Manuel Hernandez is a Boeing 767 Captain for Fedex Express hired in 2017, he’s currently based in Memphis. Previously he worked for Atlas Airlines as Boeing 747 First Officer, and ExpressJet Airlines as First Officer of the EMB-145 and later as Captain. With 16 years of experience in 121 airline operations, he’s accumulated over 8500 hours of flight time.

Manuel joined the US Navy in 1995 soon after graduating from Benjamin Cardozo HS in NY. He worked as a Plane Captain on F/A-18 aircraft performing pre/post flight inspections, servicing, and minor maintenance. After completing his required term as Plane Captain he decided to pursue a job in Aviation Maintenance Administration and attended the Navy Tech School in Meridian, Mississippi. In this role he was responsible for issuing/tracking of maintenance inspections and technical directives on Aircraft and support equipment.

Through his time working on aircraft and the daily interaction with the pilots is where Manuel found his calling to become a pilot. He attained is private pilots license while on active duty by taking lessons part time at a local flight school in the Virginia Beach area where he was stationed. Upon completion of his enlistment in 2004 he enrolled at Ari-Ben Aviator flight school in Ft Pierce FL, under the part 141 veteran curriculum. After completing the training and gaining his CFI,CFII, MEI ratings, he was hired as flight instructor which allowed him the opportunity to accumulate the required flight experience to be hired by ExpressJet Airlines in 2006.