In an industry built on trust, teamwork and resilience, having someone who understands the challenges, sacrifices and victories along the way can make all the difference. Luckily for Envoy Captains Joseph Boniello and Thomas Wiese, they found exactly that in each other.
In honor of National Best Friends Day, the longtime friends are reflecting on the bond that has helped shape their aviation careers.
From CFI Roommates to Coworkers
While Joseph knew he wanted to be a pilot from an early age — taking his first discovery flight at just 13 years old — Thomas took a different path to aviation. Inspired by childhood heroes like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, Thomas always admired pilots, but it wasn’t until later in life, with encouragement from his family, that he realized aviation could become a real career.
Fast forward to 2020, when Joseph and Thomas first met while attending ATP Flight School’s CFI Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. What started as a temporary roommate situation quickly turned into a lifelong friendship. Between intense check ride preparation, late-night study sessions, whiteboard lessons, and nonstop aviation discussions, the two leaned on each other through one of the most challenging phases of pilot training.
Over the years, their careers continued to mirror one another’s. From earning their CFI ratings to becoming commercial airline pilots with Envoy and eventually Captains, they’ve consistently supported each other as both friends and mentors.
“We have frequently traded roles as mentor and mentee throughout our careers,” said Thomas. “We’ve always been on a similar path and able to look to each other for guidance, which naturally carried over into our personal lives as well.”
Friendship in Flight
One of their favorite memories came when they finally flew a trip together at Envoy — years after studying side-by-side as aspiring instructors. Joseph had completed his upgrade to Captain a few months before Thomas, so the window for them to be paired together was small. Fortunately, the stars aligned, and the two were able to fly a sequence together.
To make the trip even more memorable, Thomas’s wife and Joseph’s fiancé were able to join them on part of the journey.
“Looking back to our days studying hard to become CFIs and then years later sitting side-by-side in an airline flight deck was a surreal and rewarding experience,” said Joseph.
Bonded by Aviation
When reflecting on the best part of the job, both Joseph and Thomas agree it comes down to people. For Joseph, there’s nothing more meaningful than connecting passengers from around the world and earning the trust that comes with safely getting them to their destinations. Thomas, meanwhile, loves the opportunity aviation provides to explore new places and meet new people every day.
Their advice to aspiring aviators is simple: stay disciplined, believe in yourself, and keep going. Aviation comes with challenges, setbacks, and long hours, but perseverance and hard work make the dream possible.
This National Best Friends Day, Joseph and Thomas are proof that some of the strongest friendships are built while chasing the same dream — one flight at a time. Here’s to all the besties out there!