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Alumni Spotlight:  Sunnil E. Yeargin

​Sunnil Yeargin’s aviation career started 15 years ago in his 3rd year at UMES when he took his first flight lesson at the Salisbury-Ocean City/Wicomico Regional Airport in February 1997.  He graduated from UMES in May 1999 with Bachelor of Science in Aviation Sciences.  Related aviation employment includes:


Summer 1998: ​ 

UMES, Instructor Assistant:  Princess Anne, MD Center of Math, Science & Technology—Teaching High School students the world of aviation.

Feb. 1999 - June 2000:  

BayLand Aviation, Flight Instructor, Salisbury, MD - Flown various light single & multi-engine aircraft

June 2000 - Jan.2001:  
Ram Air Freight, Freight Pilot, Raleigh/Durham, NC - Flown the Piper Lance & Beech Baron 58
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Feb.2001 – Dec.2004:  
Pinnacle Airlines/Northwest Airlink, Airline Pilot,  Memphis, TN - Flown the Saab 340 & CRJ-200
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Dec. 2004 – Mar 2012:
AirTran Airways, Airline Pilot, Atlanta, GA - Flown the Boeing 717-200 & Boeing 737-700

Mar.2012 – Present:   ​

Southwest Airlines, Airline Pilot/Boeing 737 First Officer, Dallas, TX - Flying the Boeing 737-300/500/700/800
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His flight experience includes 11,000 flight hours, 11 of my 15 years of flying has been in the airline industry. He currently holds an Airline Transport Pilot license and Flight Instructor-Instrument certificate. The aircraft type ratings include the CL-65, B-717/DC-9, and B- 737 aircraft.  He is a member of OBAP- Organization of Black Airline Pilots. In Sept 2010, Southwest Airlines announced the acquisition/merger of AirTran Airways.  Southwest is currently in the process of converting and training AirTran employees at its base facility in Dallas, TX. The process should be completed by January

 2015.  He just recently completed 7 weeks of training at Southwest in May and is looking forward to flying with and having a promising career at his new airline.

Sunnil currently resides near Atlanta, GA, and is blessed with a family inclusive of a 5 year old son.

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