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Meet the Air Traffic Controller Who Flies Himself to Work
The 28-year-old says the scenic commute takes about 20 minutes and requires coordination with the tower before landing.
- On Aug. 13, 2026, air traffic controller Jake Hutzler flew his paramotor to work at Pueblo Memorial Airport, an unusual commute that has since gained attention from tens of thousands online.
- Before starting, Hutzler approached his manager for approval to change his commute, and they reviewed the rule book to ensure he maintained two-way communication with the tower when entering the airport's airspace.
- Flying at 35 mph for 20 minutes, Hutzler sips coffee 500 feet in the air while listening to music. "There's nothing better than flying to work, you know, 500 feet in the air, sipping your coffee," he told ABC News' Danny New.
- Inspired by a viral video of someone paragliding to McDonald's, Hutzler began flying in 2021 in Florida and later became an instructor, meeting his wife Bethany while training her.
- Paramotoring remains a 'fair-weather sport'—wind gusts of only 10 mph ground Hutzler—and setup time makes the trip slightly longer than driving, though he says it is "a lot more fun.
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Jake, a 28-year-old, takes this 20-minute tour to his office once a week.How he learned to fly at 56 kilometers per hour and discovered his hobby.
·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Take a flight with Jake, the air traffic controller who flies himself to work
Take a video flyalong with Jake, a Colorado air traffic controller who skips the car and flies a paramotor to work, soaring over Pueblo before starting his shift, and then spends his workdays directing planes from an airport tower
·Florida, United States
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Meet the air traffic controller who flies to work via powered paragliding and has to call the control tower to let his colleagues know he's coming
“I’m very small and I don’t show up on radar,” Hutzler said, “so they’ll want to kind of keep track of my location and get updates on my progress.”
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources104
Leaning Left33Leaning Right8Center57Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
L 34%
C 58%
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