduating from the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, which is also located on Lakeland Linder International Airport.

In his free time, he enjoys volunteering to help the aviation community at airshows & educational events. He appreciates the social & networking opportunities provided through flight team camaraderie & competition. Our Polk State Flight Team is accepting donations to help fund our nationals trip to Ohio State University in May. To donate, visit www.polkstateflightteam.com/donate.

Meet Armando Gonzalez, one of our team standouts from right here in Lakeland, Florida. Armando was our highest-scoring pilot during the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region IX competition, leading the way to help us earn our first ever trip to nationals. He finished 4th in Short Field Landing, 4th in the Ground Trainer simulator event & 8th in the Top Pilot standings for our region, one of the most talented & competitive in the country.

An instrument rated pilot, Armando is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences with an emphasis in Aerospace Administration. He also serves as the assistant director of operations at Sunrise Aviation Lakeland, our flight training partner. Long-term, he aspires to own & operate an aviation business.

Armando also enjoys working on cars, shooting & cheering on the New York Yankees. One of the most dependable people you can meet, he sets a great example for the rest of our team & everyone in our Polk State College Aerospace program.

Our Polk State Flight Team is accepting donations to help fund our nationals trip to Ohio State University in May. To donate, visit www.polkstateflightteam.com/donate.