WV Executive

"Flying is sometimes scary, often exciting and always fun," according to Al Emch, chief executive officer of Jackson Kelly PLLC and veteran pilot. The rush is one reason he began flying, became a pilot and still flies today. Yet it is clear to anyone who knows Emch that there is more to this hobby than having "fun." It comprises a large part of who he is. Flying is a matter of convenience, allowing him to regularly visit clients and offices throughout the country. It provides time for him to escape the interruptions of everyday life and regain focus, and it serves as an instructive guide and inspiration for his personal and professional life. As with many leaders, Emch's hobby is a reflection of his passionate nature.

It began in 1968 when Emch, a farm boy from Bebee (near New Martinsville), West Virginia, climbed into the cockpit of a Cherokee 140. He had never flown before-never left terra firma. With an instructor at his side, Emch sat in the pilot's seat of the small single engine plane and took off into a sunny fall day. From that moment, he was hooked. "It was like a whole mysterious world opened up to me," he recalls. "It is quite natural and ordinary for people to do things on the land or to swim or boat on top of the water, but it's hard to imagine that people can fly." This sense of wonder continues today. "Even after studying aerodynamics, learning about the mechanics of an aircraft and flying for more than three decades, it still seems like magic to me."

As a freshman at West Virginia University, he joined the Air Force ROTC program. His decision was based on a sense of duty and the reality of need. He knew he wanted to serve his country but was debating how. "I considered joining the Peace Corps and ROTC," he notes. "Quite frankly, I needed a way to help pay for college and chose the military."

In 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War, Emch graduated as an ROTC Cadet, joined the Air Force, became a second lieutenant and was sent to pilot training in Big Spring, Texas. From there, he was stationed at Langley Air Force Base and at the Ching Chang Kong Air Base (CCK AB) in Taiwan, ROC. It was in Vietnam that Emch meet his second life partner, the C-130 (his first was his high school sweetheart who became his wife). "The C-130 is an amazing aircraft," he argues. "Writers often describe it as 'lumbering,' but it's just the opposite-it's nimble. It's also a versatile aircraft; able to fly long distances, in even the worst conditions; land on impossibly short, unimproved runways; airdrop personnel and equipment and refuel in flight." According to Emch, it is rumored that the C-130 is even capable of aerobatics. He ends by describing it as "a friendly face. It always served me well and always brought me home."

After his five-year tour of active duty, Emch attended law school at the University of Virginia before returning to West Virginia and joining the Air National Guard. Throughout the next 17 years, he served as a Flight Instructor, Evaluator Pilot and Flight Commander. He flew missions in South and Central America. He also volunteered and was later activated for duty in Desert Storm. If flying was a new love in his youth, it has become a best friend over the last 35 years. He smiles, recounting the time he was flying over Yalova, Turkey, and his plane was struck by lightning, a mere four feet from his face. He recalls getting caught in the middle of a SCUD missile attack; the near collision with a canyon rim in Nevada; the challenges of blizzards, torrential rains, sand storms; and watching, flare gun in hand, for SA-7 shoulder fired missiles from the paratroop door of a C-130 (he did not see any). Each of these stories he retells with the fondness and smile one might see on a man describing their kind, but mischievous child.

His love of flying provides balance with his duties at Jackson Kelly. Its substance contrasts with the ambiguities of management and the legal profession. "Flying offers instant gratification," he notes. "The aircraft unambiguously tells you how well you're doing right away." Missions in the Air National Guard offered immediate feedback. "I would leave work, brief a mission, check the aircraft, fly the mission, return and debrief. You accomplished many tasks and immediately judged your success." Compare this to a legal matter that can be continued for months or years. Both a science and an art, flying requires precision, concentration and finesse. "Playing among the clouds, watching storms, the silent night skies, the evening lights of cities, a huge bright moon reflecting off the top of a cloud deck-flying brings you closer to nature and rewards you with wonderful sights every time you go up."

Piloting a plane is also an effective metaphor for the way Emch manages a large law firm. Flying demands discipline and attention to detail. Directing an aircraft requires the pilot to simultaneously balance all of the various forces at work in all three dimensions and to make careful-often minute-changes that direct where you want the plane to go. The plane "wants" to fly. It will remain relatively stable and on a true heading unless some force causes a change. Planes do not usually take well to drastic change: a plane that climbs too fast will likely stall out, a very hard turn can lead to a spin, and a sudden decrease in speed will cause the plane to plummet. A pilot's job is to guide the aircraft's course, react to the changing environment, avoid perils through careful planning and execution and give input as needed to maintain a stable flight.

Emch leads Jackson Kelly in the same manner. It is in the firm's nature to fly true-effectively representing clients, serving its communities and nurturing its employees. Emch uses his management team to watch for changes in the economic, social or work environment and adjusts the organization accordingly. Like the instruments of an aircraft, his managers provide the information and guidance he uses to make sound decisions. Much like the pilot of a C-130 Hercules, he is the steward of a firm with a long and proud tradition. He sees his role as a leader guiding the firm on a steady, upward climb, always avoiding radical changes in pace and direction that could cause the organization to veer off course or stall.

In the end, flying is far more than a hobby. It has been a partner throughout most of his life. It helped him through college, took him around the world and brought him home again. It continues to provide fun and relaxation, transportation and inspiration. It is a metaphor for his controlled but free-spirited nature and a testament to what any determined soul from a West Virginia farm can become.