Flying Fancy at Boutique Air

ARTICLE BY SEAMUS HUNTER LYONS / Correspondent

PHOTOS BY SEAMUS HUNTER LYONS / Correspondent

DESIGN BY MIKYLA BERISH / Managing Editor

Dalton Laine is a friend of mine and is the base lead pilot in Baltimore for Boutique Airways. With low hiring minimums, beautiful PC-12 aircraft, and an extensive route network, I thought it would be beneficial to talk with Dalton about his experience with Boutique and learn more about what life is like flying for them.

The Avion (TA): What initially got you into aviation?

Dalton Laine (DL): I started in aviation in 2015 working for Mesa Airlines as a flight attendant. I had dropped out of college (don’t recommend!) and knew I loved aviation. My parents had been flight attendants for Pan Am, and I had flown around in my dad’s Cessna 150. I felt it was the best start, and for a 19 year old, it was great! In 2017, I became a flight attendant at United which allowed me to save some money and start working on my ratings.

TA: How/where did you complete flight training?

DL: I did my flight training out of a small flight school in Houston, Texas called “The Flight School.” It’s based at David Wayne Hooks airport, but I did a lot of my training out of Houston Executive. At the time I was working full time, and building about 5 hours a week. I ended up getting furloughed from United during COVID and that allowed me to really get to work. I got my commercial single and multi add-on during that time.

TA: What drew you to Boutique?

DL: Boutique at the time was part of United’s Aviate program. Since then, we have separated as we go more into the charter world, but I knew I wanted to fast track my way to being a United pilot, and Boutique has allowed me to get my hours fast and in a great environment.

TA: Did you enjoy the training program there?

DL: The training program at Boutique is tough. As the saying goes, “It’s like drinking from a fire hose.” I loved it, but I will say for someone that came from general aviation, it required a lot of studying. The systems on the Pilatus are amazing, but they require a lot of training. The best part about the training program is that we do our flight training in the actual aircraft. We don’t do simulators.

TA: How do you like flying the PC-12?

DL: The PC-12 is amazing!! I can keep a speed of 200 knots until a 5 mile final and slow to Ref speeds with a smooth landing. It’s so much fun to keep up with the big jets in a Bravo airspace environment and the controls come on and go, “That was cool.” because they don’t know the capabilities of the Pilatus.

TA: How does Boutique differ from other PC-12 operators such as Tradewind or PlaneSense?

DL: Tradewind and PlaneSense are great companies, but each are pretty unique with different models. Boutique does some charters, but we do Essential Air Service routes from Baltimore and Boston to Massena, New York, Dallas and Albuquerque to Carlsbad, New Mexico, and Portland to Pendleton, Oregon. These allow us to operate like an airline including arriving into gates at the terminal and using the two crew environment to build CRM. Personally, I fly into the B gates in Boston and use a gate all the same. It gives the airline feel even though we aren’t very big. From a passenger perspective, we operate like any other airline you would fly.

TA: How would you describe the culture at Boutique?

DL: The culture at Boutique is what I call a brother/sister environment. Everyone knows everyone, and we learn about what’s going on in each others’ lives. When people go on to a regional, we cheer them on. When a first officer upgrades to captain, we cheer them on. I hang out with my colleagues even outside of work because we are genuinely friends. When we are at work, we work as a team and put in the work where it is needed. I’ve checked in passengers when a Customer Service Agent was pulling a plane out of a hangar just to keep the flight on time. We do what it takes to keep the operation running.

TA: Do you have a favorite story from your time there?

DL: I think my favorite story was working with one of my favorite Captains. When you work with someone you know well, things fall in sync and work great. He and I had been dealing with low ceilings and visibility the whole trip, and coming into Baltimore it was a beautiful day. I told him I wanted to see how soft I could make the landing, and was able to touchdown really smoothly. He looked over at me and told me, “Can you put the nose wheel down?” Our station manager saw it and was laughing when we pulled into the gate. One of the passengers got off the plane stretching and said, “I didn’t even know we landed until we got to the gate.” That’s what I call a perfect landing.

TA: What are your future career plans?

DL: From here, I want to go to a regional and then to United. I thought about the cargo route, but several people have told me that I talk too much for Cargo. I’m in Aviate, so I hope to stay in the pathway that Aviate has.

TA: What advice do you have for individuals looking to get into the aviation industry?

DL: Come up with goals, and stick to them. . . . Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in a company that you want to work for, and ask for their advice. No matter if you’re a pilot, dispatcher, or want to do something in aviation operations, LinkedIn has contacts for you. Learn to brand yourself and you can be successful!