Ken Hooker

Mr. Hooker is an aviation instructor at the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in professional aviation and a master’s degree in aviation education from Liberty University. He is a current certified pilot and instructor with an Airline Transport Pilot license, along with type ratings in various air transport category aircraft and instructor certificates, including instrument and multi-engine. Both his pilot and instructor certificates have been used throughout his extensive career in General Aviation and airline service. 

            In general aviation service, he started as an instructor for Annapolis Naval Academy midshipmen, preparing them for aviation careers before their training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Mr. Hooker flew photographic mapping missions for engineering, energy, and government clients while building flight hours and experience. His career includes extensive work in all areas of general aviation and airline operations. 

            His airline service included a significant focus on training and training management, ensuring the safety of airline operations. His duties involved lecturing on systems and procedures, overseeing Check Airman responsibilities, and managing aircraft training programs, including curriculum development and training implementation. As an airline pilot, Mr. Hooker traveled to destinations across the continental United States, as well as in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe, flying a variety of aircraft from a Beechcraft Be-99 to an Airbus A-330. His thirty-year career concluded with his retirement from American Airlines in 2019.