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Tyler Thieman’s eyes have always been in the skies.
The sophomore aviation student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha grew up with a passion for flight. Now a student in UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service Aviation Institute and a co-captain of the Flying Mavericks Flight Team, Thieman has seen that love bloom into a fulfilling career.
Thieman’s dreams of flight began in Malcolm, Nebraska, as a fifth grader. He always had an interest in aviation, but it wasn’t until the summer before his senior year of high school in 2022 that those dreams became a reality.
“I woke up one morning and my parents asked if I had any plans for the day and I said ‘nope,’” Thieman said. “They told me, ‘Maybe you should go take a flight.’”
Thieman didn’t know it, but his parents were looking into local flight schools. After finding a school in Beatrice, Nebraska, they surprised Thieman with his first opportunity to take to the skies.
“I’m very fortunate that they gave me a little push,” he said. “I probably would not have pursued this career otherwise.”
Thieman arrived to a Cessna 152 parked on the runway. He took off inside the small two-seater with his instructor. Once in the skies, he got his first taste of flight.
“As soon as we lifted off the ground, the instructor handed over the controls to me,” he said. “It was crazy to me because I’d never even been in a small plane like that before, but I went with it.”
From that moment on, he was hooked.
“There’s just something about taking off and seeing the ground get farther and farther away from you,” Thieman said. “When I was in the front seat with the controls in my hands for the first time, that was the moment where I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to be. I wanted it to be my office for the rest of my life.”
Since then, Thieman has logged nearly 250 hours of flight time. Thanks to UNO’s Aviation Institute and his involvement in the Flying Mavericks Flight Team, Thieman is well on his way toward achieving that dream.
Thieman first heard about the flight team while touring the institute. At the time, he was hesitant to join the team because of the time commitment but was convinced to attend a meeting by his roommate and current co-captain.
“There is no way I would be involved in flight team right now if he didn’t get me out of bed to attend that first meeting,” Thieman said. “After that first meeting, I knew it was a place that was going to push me to excel as a pilot.”
The Flying Mavericks Flight Team is a recognized program in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON). The team competes in a variety of aviation-based events, including aircraft recognition, computer accuracy and power on/off landings.
Skip Bailey, a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and director of flight training in the Aviation Institute, oversees the flight team.
The program consistently attracts attention from students interested in all backgrounds of the aviation industry. The opportunity to provide students with this level of practical experience makes each meeting, practice and competition a rewarding experience, according to Bailey.
“I enjoy watching them succeed at all these different levels,” Bailey said. “It’s very rewarding to watch them when that lightbulb comes on after they succeed at an event. It’s very exciting to be around.”
Keeping the Flying Mavericks in the air wouldn’t be possible without the continued support from donors. Bailey said the program always strives to ensure its students aren’t footing the bill for any expenses while competing on the flight team, so he is grateful for any support the program receives.
“Our students pay enough with their own flight training outside of the team, so we really try to cover as much as possible,” Bailey said. “I am so thankful for the support we receive and want to thank all of our donors.”
When Thieman looks back on his time at UNO, he’ll remember the connections and relationships he developed thanks to the Flying Mavericks.
“We’re all very devoted and we want to be successful, so I think I’ll look back and be very thankful for the fact that we all pushed each other,” he said. “I’m lucky to be surrounded by people that want to help me reach my goals and know what it took to push me to reach them.”
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