When Manager of FBO Services Matt Smith was 9 months old, his family moved from KI Sawyer AFB (Air Force Base) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Ipswich, England. His mom is from Ipswich, and that’s where Matt grew up, too.
He’d always wanted to fly, and as a 16-year-old, he attended a school that offered CCF (Combined Cadet Force) training, where he learned to fly a Grob Tutor fixed-wing aircraft. After earning his A Levels (roughly equivalent to having graduated high school and having completed a year of college Advanced Placement courses in the US), Matt compared opportunities in the RAF (Royal Air Force) and United States Air Force.
“My dad had been in the USAF, stationed in the UK, and unbeknownst to me, his job was to rescue downed pilots,” says Matt. “Although I didn’t know what my dad’s exact duties had been as my mum didn’t want me jumping out of planes, I, too, joined the USAF. I knew I loved to fly, and I wanted a career in aviation. My mum was nervous but more than happy to support me in joining, and she pushed me to succeed.”
During Matt’s 8 years in the USAF, he worked on aircraft fuel system repair, focusing on 7 airframes. He was stationed for 3 of those years at Eielson AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska, working on F16s; in Dover, Delaware, for a year working on C5s and C17s; and in Korea for a year working on A10s and F16s and working as a training manager for between 75-90 people.
Matt was stationed briefly at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, and then deployed to Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan in 2014 where he worked on KC-135 Aircraft supporting the refueling of NATO aircraft, which supported troops on the ground.
Once out of the USAF, Matt attained his private pilot certification in Cambridge, UK, and then he and his wife Emily moved to Florida where he used his GI Bill benefits to attend Liberty University online and earn an aviation degree. He went to the Florida Institute in Melbourne, Florida, and earned his instrument rating license, and he finished his Commercial, Instrument, CFI, and CFII licenses at Phoenix East Aviation in Daytona Beach.
“I finished everything in Daytona Beach in 2021, earning my Flight Instructor license, but due to COVID, there weren’t any jobs as flight instructors, so I started looking around for jobs,” says Matt.
During his job search Matt heard about an opening on the fuel team at Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, Michigan.
“I applied and got a call from Justin Merkling. I interviewed with Justin, Blake Fox, and Andy Ianitelli, was hired, and we moved to Michigan in May 2021. When that first winter rolled around, I’d expected it to be like it was in Alaska, so I was pleasantly surprised!” says Matt.
When Matt first started at Duncan Aviation, he had to adjust his mindset from simply getting this thing to fly to following processes and procedures when working on customers’ aircraft.
“It was just a different way of doing things, and I adapted quickly,” says Matt. “We did more inspections and a lot more pulling of panels for the customers’ aircraft than I was used to. It was fun, and I really liked the team I was working with; however, I wanted to do more.”
In May 2022, Matt became a Project Manager, a position he held for the next 18 months.
“It was different from what I’d been doing, and I met some fun customers.”
All the while, Matt continued to learn about business aviation in general and Duncan Aviation in particular. When he was in the military, he’d especially liked the positions he’d held leading people and trying to help them be the best they could be. When the position for FBO Manager opened, Matt talked to Travis Grimsley.
“I really liked the idea of getting into a role where I could encourage team members and help them out, but I’d only been here for 2 years, so I didn’t expect to get it,” says Matt.
He did, and his start date as FBO Manager at the Battle Creek facility was January 1, 2024.
Matt really likes working at Duncan Aviation, and he’d never imagined a company could treat its people so well.
“It really has a family atmosphere to it,” says Matt. “I see Todd Duncan walking around and actually listening, talking, and laughing with team members. It’s the opposite extreme of the military where everything is related to rank. Here, it’s like you go to Provo and you’re running into all of your cousins, or how you turn up and a friend’s house, and they open the door and welcome you no matter what.”
Because Matt and Emily have a young family now, stability at a company that was going to be around for a while was important to him, as was working for a company that looks after its team members.
“We have two children: Cassian (5 years) and Nico (3 years),” says Matt. “We love to do anything outside, so we play in the park often. And I take my son to the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum (in Kalamazoo) because he’s really into mechanical stuff.”
Matt has a funny feeling about being back in Michigan where he was born.
“My mum never thought I’d return to Michigan, and honestly, neither did I,” reflects Matt. “It's quite remarkable how life takes unexpected turns. Interestingly, my brother was born here in Michigan, and now he’s a detective in Essex, England. Out of all the people who took the exam in England, he was 1 of 4 who passed! He’s incredibly intelligent and dedicated to his work. As for my mum, she’s had her own adventures, working in China, setting up boarding schools. Now, she’s semi-retired and enjoys working part-time back at the school I attended as a youth. It’s wonderful to see her excitement about being back in the state where we were born. Someday, we plan to travel to the Upper Peninsula to visit the house we lived in for a short period of time. It’ll be a trip down memory lane for all of us.”
During his time in school in England, Matt was deeply involved in rugby. His rugby journey began at St. Joseph's College at the age of 9, where he played as a forward in the backrow. Demonstrating exceptional skill and dedication, he also competed at a high level of rugby for the Northampton Saints Academy. Matt’s talent was recognized when he tried out for the U18 England National team, making it through the initial selection process. However, due to missing his callback phone call, he unfortunately missed out on the opportunity to further pursue his rugby aspirations at the international level
“I really loved playing. As you’ve probably heard, Rugby is a thugs’ game for gentleman, while football (soccer) is a gentleman’s game for thugs,” laughs Matt.
Looking forward, Matt definitely intends to remain at Duncan Aviation.
“Given the opportunities I’ve had in the 5 years I’ve been here, I fully intend to stay. I like the family feel, despite the occasional growing pains. And as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, upholding the company standards, with the culture we have here, I am happy,” says Matt. “I like coming to work every day.”
He feels he gets all the support he needs to do his job, and he’s enjoyed all of the classes he’s taken.
“I enjoy learning on-the-job, and I have so much support from Team Leaders, Supervisor Brian Looney, especially, and I had a lot of help from Andy King and Christian Alexander. Travis has also been helping me as he was the FBO Manager for a while, too,” says Matt.
Matt is also grateful to his wife Emily.
“Moving to another country to pursue my dreams was a significant decision, and I'm grateful for the unwavering support of my wife throughout this journey," says Matt. "Adjusting to American culture posed its challenges for both of us, particularly with our close friends residing in England. Despite her amazing advances in her professional life, she made the selfless choice to move with me and is now a stay-at-home mum, prioritizing our family. Her dedication to our children is unmatched, and I cannot express enough gratitude for her support and patience. Without her, none of this would be possible. Thank you, my love, for everything.”