I started flying at Rochester Airport at age 18, never imagining it would lead me here. My journey began with private pilot training while working at Cardinal Aviation FBO. After my first lesson, I knew I had to find a way to fund my flying, so I took on multiple jobs at the airport.

I earned my private pilot certificate in 1997, but financing was a challenge until I received the Amelia Earhart Career Scholarship from “The 99s,” an International Organization of Women Pilots. This support allowed me to complete my instrument rating. With a teaching certificate and Advanced Ground Instructor rating, I convinced Bill Law, owner of Bill Law Aviation, to let me teach ground school, helping me fund my Commercial Pilot certificate and Certified Flight Instructor ratings.

Persistence, mentorship, and blessings along the way made this possible. The key takeaway? Never give up on your flying dreams! There are many pathways, and we don’t do it alone.

I have worked as a high school science teacher, adjunct faculty at RIT and FLCC, and earned two master’s degrees, all while serving as a certified flight instructor for over two decades. As an aviation educator, I strive to “pay it forward,” while encouraging others to pursue their aviation dreams.

Currently, I serve as a regional airline Captain, FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, and Chief Flight Instructor for Rochester Air Center. I also volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol as the NY Wing head of standardization and evaluation, dedicating countless hours to help cadets earn their pilot certificates. Teaching pilots to fly is my most important and fulfilling role, whether it’s signing someone off for their first solo or congratulating them on becoming a pilot!

Flight Instructor since 2004
Gold Seal Flight Instructor

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII, MEI.

Specialties:
CFI initial, tail wheel training, spin training, multi-engine commercial, and seaplane training.

Other Qualifications:
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, ATP rating, single and multi-engine land. CL-65 type rated. Captain for a regional airline

Availability:
My schedule varies from week to week due to my airline schedule and flight test schedule. Please contact the front desk at 585-328-8839 to schedule training with me as my availability allows.

Chief (Retired) Instructor John has likely trained more pilots than most other people on the planet. He has also provided a lifetime of service to both his country and community. John is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and beyond. John’s level of knowledge in aviation education is awe inspiring. He is a consummate professional, leader, and mentor. Every pilot who walks through the door aspires to have the longevity in their aviation career that John has had. He completed his first solo flight in 1952 and has since provided over 20,000 hours of flight instruction, which includes training several hundred Certified Flight Instructors for their initial ratings. John embodies the term “aviation expertise.” When John is not out flying, his office door is always open to any student who needs ground instruction, advice, or guidance- in flight training or otherwise. Stop by and visit with him!

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII, MEI – Gold Seal

Specialties:
Flight instructor training. Instrument and commercial pilot instruction, multi-engine rating, complex, high-performance, and tail-wheel endorsements.

Other Professional Qualifications: Recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

Availability:
Most weekdays. Some weekends.

My brother took me on an “intro flight” when I was 10 years old – and from that moment on I knew I was destined to fly. Family and life put that on hold for a “few” years, but finally getting that private pilot certificate turned out to be everything I thought it would be and more. It was an easy decision to leave the leadership of a 50 person $2.5B sales organization to become a flight instructor as a new career. I enjoy sharing the excitement a student pilots feels after a first solo, learning a difficult maneuver, or passing a check ride. That’s why I teach. I’m a decent golfer, a terrible drummer, but my most favorite interest is my ever-growing family.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Primary instrument instruction and proficiency, Cirrus transition, technically advanced aircraft, initial flight instructor training

Other Qualifications:
MBA, retired healthcare sales executive

Availability:
Full-time, weekdays

I am a retired United States Air Force Colonel who led space and missile operations during the majority of my distinguished 28-year military career. I served on Capitol Hill in the Air Force Office of Legislative Affairs, keeping the House and Senate Armed Services Committees informed on over $100B of Air Force weapon system procurement’s. A highlight of my career was teaching in the USAF Academy’s Department of Aeronautics. Following my Air Force career, I joined a corporation as a senior program manager for a major government program, leading my team on two highly acclaimed space payload deliveries. After an exciting and challenging 10-year run in the defense aerospace industry, I followed my passion to become a professional aviator by achieving FAA commercial multi-engine pilot and instrument flight instructor certificates. My wife Ellen and I have become very involved in Veterans support activities. I am an Air Force Admissions Liaison Officer, mentoring and evaluating candidates for appointment to the USAF Academy and ROTC scholarships. I enjoy providing flight instruction services on a part time basis at several flight training organizations at Rochester-area airports.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, Instrument fundamentals, Cirrus transition, Mooney and Piper checkout, technically advanced aircraft

Education:
United States Air Force Academy graduate, BS in Aeronautical Engineering

Master’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University

Master’s degree in Information Systems from Lesley University

Master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the Air University

Graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business Executive Education

I have been flying airplanes (both airline and corporate) all over the world for more than 50 years, and I still love it! I have a passion for teaching. Passing knowledge that I have is the only thing that I can give away and still keep!

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Instrument instruction, Cirrus, technically advanced aircraft, professional pilot skills

Other Qualifications:
ATP multi-engine rating, airline and corporate pilot

Availability:
Seasonal by appointment. Please call 585-328-8839.

I flew for many years as a hobby and loved every minute of it. It was my flight instructors at Rochester Air Center who got me thinking my dream of flying professionally was a realistic one, and they helped me to realize that dream! As an instructor, I hope to help my students reach their aviation goals in the same way, whatever those goals may be. When not flying, I enjoy skiing, spending time at the lake, and sometimes running and biking, albeit very slowly.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, Seaplane training, tailwheel endorsement, Cirrus, technically advanced aircraft

Other Qualifications:

Background in construction consulting with a Mechanical Engineering degree from RIT and professional corporate pilot

Availability: Part time, by appointment. Please call 585-328-8839.

I love to fly with other people and it’s very rewarding to help people achieve their aviation goals. I have been in the optical business for 30 years and have made aviation my second career. I have been involved in aviation as a hobby since I was five years old, flying radio-controlled airplanes. I started flying general aviation aircraft when I was 15. I still enjoy flying radio-controlled airplanes (aerobatics) and drones, and of course full-sized aircraft. Seaplane and tailwheel training are more recent obsessions. When I’m not flying, I enjoy spending time with my two kids and wife on our boat- cruising, tubing, or water skiing.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII and MEI

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, multi-engine training, seaplane training and tail-wheel endorsements

Other Qualifications:
Optical services, business management

Availability:
Weekdays and most weekend mornings

I have always loved the world of aviation and enjoy being able to help students reach their potential in the sky. I believe that students should enjoy flight training with the fun that aviation offers, while also emphasizing safety as a priority. My goal is to help guide you to become the safest pilot you can be, by enhancing your flight skills and aviation knowledge throughout training. In my free time, I like to either watch football, baseball, play golf, or sim racing.

I am currently working as a Part 135 corporate pilot for one of the largest private jet charter companies in the United States.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Private pilot training, initial instrument instruction, ATP, CE680 Type Rating, and Part 141 Check Instructor

Education:
Bachelors in Aeronautical Science, minor in Applied Meteorology and Airline Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Availability:
By appointment. Please call 585-328-8839 to schedule.

It was clear that Mr. Kuper could not be trusted with writing his own bio, so we’re doing it for him. He claims to have begun flight instructing at the Ray Hyland School of Aeronautics in Rochester many years ago (he won’t tell us the specific year) before moving on to a long and illustrious airline career. After retirement, Kuper decided to give back to the next generation of pilots by returning to flight instruction. If you want to learn from one of the most capable and knowledgeable instructors in the business, you should probably look elsewhere. (That’s a joke.) You will not find a finer flight instructor anywhere in the country! If it has wings and an engine or two, Kuper can teach you how to properly fly it. We can assure you that you will have a lot of fun doing it. Just don’t forget to remind him not to leave empty soda bottles in the airplane at the end of the lesson, and if you find a half-eaten apple in any Cessna, that probably belongs to him too!

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII, MEI

Specialties:
Instrument and commercial pilot instruction, multi-engine rating, technically advanced aircraft, complex and high-performance endorsements, Cirrus transition training.

Other Professional Qualifications:
ATP multi-engine. Retired airline Captain. Flew U.S. Troops around the world to various war zones in B737, DC10, MD11, DC9, MD82. Also doubles as the “Social Director” and “HR Manager” for RAC, in between flight lessons!

Availability:
Most weekdays, some weekends, but almost never earlier than 10:00 a.m. I need my beauty sleep and some nice, flavored coffee before we can get started.

Like most pilots, my first aviation experience was flying as a young kid with my Dad, who is a Private Pilot. I am a safety minded first pilot with 18 years of flying experience, who will apply real-world experience and situations into your fight training. I adapt to teaching how a student likes to learn, whether it be visually or more book style.

Some of my interests are tattoos, animals, baseball, classic cars, classic music and flight simming on X-Plane 12 to keep my skills sharp. I also have two dogs whom I spend a lot of time outdoors with. I’d like to eventually travel to every state in the U.S.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII, MEI, IGI – Gold Seal

Specialties:
ATP, B737 Type Rating, and Part 141 Check Instructor, Class Bravo Airspaces, Aircraft Checkouts, 141 Private Instrument & Commercial check pilot.

Education:
Associated in Applied Sciences from Monroe Community College, Bachelor in Aviation Science from Lewis University (Chicago, IL). Flight trained from Private, Instrument, Commercial out of Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW)

Availability:
By Appointment Only.

As a native of the Finger Lakes, I began my aviation training at the Penn Yan Flying Club during my teenage years. After a quick four years of college, I served 14 years in the U.S. Marine Infantry, followed by 16 years as a co-pilot and payload sensor operator for the U.S. Air Force on the MQ-9 Reaper. My aviation career truly took off in my mid-30s when I earned my CFI/MEI, Seaplane rating, and King Air 350 PIC type rating.

Over nearly three decades in the military, I completed 19 deployments to Afghanistan, Africa, and the Middle East, taking on various roles, including flying the King Air 350 in support of Special Operations Command AFRICOM. I also gained flying experience in Alaska, where I assisted a team of flight instructors in training CFI candidates. In my free time, I enjoy skydiving and riding my Harley.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, MEI

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, Mission oriented flight operations, Seaplane Training, Multi Engine Instruction, Initial flight instructor training.

Other Qualifications:
King Air 350 Type Rating

Availability:
By Appointment. Call 585-328-8839 to schedule.

I currently provide private, instrument, and commercial pilot flight instruction in single-engine land and sea aircraft. I focus on performance add-ons, complex aircraft, high-performance flying, tailwheel operations, and spin training.

As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I grew up in the “last frontier” of Alaska, where I began my journey as a student pilot and bush pilot, gaining experience on all types of runway surfaces.

Currently, I work as a professional corporate pilot, flying both the Gulfstream G280 and G550. I hold an ATP certificate, as well as CFI and CFII ratings. My general aviation passions are focused in off-airport flying, bush flying, seaplane flying. 

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, Tailwheel, High Performance, Complex, TAA, Seaplane, “Backcountry” flying.

Other Qualifications:
ATP, Corporate pilot, G280 and G550 type ratings.

Availability:
By Appointment. Call 585-328-8839 to schedule.

I have been a flight instructor since 1996, and I earned my multi-engine instructor rating in 2018. I have given over 1,700 hours of flight instruction in addition to flying professionally in both the corporate and airline sectors. I am a retired Sergeant from a local law enforcement agency, and when I’m not flying, I play bass in a rock band.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII, MEI

Specialties:
Professional piloting, Part 121 and 135 OPS. Instrument and Multi-Engine instruction. 

Other Qualifications:
ATP multi-engine, multiple type ratings.

Availability:
Open availability on Weekdays. 

Weekends by appointment. Call 585-328-8839 to schedule.

From a young age, I knew that gravity wouldn’t hold me down. Growing up just a mile from KROC, I’ve always been captivated by the skies, constantly “breaking my neck” to look up to see what was passing overhead. A flight in a Citabria tail-wheel aerobatic airplane at 14 sealed the deal; I was hooked on aviation! Pursuing my dreams in this field has been a true blessing, and I believe the greatest joy in aviation comes from sharing it with those around me.

I’ve noticed that many aviators have diverse interests beyond flying, and I enjoy connecting with my students on various levels to help them achieve their goals. Outside of aviation, I love playing guitar and piano, listening to great music, working on my car, running, and spending time with my squad of six younger brothers.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI

Specialties:
Part 141 Check Instructor, Private and Commercial ASEL flight instruction, radio communications, aircraft ground support.

Education:
Associate’s degree in business from MCC.

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from SUNY Geneseo.

Availability:
Full-time Weekdays.

Saturdays by appointment. Call 585-328-8839 to schedule. 

I was born in the Southern Tier of New York and I’m a bit of a gearhead. I will attempt to learn to operate anything with an engine, including cars, bikes, trucks, and airplanes. I believe that once we take pride in being precise and professional in our flying, we can leave ourselves lots of room for fun. WE didn’t start flying to NOT have fun!

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI, CFII

Specialties:
Cirrus transition training. Complex aircraft checkouts.

Availability:
Full-time. Let’s GO! Call 585-328-8839 to schedule.

From a young age, I’ve always known I wanted to be a pilot, captivated by everything related to flying. The journey of aviation is incredibly rewarding, and I appreciate that there’s always something new to learn. I scheduled my introductory flight with Rochester Air Center in April 2021. From there, I continued my training through the Liberty University Flight Training Affiliate (FTA) program. I’m now a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). I love teaching, and I strive to create a fun and engaging learning experience while always prioritizing safety. When I’m not flying, I enjoy bike rides, running, and spending time on the water.

Flight Instructor Ratings:
CFI

Specialties:
Private pilot training, Commercial pilot training

Education:
Bachelors of Science in Aviation – Liberty University 

Availability:
Full time weekdays and some weekends. Call 585-328-8839 to schedule.