Aaron Tweeten Flies Island Skies Aboard Cape Air

By SAM TELLER

As Vineyard Haven came into view thousands of feet below in the
early afternoon on a warm and clear September Tuesday, Cape Air Flight
309 veered west toward Chilmark, crossed woodsy West Tisbury, and banked
back towards Edgartown, before landing gently at Martha's Vineyard
Airport. The passengers politely applauded the pilot of the 10-seater
Cessna 402.

As they dispersed to the beach or to work, to Oak Bluffs and to
Aquinnah, their pilot, Aaron Tweeten, took off for Boston, his fifth
flight of the day.

It's just a day at work for Mr. Tweeten, who flies between
eight and 10 trips per day, four days a week, shuttling tourists and
locals back and forth along the 35-minute route between Martha's
Vineyard and Boston.

Mr. Tweeten, 27, is one of two Vineyard-based pilots who fly for
Cape Air, a not-so-small airline with very small planes. Founded in
1989, Cape Air now flies to Boston, Hyannis, Nantucket, New Bedford and
Providence, in addition to servicing short routes in the Caribbean,
south Florida, and Micronesia.

During peak season, Cape Air operates around 850 flights per day.
The airline carries 560,000 passengers annually, according to its Web
site.

A pilot's day begins early - especially for Mr. Tweeten,
whose first flight lifts off from Vineyard at 7 a.m. - with
coffee, breakfast and an on-line weather check before filing the daily
flight plan.

At the airport, he'll do a routine walkaround of the plane
before the travelers arrive. And as the sun rises, off they go.

Generally, a Cape Air pilot will do a handful of flights back to
back, before taking a break for a couple of hours.

On this day, Mr. Tweeten flies three trips in a row, followed by a
layover at Logan International Airport in Boston. In the airport, he
drinks Dunkin' Donuts coffee, although before the recent liquid
bans he used to buy Starbucks, since their cups fit well in the plane.

As a quirky consequence of Cape Air's tiny plane capacity, a
passenger often occupies the co-pilot's seat next to the pilot.
Riders in the front seat sacrifice the seatback pocket Cape Air
pamphlets, but are treated to an extraordinary panoramic view, which is
especially striking as the airplane descends to land.

The co-pilot's seat also comes equipped with a steering wheel
- actually, more of a handlebar than a wheel - which,
according to Mr. Tweeten, passengers usually resist grabbing.

"I've never had a problem with anyone being a little too
excited," he said. "They keep their hands to themselves. For
the most part, the people who sit up there are pretty excited that they
get to do that."

Mr. Tweeten said he likes the intimacy of his job.

"I think you find out more," he said. "Like this
person is running late for a flight, or this person has something
fragile in their bag - the little things. You find out a lot more
than you would elsewhere, and hopefully we can personalize the service
for them a little bit more."

Nevertheless, while content for now, he acknowledges the allure of
the bigger jets. "I'd like to do some international stuff,
like Europe," he said.

His most famous passengers include Vineyard regulars Bill Murray and
Jim Belushi, in addition to U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of
California and LeVar Burton of Star Trek and Reading Rainbow fame.

Travelers often applaud after smooth landings, a testament either to
the skill of Cape Air's pilots or the pervasive apprehension about
flying and subsequent relief after landing. (After joining Cape Air in
February 2004, Mr. Tweeten flew in Florida for a two-and-a-half-week
stint, where he said "they applaud all the time.") Mr.
Tweeten notes that nervous passengers are not uncommon on these short
commutes, but that the beautiful views usually placate the jittery.

Even flying a route as scenic as Vineyard-Boston, one can imagine
the trip becoming monotonous. But Mr. Tweeten doesn't see it that
way: "To me, once you're in the air, you're doing the
same thing no matter where you're going. You can always look
outside and see stuff, and if it's a cloudy day it doesn't
matter where I'm going. I could be going to Paris or Rome and
I'd be seeing the same thing."

Mr. Tweeten grew up in Denver and attended LeTourneau University in
Longview, Texas, where he learned to fly. After getting his license, he
became a flight instructor in August 2001. Three weeks later came the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, followed by a dramatic overhaul in airline
travel.

"I didn't reconsider [my career], but it definitely
changed my plans," said Mr. Tweeten. "Once 9/11 happened,
the airlines weren't hiring, so I stayed a flight instructor
longer. Having to rethink what I wanted to do - that wasn't a
bad thing."

Where others might have been scared off from a future in aviation,
Mr. Tweeten took the fear and uncertainty in stride.

"If you're going to get worried about all that stuff,
you should find a new job," he said.

Mr. Tweeten is a kind, straightforward, easy-going guy. He likes
reading David McCullough and Tom Clancy, going to the beach, watching
Netflix movies, and eating at Linda Jean's with his wife of two
years, when the waiting line is reasonable. He speaks at a normal speed,
but his voice has a steady, smooth quality that makes it sound slower,
not so much sedating as honest.

Happy now on the Vineyard, Mr. Tweeten is uncertain about his future
on the Island, given the expensive real estate market.

"If you're going to pay half a million dollars for a
house, you might as well buy a big house," he said.

In addition, Mr. Tweeten has little reason to feel isolated on the
Vineyard, since he travels to Boston 20 times per week. On longer
layovers, he takes the T into the city and walks around.

As for advice for aspiring pilots, Mr. Tweeten has three
suggestions: "Find a good flight school. Stick with it. Make sure
you enjoy it and make sure you enjoy the things you do along the
way."

Mr. Tweeten, one senses, is enjoying it.