Meet the Team

Tom Gooch - Director of Operations

Imagine that!! I’m coming up now on 52 years of Fun and Adventure in Aviation. I started at the age of 17 as a B52 Crew Chief then a C141 Flight Engineer for 13 years in the USAF. That’s when I earned a degree in Aeronautical / Astronautical Engineering and applied to NASA but, since the Challenger went down a few weeks later, I went into the airlines instead. Like most of us here, my airline career has been,,, extremely varied.

I have flown and/or instructed 757/767 at American Trans Air, United Air Lines, Air Gabon (somehow I Survived that episode!), Ryan International, and Omni Air. I have also flown the DC10 at Ryan International and JALWays, plus the 737 at Dubai Air Wing and Mirage Aviation. My last 15 years here at Omni has required me to utilize every bit of experience I gained aviating across the planet. There is no other job in the world requiring more up to the minute worldwide knowledge and experience than International Supplemental Operations chartering for the DOD. I think that’s the reason most of us are here, #1 because we’re carrying the troops and #2 because we’re operating,,, Everywhere. This is the Best and Most Challenging flying you’ll ever get to do.

All the years I was out on the Line, I never had any idea of the amount of Support we actually had back in TUL. Every Day, Every Mission, it takes the entire Team here in the SOCC to support these Missions that the Crews / Roadies and / Ground Reps are actually out there moving the airplanes. Once the Mission Request comes down from Marketing, Ops Planning starts by plugging the missions into AIMS schedule then planning the route and airport requirements, permit requirements, fuel burn and payload capacity. Ground Ops sorts out all the fueling, baggage handling, servicing, parking, stairs, ramp access, and Quiet Hours issues. Scheduling puts together the crews for the missions, then Travel gets those crews into position. All this is planned and signed off in the weeks prior to the actual mission. Once the DO reviews and approves each mission, it then goes live in AIMS. As we come to the Day-Of operations, then Dispatch and MOC are completing everything involved in operating the mission. Meanwhile, the SOC is pretty much the central coordination between all the different departments and keeps all the wheels turning in the same direction. SOC is also the ones in direct communication with the Ground Reps during preflight and postflight.

This is just a very brief description of the amount of planning and preparation and support that goes into every mission that the Crews go out & fly. So please, be aware, there’s a lot of assistance available to you whenever you run into issues. Just call Dispatch and communicate through them and we’ll all do everything we can to fix the problems.

Most of you out there know me, many have met me as they come through Tulsa, but either way, just like the FAA,

I’m Here To Help!!

Tony Surrat - Assistant Director of Operations

I started with Omni in 2011. Prior to that I worked for several foreign carriers in the UK and Middle East as well as contract work for PARC and ILFC conducting repo’s and FCF flights for customers. I also worked for Leisure Air, Ryan, Midway and USA3000. Currently living in Virginia with my wife Jen and dog Libby.

David Shepherd - Assistant Director of Operations

Welcome flight deck crews of Omni Air. I am “Dave” Shepherd, Assistant Director of Operations. I have spent five years here at Omni as a 767 street captain that recently retired and returned to support Omni in Operations. This makes me one of the newest member to the Flight Operations team.

As a captain on the 767, I was able to enjoy some of the best flying to different parts of the world that most pilots would never be able to visit. And the crews made the best part of this adventure a true pleasure.

A bit of my background, prior to Omni I operated with a charter operator in Miami doing the same service as Omni but on a narrow body 737. If you thought the flights are long on a 767, the same mission was accomplished on a 737 with 6 hour legs and multiple legs. I also spent time at ATA on the L1011, B-757 and B-737. It was a welcome sight to see a number of ATA flight deck crews to make a home here at Omni. Then finally, I was an Air Force pilot that performed duty in the Alaska theater. Also an instructor pilot on the Lockheed C-141, a squadron Flight Commander, and Director of Training on the Wing level. My final tour allowed me to have the pleasure to serve as a Plans and Operations officer for the Space Shuttle under the Department of Defense Manned Spaceflight (DDMS).

Outside the aviation realm, I held a university instructor position in engineering teaching freshman students before my commission in the Air Force. I also served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for a hospital system in Florida. This also lead to an appointment to a federal position under the Health and Human Services, Disaster Medical Assistance Team of Florida, as the Operations
Plans officer of which I am still a current and active member.

Enough about about me. Let us talk about you, the members of the Omni flight deck crews. You are the ones that move the metal in the system. To plan and assist you to effectively perform the mission, Operations is here to help you. From flight plans, to airspace permits, to hotels and travel arrangements the Operations Team is here to help you to complete the mission effectively.

Thank you all for what you do. Keep it real and keep it safe.