GRANITE CITY - From the moment he could say the word helicopter, Ryan Fretz knew that he wanted to follow in his father Jon’s footsteps and become an air medical pilot. That dream came true as he now pilots ARCH 1’s BK117 in Granite City, IL.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“I always wanted to do what he did,” said Ryan. “I thought it was the coolest thing going to visit him at work. Watching him fly, going to see him at hospitals, taking him Gatorade in the middle of the night. He was my hero.”
That hero is Air Methods Pilot Jon Fretz, who now takes to the skies with Mercy Air 11 in Mesquite, NV but started his career in the Midwest with ARCH Air Medical. The dream of becoming a pilot started young for the elder Fretz as well, after he received a Mattel VertiBird Coast Guard helicopter in 1972 and never looked back.
“Every time I heard a helicopter, I had to run outside and watch it fly past,” said Jon.
After starting flight school in Missouri in 1990 and spending time in both Alaska and Hawaii building up his hours, he moved to St. Louis and joined the ARCH program in 1995, the same year he and his wife welcomed Ryan to the world.
As Jon began his ARCH career and Ryan took his first steps, the Fretz family would often head out in the middle of the night to see dad land and take off at local hospitals.
“I would see the car there, as I’m circling to land on approach,” said Jon. “Ryan would sit in the seat in his pajamas while the crew gathered the patient and then he’d watch me until I lifted off and went out of sight.”
As Ryan got older and made it clear to his parents that he wanted to commit to his lifelong dream and become a pilot, Jon did everything in his power to make it happen, including selling his snowmobiles to fund his son’s ambition.
“He led the way. He visited flight schools with me, and he helped me study for written tests that I would need to take,” said Ryan. “He would answer any questions I had about aviation, aerodynamics, how helicopters work, airspace—all the rules. He has been there through my whole journey.”
The Fretz duo was able to fly together with ARCH for about a year until Jon decided to leave the harsh Midwest winters and humid summers behind for the warmth of the Nevada desert. Despite the move, he still hasn’t given up his first love of flying. Now well over 4,000 flights, Jon can look back fondly on what he has accomplished while remaining excited to see what his son is able to do in his career.
“I hope he has as successful of a career as I have had. I started when I was 28, and he’s already seven years in and just 30 years old,” said Jon. “I’m proud of how many flights I’ve done. It’s a big deal, but I hope he does exceed that number.”
Both Fretz men take extreme pride in what they do. For Ryan, that means serving the community he grew up in and for Jon, it is setting an example for his son to build upon as his pilot career continues.
“What we do has great meaning,” said Jon. “I am proud of how Ryan has taken on the same work ethic, the same value and important in the critical nature of our operation. I feel like we come from the same mold.”
That pride goes both ways, as Ryan knows how lucky he is to have his dad showing him the way to become a successful pilot.
“He’s made it through a very long and dangerous career, and he has done it safely,” said Ryan. “He’s still taking care of people and it’s awesome having him to look up to. I’m going to have to beat him and surpass him some day, but I know he will be happy to pass the torch.”
Until the day that Jon decides to hang up the helmet, the Air Methods family can feel good knowing that the Fretz men are dedicated to the mission.
About Air Methods:
ARCH Air Medical and Mercy Air are part of Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service, delivering lifesaving care to approximately 100,000 people every year. With more than 45 years of experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. Air Methods Ascend is the company’s clinical education program, allowing critical care nurses and paramedics best-in-class training opportunities using high-fidelity mannequins, virtual reality, and cadaver labs.
