Daniel Smucker

About Daniel Smucker

From a young age, I learned discipline, teamwork, and how to stay steady under pressure. I grew up in an Amish community where strong family values, early mornings, and everyone contributing to the greater good was simply how life worked.Throughout my childhood, my family often traveled to other countries to help build churches and homes for communities in need. On one of those trips, a friendly airline crew invited us into the flight deck mid-journey. I didn’t know it then, but that moment of seeing the world from that viewpoint, and seeing how confidently the pilots worked together, planted a seed I couldn’t ignore.Before stepping fully into aviation, I spent more than a decade in construction; hands-on at first, then leading projects and helping families plan their homes. I learned how to communicate clearly, solve problems, and leave people feeling supported through big decisions.Today I’m a commercial pilot and instructor with a First Class medical, 1,350+ hours, and ATP written complete. I teach students and aircraft owners in the mountains of Colorado and fly as a Sling TSi ferry, test, and transition instructor pilot; performing first flights, validating systems, and helping new owners feel comfortable and safe in the aircraft they built.I’m now working toward joining a professional flying career in Part 121, 135, or 91 operations. I bring a positive attitude, strong family-rooted values, and a proven focus on safety and reliability. My goal is simple: contribute to a great team, keep learning every day, and fly with the same steady mindset that has guided me throughout my life.

Experience

1. Preconstruction Manager

   Bwd Construction

   Oct 2023 — Present · Pagosa Springs, CO, US

   At the front end of custom homebuilding, dreams meet budget and terrain. Design intent, cost targets, soils reports, snow loads, utilities, and wildfire defensible space get mapped into a buildable plan that owners understand. Projects typically range from $500K to $2M, with annual preconstruction oversight supporting $6–12M in total volume. Straight talk and clear options set expectations before ground ever moves.Scopes, pricing, and vendor coordination line up a smooth handoff to operations. Fewer surprises, tighter bids, and aligned timelines are the results that matter, reflected in a 95% conversion rate from proposal to build. Successful preconstruction feels quiet from the outside because problems were solved upstream.