Ernie Meeks was born on November 8, 1974, at Beale Air Force Base, California. His father, a member of the US Air Force, instilled in him the value of hard work and sparked his interest in aviation by taking him to the flight line to see fighter jets. Meanwhile, his mother, who hailed from Thailand, brought him up with traditional Thai values of education and living a good life by helping others.

Ernie had a typical childhood filled with school and sports, and he was particularly interested in football. He continued to play football in college while also developing a passion for fitness, which he carries to this day through activities like jujitsu, weightlifting, and CrossFit.

Ernie started flying lessons at the age of 15 and earned his Commercial Multi-engine license and Certified Flight Instructor Certificate by the time he was 18. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1997 and was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. However, it wasn't until 2000 that he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training.

Ernie graduated from Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in 2001 as a Distinguished Graduate and then completed C-5 Galaxy training at Altus Air Force Base, where he graduated as a Distinguished Graduate again. In 2004, he transferred into the Arizona Air National Guard and finished his military career in 2018 as a KC-135 Command Pilot with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His final position in the Air National Guard was as the Director of Operations for the squadron.

In 2004, Ernie started flying for a Part 135 charter company where he piloted the Citation Ultra and Citation X. He was then hired by NetJets in 2006, where he flew the Beechcraft Hawker 850XP. In 2008, he was furloughed from NetJets during the economic downturn and took a full-time position in the Arizona Air National Guard as the commander of a contingency detachment.

Ernie was hired by Southwest Airlines in 2011 as a B737 first officer and returned to a part-time position in the Arizona Air National Guard as an Evaluator Pilot. He started his own aircraft management company, MJets, in 2020, where they manage private jets for owners. In 2022, Ernie purchased a Part 135 company and integrated it into MJets. That same year, he upgraded to Captain on the B737 for Southwest Airlines.