Program: Aviation Management
More COD Faculty Success Stories
While aviation was not a lifelong dream, Tim Gence loves what he does.“No family members were pilots. I stumbled into it, 100% on accident, and found my home,” he said. “I loved flying, loved the freedom it provided and the challenge. It’s a crazy and unique industry.”
Genc worked in flight training from 2000-2017 as a flight instructor, local chief pilot, school director, regional director, national chief pilot and operations director for the oldest vocational flight school in the world. He had his first airline interview in 2002 but turned it down to stay in flight training. Finally, he went to the airlines in 2017 to run the pilot recruiting department for one of the United Airlines carriers.
Around this time, Genc also started working with Future & Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA), for which he currently serves as chief advisor and executive editor.
I love seeing the students achieve what they didn’t think was possible.
Tim Genc
“In this role, I assisted students in starting their own flight training journeys, working with pilots on resume and interview preparation, and facilitating monthly pilot job fairs all over the country,” he said.
Because of his love for teaching and pilot development, Genc helped start the Aviation program at College of DuPage. He enjoys preparing students for careers in an industry that he loves.
“I like breaking things down into small, palatable segments and relating complex concepts to simpler or more common ideas,” he said. “I get excited seeing the ‘a-ha’ moments when students finally get it. Most of all, I love seeing the students achieve what they didn’t think was possible. More than once, I’ve had the pleasure of being in the back of a commercial aircraft, hearing the name of a captain over the PA whom I instructed during their private pilot training.
“You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to be a natural born genius or an aerospace physicist. All you have to do is love aviation and give it your best try. It doesn’t matter when you start your own aviation journey because it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Not just anyone can be a pilot, but a good pilot can be found in anyone.”
Learn more about the Aviation Management program at College of DuPage