The right seat
Choosing a flight school is mostly choosing an instructor. The aircraft matter, the syllabus matters, but the person in the right seat is what determines whether you finish your license or become one of the eighty percent who quit.
Our instructors come from unusually varied backgrounds — a retired music teacher who now flies King Airs, a healthcare IT executive with 8,000 hours across 350 airports, a former SUNY Schenectady professor who helped build a college flight program, and several instructors who learned to fly in these exact aircraft.
Bill Faulkner
Bill Faulkner soloed at sixteen at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, holds the Civil Air Patrol’s Billy Mitchell Award, graduated from Purdue in 1989, and has owned and run Five Star Flight for twenty years.
Leadership
8,000+ hours flown and 2,200+ hours of instruction given. Private in 1999, commercial in 2001, 350 airports across 45 states, and an aircraft owner twice over — a Cessna 172 and then a Mooney. A retired healthcare IT executive who became a CFI in 2021.
John now oversees the team of CFIs at Five Star Flight and volunteers at a STEM camp for aspiring pilots aged 12–17 at the local Empire State Aeroscience Museum.
A 1990 graduate of Daniel Webster College with a BS in Aviation Management and Flight Operations, a CFI since 1991, and a Professor of Aviation at SUNY Schenectady for 25 years. She helped develop both the college flight and ATC programs.
3,200 hours. Instructing since 2003, with three years flying charter and corporate in between. Type-rated in the King Air 250, 200 and C90 and the BeechJet 400. A retired public school music teacher, which is a better qualification for teaching flying than most people assume.
On the flight line
Took his first intro flight at twelve, came through SCCC in 2021, and now instructs in the same Piper PA-28s he trained in.
As a student, Julian worked as an airport lineman with several corporate jets. He earned his private certificate in 2022 and his commercial and instructor certificates in early 2024, then added a tailwheel endorsement in a 1946 Luscombe. He has flown to more than 60 airports across 13 states between Alabama and Maine, and has instructed in PA-28s, Cessna 150/152/172s and the Luscombe 8.
Started in high school, joined SCCC in 2021, and earned every one of his ratings with Five Star Flight before becoming a CFI in August 2025.
Ryan enjoys working with students at every stage of their training and takes pride in helping them build confidence, develop their skills and achieve their aviation goals.
A 2021 Farmingdale State College graduate who went from student pilot to CFI through the SCCC Aviation Science program and now teaches private and commercial ground school there as an adjunct instructor.
Started with SUNY Schenectady and Five Star Flight in fall 2023, earned all of her ratings here alongside an Associate’s Degree in Aviation Science, and is now working toward a Bachelor’s in Aviation Management at Utah Valley University.
Outside of training flights, Maddy flies missions for Pilots N Paws and takes cross-country trips with friends.
Began at SCCC in fall 2021, graduated in 2024, and now instructs and builds time here.
Began training in 2024 shortly after enlisting, joined the ADK Flying Club in 2025, and added her instrument instructor rating a month after her CFI.
Angelina also serves in the Air National Guard, performing avionics maintenance on C-130 aircraft at Schenectady Airport, and volunteers with Pilots N Paws, helping transport rescue dogs and puppies to rescue organizations and adoptive families across the United States. She is instructing and building flight hours toward a future career with the airlines.
