For Jake Tomlin, aviation and the love of flight runs in his family. “I had developed a fondness for aviation at a very young age from listening to my dad’s stories about flying in the Marine Corps,” said Tomlin, who went on to be a pilot and officer in the U.S. Marines himself.
After a successful military career and two deployments, Tomlin began transitioning out of the Marines following the birth of his second child. It wasn’t long before he was offered an opportunity that checked all of his boxes.
“My wife’s aunt, Brenda Halvorson, the president and CEO of both Papillon Airways and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines, offered me a position to work in the family business. These companies were truly unique. They brought hundreds of thousands of travelers each year by air and ground transportation to have a bucket-list experience with Grand Canyon National Park and other parks as well,” Tomlin said. “I knew it was going to be multifaceted enough to fulfill my desire to continue in aviation and be a leader in a new career.”
Now the president of Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines, Tomlin is able to share his love for aviation with his team—not only as a leader, but as a fellow pilot. “One of the joys of my job is that I get to fly as a captain and pilot during tour operations,” Tomlin said. An active member in the community, Tomlin is involved with multiple local nonprofits and uses his role to serve as a mentor for emerging leaders in the aviation tourism industry.
When he’s not in the air and leading a 92-year-old, family-run company into a full century of operations, Tomlin coaches his son’s youth basketball team and enjoys playing guitar and ukulele.