Meet Whitney

Whitney’s passion for aviation began when he was a young boy. Aviation runs in the Rothwell family – while his brother pursued a career as a corporate pilot, Whitney followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps becoming a third-generation private pilot. While Whitney loves flying, his love of building and working on planes won out and he followed his dreams to Council Bluffs, IA after high school where he earned his A&P certificate. With his schooling finished, Whitney headed to Hershey Flying Service in Hershey NE to build Ag-Cat’s and then moved to Sioux City, IA where he worked on single and double engine airliners. After some time in Oxford working on hot sections and wired strikes, Whitney decided to make McCook NE and Red Willow Aviation his home and we are thrilled to have him! Whitney is a skilled mechanic with his IA and offers a variety of services for us!

Louis Osentowski

Mechanic

Louis, who hails from Hyannis, NE, loves to work on aircraft maintenance with Whitney. His passion for aviation sparked when a friend's dad first flew him in an airplane. During his leisure hours, Louis spends time constructing planes and going on trips with his daughter.

Bransen Schaffert

Ground Support/Loader

Bransen loads the planes with chemical during spray season to keep the pilots moving efficiently. He also assists in the maintenance shop as needed. Along with this, he is training to be a pilot in the future!

Chad Howard

Mechanic

Chad joins our aircraft maintenance team from southern Utah. He recently completed school for his A&P. He enjoys reading, camping, and playing soccer in his free time.

Dave Fulkerson

Mechanic/Pilot Instructor

Dave served in the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic, before deciding he wanted to start flight training. He enjoyed all the places he got to travel and ended up here in Nebraska for his last duty station. Dave enjoys the responsibility of safety and mentorship as an instructor.