UNK graduate Emily Hartshorn flies clients to destinations across the country through her job with Lincoln-based Silverhawk Aviation. (Courtesy photo)
KEARNEY – The view from 40,000 feet never gets old.
There’s freedom in seeing the world from above, the horizon stretching endlessly ahead and countless destinations waiting below.
For Emily Hartshorn, flying is equal parts adventure and perspective – a chance to experience new places and mesmerizing moments.
“As time goes on, I’m finding more and more things that I love about aviation,” Hartshorn said. “Initially, it was honestly just the thrill of flying. When you’re up in the air, you see things that a lot of people don’t get to see. Now, I get to go on these amazing adventures to so many different places.”
The University of Nebraska at Kearney alumna has been chasing that feeling since she was a young girl, when she first rode along with local pilots and imagined a future in the sky. Today, she’s living that dream as a pilot with Silverhawk Aviation, a Lincoln-based charter company that operates more than 20 aircraft and employs nearly 90 aviation professionals.
From the coffee shop to the cockpit
Originally from Waco and now living in Utica, Hartshorn chose UNK because it was relatively close to home and offered a welcoming, supportive campus. She initially planned to study business and joined an entrepreneurship living-learning community, not knowing that UNK even had an aviation program.
Then, a job at one of the campus coffee shops changed her trajectory.
“I was working at Starbucks at the time, and there were a lot of aviation students who would come there to study,” she recalled. “I learned a lot about the program by talking to them. I always loved aviation, I just hadn’t really thought of it as a career yet.”
After chatting with the program director, she decided to switch majors.
“That was where I was meant to be,” she said.
Hartshorn was active with UNK’s Aviation Student Organization, where she gained industry exposure, networking experience and leadership skills. The group hosted guest speakers and recruitment events, organized social activities, lined up industry tours and planned trips to events such as EAA AirVenture, a massive air show that brings thousands of spectators and aviation enthusiasts to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each summer.
“The aviation program was really good about emphasizing professionalism, communication and other skills that are applicable to this career,” said Hartshorn, who also served as a success coach on campus. “Overall, I felt very prepared when it came to my job. I feel like I knew how to learn and teach myself new material, which was super helpful.”
Exploring the country
Hartshorn’s path to Silverhawk began with a summer internship in 2022. She continued working part time during her final semester at UNK and was offered a full-time position immediately after graduating that December.
She now flies Cessna Citation business jets, capable of seating five to nine passengers, alongside a co-pilot. The company serves a variety of clients – both individuals and businesses – providing private, flexible and personalized flights to locations throughout the U.S.
“We’re definitely a service industry. We want to give our clients a great experience,” Hartshorn said. “We also get to know many of them, so it’s fun to catch up during trips.”
Her schedule is unique – often 10 days on, then four off – and no two weeks are the same. One trip might be a quick out-and-back to Minnesota and another could include an overnight stay somewhere unexpected.
“I really enjoy getting to see new places and do different things, and this job is perfect for that,” Hartshorn said. “We have a lot of opportunities to sightsee and explore cities across the country.”
Her favorite destinations include Dallas and Amarillo in Texas, as well as Colorado Springs and Eagle, where the flights come with majestic mountain views.
“I love going to Colorado,” she said. “It’s so beautiful.”
Hartshorn also provides flight instruction at Seward Municipal Airport, and she recently returned to the UNK campus to share her experiences and discuss her career with current aviation students. One thing she emphasized is the number of paths students can take, whether it’s commercial airlines, charter services, agriculture, the military or another option.
“There are so many opportunities in aviation and so many different avenues you can go down,” she said. “It is kind of what you make of it. There’s adventure, the pay is pretty good, and the network of people is amazing.
“It’s a career that can take you all over the world, and I think that’s really exciting.”
