Young Professionals In Aviation

01/07/2026

12/11/2025

11/27/2025

08/04/2017

06/17/2017

When it comes to our modern day society, there is no doubt that we are being told how to live and what our lives are supposed to look like. When we are born we have our parents imposing their ideas and beliefs onto us about what is right and what is wrong and then from […]

09/13/2016

YPA is proactively addressing a great need that is about to emerge. EXCERPT: As reported in Sonoma Magazine: "In conjunction with a first-ever visit to the annual Sonoma County air show by a Mexican dignitary, airport officials announced a near-term goal for direct flights between Sonoma County and Mexico. “I think our prospects for service to Mexico from Sonoma County are strong, especially in light of the new aviation agreement between the two countries,” said Airport Manager Jon Stout.

The new agreement opens up new routes between the U.S. and Mexico, permits an unlimited number of passenger and cargo flights, and frees up airlines of either country to enter into cooperative agreements. The most likely markets to Mexico, Stout said, would be Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Sonoma County Airport officials say direct flights to Guadalajara and Mexico City are likely.

09/13/2016

National and Local Aviation Professionals Unify to Lead the Way to Careers in Aviation - Latino Pilots Association (LPA), a national organization committed to uniting pilots and promoting aviation to future generations, has announced the formation of its first emerging leaders program, Young Professionals in Aviation (YPA), in the North Bay

09/02/2016

National (LPA) Aviation Professionals and Local (YPA) Young Aviation Students -Unify to Lead the Way to Careers in Aviation. YPA’s Enlace Program, will develop links between generations and increasing ethnic diversity in the aviation industry. With so much potential on the horizon, there has never been a better time to explore the possibilities, discover your potential, and get involved. Learn how you can soar to new heights with YPA.

08/31/2016

Meet Alan Negrete Hernandez - who will have his pilots license by Dec 2016!
If for a teenager born in the United States planning for the future can be a challenging, for a Latino boy who was born in another country it is twice as difficult. Adapting to a different school system, a new language, different customs, and making new friends all get added to the mix making life a much more complex situation for anyone.

Alan Negrete Hernandez is now 24-years old. He was born in Oaxaca, Mexico at the age of 9 he was brought to the United States by his parents. After completing Elementary and Middle School he attended a College Prep High School program offered by Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, which focused on science. During that time with the advice from his parents and teachers, Alan developed clear goals, starting with breaking a traditional trajectory for Latino males after graduating to get full-time employment wherever you can find a job. Instead Alan focused on achieving his goals and because of his excellent grades, and with much financial sacrifice and support of his parents combined with scholarships, he was accepted to the University of Davis majoring in Business Administration straight out of High School.

After obtaining his degree in business administration he began his job search. He attended an event hosted by the Sonoma County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for young professionals where he met Josh Hochberg the owner of Sonoma Jet Center located in Santa Rosa. Hochberg invited Alan to join the company as an intern on a trial basis. Within three months of starting Alan became manager of a new commercial airline program and a business analyst for the Sonoma Jet Center.

Despite his amazing achievements to this point Alan has not yet reached his final goal. He knows he has to keep studying and working towards obtaining his MBA so he can be self-employed as a business consultant.

Alan’s advice to today’s Latino youth is to set high goals for themselves, one of the tools that helps achieve those goals is a higher education. Based on his viewpoint and personal experience getting higher education in California is very doable, there are hundreds of scholarships and lots of financial aid resources. Young Latinos no longer have to settle for and uncertain future that comes with low-wage employment.

Alan enjoys sharing his life experiences and knowledge of navigating the UC system with those who need some advice and he can be reached by email: [email protected]

08/31/2016

08/31/2016

Young Professionals In Aviation (YPA) is a Sonoma County based group of members of the Latino Pilot Association (LPA) and aviation enthusiasts located in Northern California who are dedicated to building relationships between emerging leaders across the aviation industry.