SAFE#: 0143

Hometown: Lakeside, CA

Home Airport: KSEE

Occupation: Flight Instructor, MCFI

Education: El Monte Union High School, Few college courses

Pilot Certificates: Commercial, Flight Instructor, Instrument, SEL & MEL

Airplanes Flying/Flown: Cessna 150, 152, 170, 172, 172RG, 182, 182RG, 206, PA28140, 150, 160, 180, 236, R200, PA32/300, 301, T301, PA34/RT220, BE55, BE58, BE76, PC60, and many others

Educational Specialty: Various GPS units including Avidyne and G1000, CFI candidates, and I believe that I am good at instructing students who need extra time and a patient instructor.

How long have you been involved in aviation education? I first instructed in a ground school more than 20 years ago and have been a flight instructor for more than 16 years.

I have also been involved with our local Aviation College — San Diego Christian College — since 2001, as an adjunct professor on campus and as a flight instructor.

What’s your favorite part of what you do in aviation education? Watching our young adults pursue and accomplish their dream in aviation.

What’s your least favorite part of what you do in aviation education? Witnessing the disappointment of a failed check ride.

Do you have a memorable aviation experience you’d like to share? As an instructor, the excitement of watching your first student complete his or her first solo flight. The sense of accomplishment you get for your effort as well as theirs cannot be equaled. As a pilot, flying across our beautiful country several times is an experience that I highly recommend for any pilot. It should be on every pilot’s Bucket List.

Why did you join SAFE? I am truly impressed by the efforts and accomplishments of SAFE’s founders, organizers, and developers. To go from zero to a fully developed organization in less than a year is remarkable. The desire to be a member centric organization is the main draw. SAFE has earned the respect of many big names in aviation and that says a lot for a small new group.

What would you like to see change in aviation? I would like to see the non-flying public have a better understanding of all aspects of aviation. Aviation as a whole will get more support if the general public is more informed.

Any suggestions on how the above might be accomplished? Seminars for the media. Teach them how to cover aviation incidents and accidents. How to accurately describe what we do and how we do it.

Any accomplishments in, or noteworthy contributions to aviation and/or aviation education you’d like to mention? As mentioned before, an association with an Aviation College; on the Board of Directors for Soaring Eagles Outreach, Inc., an organization that reaches out to our “at-risk” youth to offer mentoring into not only aviation but other fields of endeavor; FAASTeam representative; founder of Jean’s Flight Training; MCFI since 2004; mentor to new CFIs.

Who are your role models in aviation? My close friend who is a long time DPE and founder of Soaring Eagles Outreach, Inc.; and anyone who takes the time to take on the task of being a career instructor.

Anything else you’d like to add? If you had asked me as a young adult if I would ever get into a small plane, I would have said an emphatic NO! However, once I learned to fly there was no looking back. Instructing became my full time career later in life and I would not trade it for anything. In our area, instructors are beginning to be rewarded financially for their expertise. Jean’s Flight Training — under new ownership — continues to enjoy a very respectable reputation and for that I am very pleased and proud.