Utah Valley University (UVU) Aviation graduates and brothers Doug (’13) and Matt (’13) Browne piloted Breeze Airways’ inaugural flight out of Provo Airport to San Francisco and San Bernardino, California last month. Together, these alumni reflected on flight, family, and the UVU Aviation program.

Doug Browne, elder brother by two years, had his private pilot license when he took his brother Matt on a flight.

“We went up and I said to myself, ‘Yeah, I could do this. I could do this every day and be happy.’ And sure enough, the more I fly, the more I like it,” Matt said.

Matt followed in his older brother’s steps and completed his flight training at UVU. While their careers took them to separate destinations, the Browne brothers found their way back to Utah through Breeze Airways, a Utah airline started in 2018 that operates out of Cottonwood Heights.

“Matt and I have spent many years commuting for work,” Doug said. “It’s great for Breeze to open in Provo, where it’s so close to home. I went from having maybe ten days a month at home to having twenty-five days a month at home. It’s way better.”

Now, the brothers live five houses down from each other in Lehi, Utah, minutes from where they grew up in Orem, Utah.

“It’s awesome to just show up to [Doug’s] house in the morning, eat some of his cereal, and then go home,” Matt said.

When Breeze announced the inaugural flight — an airline’s first flight out of a new location — out of Provo Airport, Doug and Matt both asked the company if they could pilot that flight.

“We live here in Utah Valley,” Doug said. “These are our people, and it’s being able to provide the service we do to Utahns and to keep everyone safe and happy while taking them to some amazing destinations.”

For the Browne brothers, making that inaugural flight over their hometown made the entire day “a highlight.”

“Growing up in the Valley and being close to Provo Airport, we never imagined that we'd actually be able to fly out of there on an airway,” Doug said. “The whole thing was a dream that wasn't even a dream. It came true.”

Speaking of their respective times at UVU, Doug and Matt appreciated both the flexibility and connections the aviation program offered.

“There were a lot of opportunities to meet with actual airline pilots,” Doug said. “Both Matt and I were able to participate in a seminar with FedEx where we flew out to Memphis for a week and got to tour all their facilities and speak with a lot of those people. The overall exposure to the aviation industry was really helpful.”

“When I came to UVU, I had the credits already from high school through concurrent enrollment,” Matt said. “All the credits translated over to UVU and made the process very smooth, and I knocked out almost a full semester of college courses, which was convenient. The process helped me get through everything a lot faster and with less expense.”

Doug and Matt’s experience flying the inaugural flight speaks to UVU’s commitment to provide exceptional results, according to Dr. Ryan Leick, aviation program chair.

“Quality of life is a huge aspect of a career in aviation,” Leick said. “For us, it’s about getting [students] to focus on quality of life, and that's why what the Browne brothers are doing is so great, because they're back home where they want to be, helping an airline start up where they started out.”

Read more on how UVU Aviation prepares future managers and pilots for gainful employment.

Read more about Breeze Airways.

UVU student and Breeze Airways intern Buddy Conner (center) pictured with Matt (left) and Doug (right) Browne during the Provo airport inaugural flight. Photo courtesy of Ryan Leick

Photo courtesy of Ryan Tanner