Alex's Story: From a Childhood Dream to Life in the Cockpit at ATAC
Ever since Alex, West Coast Deputy Director of Operations at ATAC, was little, he knew he wanted to fly planes. “I was fortunate enough to join a pilot on a few flights while I was in high school and was immediately hooked on the fun, freedom and quick decision making of flying,” he says. He carried that dream with him to the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated with a pilot slot later selecting to fly F/A-18s.
After nearly 10 years as active-duty in the U.S. military, Alex wanted to continue spending his time in the sky and joined ATAC in January 2024 as a MK-58 Hawker Hunter adversary pilot for the business’ West Coast operations out of NAS Pt. Mugu. “The flying around NAS Pt. Mugu is incredible and the location allows us to support both the Navy and Marine Corps in a variety of working areas,” he says. In July 2026, he moved into his current role continuing his support of ATAC’s flight operations while also helping with flight schedules, detachment planning and oversight of flight procedures.
On a typical day, before taking to the sky, Alex conducts pre-flight coordination with ATAC’s customers then creates informational materials for the other pilots that include transit details and adversary presentations they’ll be creating while airborne. Once they land, he debriefs with the team and compiles that information to give the customer for their training. “I then help with flight schedule coordination for events and help build the connection between the customer and our pilots for future coordination,” Alex says.
While flying is a large part of his role, he says it wouldn’t be possible without the amount of planning, coordination and work from ATAC’s maintainers. While there may only be one person in the cockpit, flying is a team effort, which Alex says is one of the best things about the business. “It is an honor to work with some of the best maintenance personnel that work so hard on these jets. Additionally, the pilots in the ATAC team take pride in their work and try their best to give the best adversary support possible to the fleet.”
The Sky isn’t the Limit
Alex encourages those looking to pursue a career in aviation to go for it, calling adversary flying a fun, rewarding and humbling experience. He says, “If you are starting your aviation journey, try to learn from every flight and be open to feedback. Even our most experienced pilots learn from each flight so we can give the best possible support to the customer.”
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