Captain John McDannel is one of aviation's most accomplished experts, as a former commercial airline pilot with a deep background in community banking and small business financing, including lending practices, corporate stock evaluation, facilities and asset management, shareholders relationship and personnel management. His 15-year banking career at the $33 million Trans World Bank Corp. (TWB) ran concurrently with a 32-year career at United Airlines (UAL) where he retired as a B747-400 Captain in 2001.

A one-time commissioned officer with the U.S. Air Force flying the T-41, T-37 and T-38, McDannel was to chosen to fly then candidate (and later President and First Lady) Ronald and Nancy Reagan around the U.S. during the 1980 presidential campaign. Prior to his retirement, McDannel flew the B-747 as a UAL Captain, served as Chairman of the United ALPA Council #57, and honored with both UAL Captain of the Year and the carrier's prestigious Humanitarian Award. He is type-rated on B-747-400, 767, 757, 737, 727 and the A-320; and a prestigious sport pilot with a float-plane rating.

In addition, he holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP), the highest level of pilot licensing in the U.S. and certification as a Commercial Flight Instructor, both of which authorize him to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of almost any aircraft worldwide, along with an ATA Flight Engineer (FE) Certificate