Kaylin Klein could be described as a young man in a hurry.
He spends a lot of time traveling by air. Having realized his longtime dream of becoming a pilot, he is well on his way to another goal: making a career out of flying airplanes. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said the 23-year-old Eddy County native. When he was looking for a college to attend, he knew he wanted one with a strong aviation program. Oklahoma State University in Stillwater fit the bill.
Kaylin, the son of Kevin and Hayley Klein, is a 2021 graduate of Artesia High School. He has pursued his goals with Bulldog tenacity. Fulfilling one objective—his first solo flight in November 2021—confirmed to Kaylin that he was on the right track. “It was fun—I loved it,” he recalled. “From then on, I felt like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing the right thing.’”
At one point, Kaylin considered another route to an aviation career—the military. He was interested in the Navy, but that door closed when he learned he had a peanut allergy. Still, Kaylin was determined to fly. He graduated from OSU in 2025 with a commercial pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate. Currently, he works as an instructor at the school while accumulating flight hours toward an airline pilot position.
Growing up in Artesia, Kaylin flew in a small plane only a few times. But that was “enough to know I liked it and could see myself doing it.” He got involved with the Civil Air Patrol squadron in Roswell (see related article), and he attended Aviation Camp in that city for two summers during high school.
Another interest occupied Kaylin’s life during those years—agriculture. He helped his parents raise sheep and goats to sell to 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) members, who then entered the animals in livestock shows. He was also active in FFA at the local, district, and state levels. This gave him experience in leadership training, livestock judging, public speaking, and debate.
“I love parliamentary procedure,” he said.
He particularly values the experience he got as a youngster raising livestock—“taking care of something that depends on you.” Learning responsibility was not the only benefit.
“All my flight training was paid for by showing animals for 10 years.” Clearly, Kaylin will be a lifetime booster of FFA. “In my opinion, everyone should take FFA,” he said. “Even if they’re not in agriculture.”
Another strong influence in his life is a group of adult mentors who have included businessman Peyton Yates and the late Per Landeck, longtime pilot for Yates Petroleum.
“I’m very blessed to grow up the way I did,” Kaylin said. He was a youth showing livestock at the county fairgrounds when Yates first took notice of him. Their paths also crossed through Kaylin’s friendship with Landeck.
Yates recalled that Landeck had some large books filled with photos and descriptions of airplanes, and he would walk through them with his young friend. “Kaylin was just fascinated,” remarked Yates. After Landeck died in early 2025, Kaylin was invited to speak at Landeck’s celebration of life service. Using a phrase familiar to aviators, Kaylin wished his old friend “fair winds and blue skies.”
Now, every day brings Kaylin closer to reaching his goal of flying for an airline. He already has a “pre-offer” from Envoy Air, parent company of regional carrier American Eagle. The job will require him to relocate, but he is not giving much thought to where he might live.
“The main appeal for me is that I’m going to get to fly—make a career out of it.”
For Kaylin Klein, the sky’s the limit.
Article written by Tim Palmer and originally published in Focus on Artesia 2026 Spring edition.
Tim Palmer
My wife, novelist Catherine Palmer, and I lived in Artesia from 1986 to 1991, while I was editor of the Artesia Daily Press. Cathy’s first three books were published while we were here. We always thought we might come back—we didn’t know it would take 33 years! Cathy continues to write her novels (now #60), and I focus on promoting junior tennis.
