Celebrating 50 Years of Aviation: Alumni Feature - Jon Duncan (C'81)

Jon Duncan (C'81) caught the aviation bug in his early teens.

"I have memories of looking at contrails using binoculars in the sky above my home in rural Iowa and trying to identify the type of aircraft," he said.

Although Duncan considered a few other schools, he chose to attend the University of Dubuque because it was closer to home and offered a quality education at a good price point. He also liked that it was a smaller program with a location that allowed him to fly in nearly all types of weather conditions. As a student, Duncan enjoyed attending the National Intercollegiate Flying Association's competition and experiencing the camaraderie among fellow aviation students.

"The UD aviation program was a great foundation for my career and taught me the professionalism and drive to advance my career," Duncan said. "It also helped me understand the various possibilities available in aviation. Dick Anderson (C'76) was the chief flight instructor when I was a student and became my mentor throughout my time at UD and early in my career. He was instrumental in helping me get my first job at American Central Airlines."

At American Central Airlines, Duncan flew Piper Navajo Chieftains and Embraer Bandeirantes in Dubuque and other locations. By age 22, he had accumulated enough flying hours for his airline transport pilot certification but had to wait until he was 23 due to age requirements. He then flew for Simmons Airlines, piloting the Embraer Bandeirante in Marquette, Michigan, followed by flying the Boeing 727 for People Express Airlines in Newark, New Jersey. Joining US Air/US Airways marked a significant chapter where Duncan flew a range of aircraft from the DC9 and Boeing 737 series to Airbus models in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Five mergers, two US Airways bankruptcies, and 38 years later, Duncan is now a 787 captain for American Airlines and plans to retire in November 2024.

"It is fun to think back on milestones throughout my life and career," Duncan said. "Although I barely had my driver's license, I soloed a Cessna 150 at age 16 in my hometown of Vinton, Iowa. Another milestone was advancing from pistons to turboprops and jets, and, of course, achieving my first captaincy on the Boeing 737-200."

When not piloting aircrafts, Duncan enjoys mentoring future aviators and has invested in the University of Dubuque's aviation program, recently donating funding to purchase a new shuttle van that is used by many current aviation students.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds, Spartans - see you at Homecoming 2024, October 3-5!