With decades of combined experience from all across the United States, our team is guaranteed to provide the highest level of flight instruction you’ll find.
CFI rates start at $75/hr for non-SCCC students.
Instructor Ratings: CFI
Pilot Ratings: ATP
My interest in aviation started while working at the local airport cutting the grass at age 12. I soon traded flying lessons for work. This led to an involvement with just about every aspect of aviation. I gradually worked my way through my ratings, which include ATP, CFI-I, MEI, CFIG, AGI, GOLD SEAL, MASTER CFI, Cirrus TCI, Chief Flight Instructor.
I have a Doctorate and have owned several of my own businesses. Flying since 1977, I have accumulated over 6000 hours of dual given in land and sea airplanes and an additional 1000 sorties in Gliders .I have had the benefits of experiencing aviation as an independent instructor, corporate , airline, and regulatory levels. Instructing has been one of my greatest passions. Being involved as a Chief Flight Instructor in several 141 schools and 135 Instructor pilot has given me varied perspectives. I was blessed to be involved with Civil Air Patrol at a young age as a Cadet and continued on to becoming a Squadron commander, Instructor pilot including G1000 equipment and Mission Pilot which requires a separate set of credentials. Whether flying general aviation airplanes or jets, it is a wonderful and exhilarating experience.
Instructor Ratings: Chief CFI
Pilot Ratings: AMEL
1990 graduate of Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH with a BS in Aviation Management/Flight Operations. Became a CFI in 1991 and was instrumental in the development of the college flight and ATC programs. Has been teaching 25 years as a Professor of Aviation at SUNY Schenectady.
Instructor Ratings: Master CFI
Pilot Ratings: ASEL
Retired executive in healthcare information technology, obtained CFI in 2021 and have since accumulated over 2,200 hours of instruction time. Obtained my PPL in 1999, CPL in 2001, and have since flown over 8,000 hours, visiting 350 airports across 45 states. First owned a Cessna 172, then upgraded to a Mooney.
I now oversee a team of CFIs at Five Star Flight Academy and volunteer at a STEM camp at our local Empire State Aeroscience Museum for aspiring pilots aged 12-17.
Instructor Ratings: CFII
Pilot Ratings: AMEL
Attended SUNY Schenectady starting in Fall of 2019 and began flight training with Five Star Flight in fall of 2020. Became a CFI in 2023 and now building hours to move on to the airlines.
Instructor Ratings: CFI
Pilot Ratings: AMEL
Attended Walla Walla University from 2019 to 2023, earning a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology. Began flight training at Five Star Flight School in winter of 2023 and is currently building flight hours to pursue a career with the airlines.
Instructor Ratings: CFI
Pilot Ratings: ASEL
Attended SCCC in 2021 and have done most of my training in the same Piper PA-28s I now instruct in. Since I was 10 I’ve been fascinated by the idea of flying in the stratosphere at over 500MPH. I spent much of my early-mid teen years at the airport just to watch the airplanes takeoff, and was lucky enough to take my first intro flight at the age of 12.
As a student I worked as an airport lineman with several corporate jets. I obtained my private certificate in 2022, and my commercial and instructor certificates in early 2024. Later that year I obtained my tailwheel endorsement in a 1946 Luscombe. Since I started flying, I have flown to over 60 airports across 13 states between Alabama and Maine. This experience was built between lessons, instructing, a few personal flights, and ferrying light tailwheel airplanes.
Today I mostly instruct private students here at SCC, and have experience instructing in PA-28s, Cessna 150/152/172s, and the Luscombe 8.
Instructor Ratings: CFI
Pilot Ratings: ASEL
Attended SCCC and began flight training in the fall of 2021. I graduated SCCC in 2024 and obtained my Certified Flight Instructor Certificate with Five Star Flight Academy. Now I am currently instructing for Five Star and time building.
Civil Air Patrol Billy Mitchell Award recipient. Soloed at age 16 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Graduated Purdue University in 1989.
Owner/Operator of Five Star Flight celebrating our 20th year!
