Meet the Team

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Chief Executive Officer

Sonnie Bates

Sonnie began his aviation career in the US Air Force, where he served in various key leadership roles. His experience in business aviation includes Chief Pilot, Manager of Safety, and Captain on various types of business jet aircraft.  {Read More}


He guided the development of the pilot training program for the Falcon 7X, working closely with leaders from Dassault, CAE, and regulatory agencies in Europe and the U.S. to deliver the program before aircraft certification. He served as IS-BAO Program Director for the International Business Aviation Council and is currently a member of the NBAA Business Aviation Management Committee.

Senior Vice President, Operations

Andrew Day

Andy joined WYVERN following numerous senior leadership roles in airline and private aviation.  Andy has more than 30 years of time spent in the aviation industry, from
small regional airlines to large Part 135 charter operations and almost {Read More}

everything in between.  During that time Andy was instrumental in leading these operators to become benchmarks in the industry, setting the standard for safety and dependability. Previously the CEO of a large global Part 135 charter operator, Andy brings this deep industry knowledge to the WYVERN team to further bolster the stable of aviation professionals at WYVERN.

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Assistant VP, Risk Management Systems

Alec Blume

Alec has a BS in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University, where he completed pilot certification through CFI and was captain, then coach, of Southern’s flight team.  Alec’s 7000 hours of pilot time include {Read More}

commercial flying in both airline and private environments with time and type certificates in a variety of jet aircraft. Other career pursuits have included serving as Director of Safety at a large, certificated carrier in the US, 20 years of web applications development experience, and management experience in industries outside of aviation. 

Assistant VP, Software Development Team

Devin Howes

Devin has a BS in Business Administration and a Minor in Information Systems from Slippery Rock University and an MBA in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition, he has received Certificates from the {Read More}

University of Southern California in Aviation Safety Management Systems and Remote Pilot Safety Management. Devin holds a Commercial / Instrument Rating and a Remote Pilot Certificate.

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Audit Technical Manager

Emma Thornton

As a Contract Auditor, Emma conducts Mission Audits for WYVERN customers.
Before joining WYVERN Emma worked as Aviation Manager within a private organization and after 20 years of service, led the company through a {Read More}

change of operator process incorporating multiple regulatory frameworks. Emma joined WYVERN in 2018, following a 30 years career in aviation and obtaining a First Class Honors degree in Air Transport Management.

Safety Data Systems

Jacob Copeland III

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Safety Support Manager

Kris Stewart

Prior to joining WYVERN, Kris was a Safety Director for a charter company in
Houston, TX. She also worked and retired from Southwest Airlines after two
decades in their People Department and as Safety Operations and Emergency Response Specialist. 

VP, Administration

Patti Arnott

As VP of Administration, Patti provides leadership for the membership, accounting, and human resources areas.  She also directs the Marketing Team.  Patti earned a degree in Accounting and gained {Read More}


over twenty years of experience in the restaurant, manufacturing, and retail industries.

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Operations Support Manager

Tyler Jappe

Tyler has a decade of aviation experience beginning in college, where he was enrolled
in and completed an FAA A&P program. At the same time, he trained for and attained his FAA Private Pilot’s License and has accrued several hundred hours of {Read More}

flight experience. Tyler spent several years as head of one of the largest flight schools in the Northeast, where he oversaw daily operations at one of their locations. His duties included aircraft and personnel management, maintaining a safe Part 91 training environment, and expanding the number of students, instructors, and planes at the school.

Operations Manager

Wendy Watson

Wendy brings a diverse background to WYVERN with expertise in system support, supply chain logistics, and project management. Her experience in the transportation industry managing route systems through complex software platforms {Read More}

makes her uniquely qualified to provide excellent customer service and software support for our members.

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Ready to join our team?

WYVERN is always searching for highly-talented and motivated aviation professionals who share our passion for customer service—and who thrive in a progressive, energetic, and team-oriented environment.

Get in Touch