Jake got his passion for aviation from his father. He received his private pilot license after his freshman year in college. While working at Boeing, he continued his flight training on the evenings and weekends earning his instrument rating. When nearing his commercial check ride, he decided to resign from Boeing to focus full time on flight training. he began with Ideal Aviation in 2022 and loves witnessing students transform from no flight time to PIC!
Dan graduated from St Louis University with a B.S. in Aeronautics in 2008. After working for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for over 12 years, the call of the sky was too loud to ignore. He decided to become a Flight Instructor so he could share with others the wonders of flight.
Dan has been with Ideal Aviation since 2022.
Don began his flight experience working on his PPL in 2016 at C77. He finished the next year at KDKB. In 2021 he started training with ATP and received his instrument and commercial ratings. He went on to become a customer of Ideal Aviation where he received his CFI!
James Braithwaite
James served for 10 years in the British Royal Air Force and met his wife, Auburn, while working with the USAF in Germany. They now live in O’Fallon, IL, with their daughter Julia and two dogs Ollie and Kevin.
He is a fixed wing CFI, CFII and MEI and trained at a Part 141 flight school near San Antonio, Texas.
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 and became Chief CFI of the Fixed-Wing program in the fall of 2021.
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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.