The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Food insecurity. I’m on the board of Turnagain Community Services.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I change into sweatpants, and I check in on my family.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Thailand.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
My favorite animal is a whale… Humpbacks, fin, blue, and gray whales: I love them all.
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Food insecurity. I’m on the board of Turnagain Community Services.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I change into sweatpants, and I check in on my family.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Thailand.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
My favorite animal is a whale… Humpbacks, fin, blue, and gray whales: I love them all.
Off the Cuff
viation entered Sasha Swift’s life when she was an air traffic controller in the US Air Force, but she came to Girdwood in 2015 for the people. As a ramp agent for Alpine Air Alaska, she greeted guests, gave safety briefings, and loaded them into helicopters. She worked her way up to CEO when the company restructured its tourism and charter divisions.
“We do a lot of work all over the state with all the ‘ologists’ in remote locations,” says Swift of charter flights. Part of her job, too, is acting as a conduit between the operations team and maintenance team. Alpine Air Alaska fluctuates from about thirty year-round employees to about seventy in the summer.
Swift adds, “It’s mostly a people job, and the people are the most important thing to keep it running.”
Sasha Swift: Hiking, skiing, camping. All the “ings” of Alaska.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Swift: I really want to get better at snowmachining. I’m just lame… I wanna be able to sidehill and do all the cool stuff. My 7-year-old is almost cooler than me now.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Swift: Skydiving or joining the Air Force.
AB: What are you superstitious about?
Swift: What goes around comes around, so I try to keep that in mind.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Swift: Moose’s Tooth.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Swift: Dolly Parton.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Swift: Pedicures… [she laughs] Small but necessary.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Swift: I’m really stubborn. It leads me to making things happen that may not have otherwise. But anybody close to me can tell you a story about me taking that too far, not asking for help.
