Flight Instructors
Name: Mike Venturino
Experience Level: Master
Certifications / Type Ratings: Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Multiengine Land, Commercial Privileges, Single Engine Land, Types: B727, B737, B747, B757, B767, DC-3, L-300 (Civilian designation for Lockheed C-141) Flight Instructor: Airplane, Single and Multiengine Land, Instrument Airplane; Turbojet Flight Engineer
Years Flying: 54
Total Flight Hours: 17,000
Total Instruction Hours: more than 2500 hrs
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: Give something back from the experience that I was fortunate to have in the aviation business and to meet interesting people and see them develop the skills to enjoy & perform the craft that I love.
Name: Oscar Joel Martinez
Experience Level: Master
Certifications / type ratings: Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Land, Multi Engine Land, Instrument Airplane, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
Flying since: 2011
Total Flight hours: More than 1000
Teaching since: 2019
Dual Instruction Hours: More than 1000
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: Aviation is my passion. Since I was a kid I always wanted to become a pilot. I know that learning to fly is not easy, and I want to make sure that I am there for my students through every step of the process of learning to fly. It is a great feeling and responsibility to help someone become a safe and proficient Pilot, and I’m proud to be a part of that journey and of the local aviation community.
Name: Shamim Mohamed
Experience Level: Professional
Certifications / type ratings: Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Land, Glider, Instrument Airplane, Certified Flight Instructor
Flying since: 1994
Total Flight hours: More than 2000
Teaching since: 2023
Dual Instruction Hours: Less than 400
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: I've been crazy about airplanes since childhood – first balsa gliders, then radio control models, and finally airplanes. I’ve also always wanted to teach, my first job was as a math professor in Idaho. I quit and moved to Silicon Valley so I could afford to keep flying, and started flying gliders and tailwheel. I’m a glider tow pilot at Byron and fly around in the Glasair Sportsman that I built. I love to teach and I love to fly, so of course teaching someone to fly is in my opinion the best possible thing to do.
Name: Jack Collins
Experience Level: Professional
Certifications/type ratings: Commercial Pilot ASEL/AMEL with Instrument Rating; CFI, CFII, MEI
Flying since: 2019
Total Flight hours: More than 600
Teaching since: 2024
Dual Instruction Hours: Less than 400
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: My lifelong fascination with aviation led me to pursue a degree in Professional Flight Technology at Purdue University; it helped me gain a solid foundation in theory and practical skills. With extensive experience in a variety of aircraft, ranging from GA single-engine planes to operating simulators in jet transports, I've developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of flight. Now, I'm eager to share my passion and expertise as a flight instructor. I'm committed to helping aspiring pilots develop the skills and knowledge necessary for safe and proficient flying. By combining my love for aviation with my teaching abilities, I aim to inspire and guide the next generation of pilots -- reflecting on my lifelong appreciation for this amazing field.
Name: Alex Miller
Experience Level: Master
Certifications / type ratings: Commercial Pilot, Single Engine Land, Instrument Rating. Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
Flying since 2013
Total Flight hours: More than 1000
Teaching since 2021
Dual Instruction Hours: More than 1000
Why do you like to teach and instruct? I started developing an interest in airplanes and aviation at a very young age. I had all the toys, models and flight simulators I could get my hands on. I also had multiple family members that were military aviators, who were very passionate about aviation, which I think helped cultivate a similar passion in me. It seems to be natural for people to want to share and teach subjects that they love, and that’s exactly how I fee about flight instruction.
Name: Hass Lunsford
Experience Level: Professional
Certifications / type ratings: Commercial Pilot ASEL, AMEL with Instrument Rating, CFI, CFII, IGI
Flying since: 2002 (with a hiatus between 2005 and 2022)
Total Flight hours: More than 400
Teaching since: 2023
Dual Instruction Hours: Less than 400
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: I’ve been passionate about planes and anything to do with aviation since I can remember. I took my first flying lessons in college and graduated from Purdue University because of its reputation as one of the most aviation-centric universities in the U.S. Now I want to help induct the next wave of aviators by teaching the joy and adventure of flight, along with the serious responsibility of being a pilot. I love sharing my skills and passion for flying while instilling safe practices and high proficiency in new and existing pilots looking to advance.
Name: Alli Dickey
Experience Level: Professional
Certifications / type ratings: Commercial Pilot Airplane Single Engine Land, and Multi Engine Land with Instrument Rating. CFI, CFII, MEI, and IGI.
Flying since: 2022
Total Flight hours: More than 400
Teaching since: 2024
Dual Instruction Hours: Less than 400
Why do you like to teach and instruct?: I found my passion for flying after I was a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. After my first month working I realized I was on the wrong side of the flight deck door and wanted to pursue becoming a pilot. I was looking for a career that would challenge me on a daily basis, and with flight instruction I have never found something as challenging yet rewarding in my life. I love to play a role in someone else's decision to pursue this dream of flying and see their progress from day one. I also grew up playing sports and was a Division 1 track and field athlete at the University of Nevada, Reno. I have found that instructing is just like being a coach and I love that aspect of it.
Tour Pilots
Name: Andrew Low
Name: Kendra Fisher
Name: Alexis Calderon
Front Desk Staff
Name: Kevin Castellanos
Instructor Experience Key: (Effective Jan 1, 2025)
Type Rate/Hr Description
Professional: $85-$115/hr CFI with up to 1 Years Experience and 400 hrs Dual Given
Advanced: $95-$125/hr CFI/CFII with more than 1 Years Experience and more than 400 hrs Dual Given
Master: $105-$135/hr CFI/CFII with more than 3 Years Experience and 1000 hrs Dual Given
Gold Seal: $115-$145/hr Gold Seal/ CFII with more than 5 years Experience and 2000 hrs Dual Given
