Zachery Augustine
Zachery is from Staunton, IL. He has been a helicopter CFI and CFII for nearly two years with over 750 flight hours. Zachery has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
Zach Lucas
Zach was born and raised in St. Louis with 15 years of aviation experience. He served 9+ years active duty in the Marines as a Huey Crew Chief, Mechanic, and Weapons and Tactics Instructor. He graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor’s in Aviation Management in 2018. He is both a helicopter mechanic and helicopter CFI and CFII. Zach has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
Matt Cabrera
Matthew is from the Washington, D.C. area. He graduated from Parks College in 2019. He is a CFI and CFII with over 400 flight hours. Matthew has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
Malik Larcher
Malik was born and raised in the Austrian Alps. He was always fascinated by helicopters conducting mountain rescue operations, flying over his house. After graduating, he decided to move to the US to start his flight training. He is a CFI and CFII in helicopters with 500 flight hours. Malik has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since November 2019.
Joseph Fiandaca
Joseph Fiandaca is originally from the Chicagoland area. He graduated from Saint Louis University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Aeronautics Flight Science. He is a CFI with approximately 300 hours of flight instruction. Joseph has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since January 2020.
Joseph Cherry
Joseph is a recent graduate of Saint Louis University with a major in Flight Science and a concentration in Air Traffic Control. He currently holds a CFI, CFII, and MEI certificate. Joseph has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since September 2019.
Jim Moseley
Jim graduated Magna-Cum-Laude from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in Flight Science. He is a CFI and CFII and was awarded the 2018 Flight Instructor of the year In the St. Louis area. He also instructs in Southwestern Illinois College’s Aviation program. Jim has been instructing with Ideal since January 2018.
Jayson Sepe
Jayson is from Washington, MO. He attended the University of Central Missouri, where he earned a Bachelors’s degree in Accounting. He is a CFI and CFII in helicopters with 700 flight hours. Jayson has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
James Lovinggood
James Lovinggood is from Saint Louis, with a B.A. in Political Science from Miami of the University of Ohio. He served 4 years with the Army National Guard, and currently has his CFI and CFII with 370 hours. He has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October of 2020.
Cody Adams
Cody is from Kansas City, Kansas. He studied at Kansas University and the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a CFI and CFII in helicopters and is an instrument-rate commercial pilot in airplanes. Cody has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
Christina Connell
Christina is originally from San Jose, CA. She is a recent graduate of Saint Louis University. At SLU, she was very involved with various organizations: Women in Aviation, Alpha Eta Rho, and the Safety Committee. She is currently a CFI with 360 flight hours. Christina has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since January 2020.
Charles Beesley
Charles is a Marine and a Service Dog Trainer. He is a graduate of Saint Louis University’s Aeronautics program. He has been a CFI and CFII in helicopters with over 500 flight hours. He has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since October 2019.
Bruno Stopka
Bruno is a BSEE graduate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and earned his MBA at Saint Louis University. He is CFI, CFII, and MEI with several decades of experience. He has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since July of 2017.
Brian VanHorn
Brian is a 20+ year Air Force veteran and a graduate of Saint Louis University. He is a CFI, Advanced Ground Instructor, and Dispatcher with over 5,000 flight hours. Brian has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since June 2019.
Brett Whitcomb
Brett, a native of Rockford, Illinois, was bitten by the aviation bug when his dad took him for a ride in a Piper Cub for his third birthday. Brett graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia’s business school in 2009. Now, he is a CFI and CFII. Brett has been instructing with Ideal Aviation since April 2020.
Adam Lange
Adam began flying in 2003 at the University of North Dakota, and picked it back up at Saint Louis University in 2016. There he got his Instrument, Commercial and Multi-engine ratings. After Graduating SLU in 2019 with a degree in aviation he went on to get his CFI and CFI-I and has taught at Ideal since July of 2019.