JATO Aviation Team
April D. Gafford
Founder, JATO Aviation
CEO, Chief Flight Instructor
Ratings Held
ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI
Type Ratings: CE-500, SIC: CE-510
Aircraft Specialty
Technically Advanced Aircraft: Cirrus, Columbia, Piper Matrix, Cessna;
Avidyne and G1000-equipped Aircraft
Flight Experience
UND/Cirrus: CSIP, Cessna: G1000 CFAI Plus, Columbia: Columbia 350/400
FlightSafety: CE-560, BE-200, BE-9L, BE-58, CE-414A
SIMCOM: Piper Matrix
Teaching Experience
Chief Flight Instructor: JATO Aviation and Diamond Aviation
Over 3000 hours dual given
WAAS/LPV Instrument Approaches
FAA Wings Safety Seminar Instructor
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Helping students to become self-sufficient, achieve success, promote safety and facilitating them reach their goals in aviation are all incredibly rewarding to me.
Carl Mauck
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
ATP, CFI, MEI
Type Rating: B-747, B-727, DC-10, DC-9, A-320, G-V, F-27, CE-510
Aircraft Specialty
Cessna Aircraft. Cessna Citation Mustang
Flight Experience
40 years as airline pilot and captain for Northwest Airlines with extensive domestic and international flight experience in Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Factory Trained: Gulfstream V, Cessna Citation Mustang
Teaching Experience
Flight instructor in technically advanced aircraft and very light jets since 2007
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Being able to share with others my enthusiasm for aviation.
Eliot Floersch
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
Goldseal CFI, CFII, MEI
Aircraft Specialty
EFIS-equipped and Technically Advanced Aircraft, Multi-engine, Jet Transition Training, Jet-Prop Turbo Commander, Cirrus Aircraftt,
Flight Experience
Flying in the Bay Area since 1991. CFI since 1998, Turboprop instruction since 2002, Angel Flight Pilot
Teaching Experience
Four year degree in Aviation Flight Operations at SJSU. Extensive experience as a CFI with expertise in advanced avionics, mountain flying, advanced instrument procedures and scenarios, WAAS/LPV approach capabilities, night flight operations, high altitude training, emergency procedures, and engine management.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Aside from simply loving to fly, passing well received knowledge to students makes any CFI feel immortalized and that is one of the finest sensations life has to offer.
Torea Rodriguez
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
Commercial Pilot, ASES, AMEL, ASEL, CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, ATP
Aircraft Specialty
Diamond DA-42, G1000-equipped Cessnas, Beechcraft King Air, TBM 700, TBM 850
Flight Experience
Professional CFI and Pilot with experience in Part 91 Corporate and Part 135 Charter operations.
Teaching Experience
Started flying in 2002. Several years of instruction in technically advanced aircraft.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
One of my biggest rewards as a CFI is to see the knowledge transfer from me to you. Your accomplishments in aviation are what give me the most satisfaction.
Brett Smith
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
Commercial Pilot, CFI, CFII, MEI
Aircraft Specialty
Cessna Aircraft and G1000-equipped Aircraft; Cirrus Aircraft; Piper Matrix
Flight Experience
Professional Pilot. FlightSafety Academy Advanced Airline Training Program.
UND/Cirrus: CSIP, SIMCOM: Piper Matrix
Teaching Experience
Professional pilot and instructor in technically advanced aircraft since 2007.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
To help people reach their dreams of learning to fly.
Shane Sentz
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
CFI, CFII, MEI
Aircraft Specialty
Cirrus Aircraft, Cessna Aircraft and G1000-equipped Aircraft, DA40
Flight Experience
UND/Cirrus: CSIP. Over 3500 hours. Flight experience throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas.
Teaching Experience
More than nine years as a professional pilot and instructor in technically advanced aircraft. Over 3500 hours dual given.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Aviation has allowed me to meet many wonderful people and see many parts of the world that I otherwise would not have been able to see. For me, having a student solo for the first time is probably the most rewarding part of my job, as that sense of accomplishment and excitement never gets old.
Daniel Heraldez
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
CFI, CFII, MEI
Aircraft Specialty
Cirrus Aircraft - SR20, SR22; G1000-equipped Cessna Aircraft C-172, C-182; PA28-181/161; DA20, DA40
Flight Experience
UND/Cirrus: CSIP. Professional Flight Instructor and Pilot. Contractor for NASA Ames Research working on projects related to pilot performance and automation.
Teaching Experience
CFI since 2004 with over 1100 hours dual given.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
I enjoy the opportunity to share the knowledge and experience I have with my students and to watch someone without any flight experience become a competent pilot.
Chelsea Stein Engberg
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
CFI, MEI, CE-500 SIC
Aircraft Specialty
Tailwheel, Aerobatics, Aviation Safety
Flight Experience
1200+ hours with over 500 hours Tailwheel. Planes flown include Cessna’s, Pipers, Beechcrafts, King Air 90’s and 200’s, Citations, T-28, Pitts S1S/S2B/S2C, Extra 300L, J3 Cubs, Super Cub, CubCrafters Sport Cub and Super Sport Cub to name a few.
Training Experience
Flight Instructor since 2006, Aerobatic Pilot since 2006, Graduate of the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Safety Officer School at NAS Pensacola, current Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Aeronautical Science Graduate Student specializing in safety and human factors.
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Being able to safely introduce others to the fantastic world of flight and help them discover the excitement and freedom that is only found in the sky!
Blake Coleman
CFI/Mentor Pilot
Ratings Held
ATP, CFI, Type rating: B-737
Aircraft Specialty
Tailwheel, Aerobatic, High performance aircraft
Flight Experience
Pilot since 1990. CFI since 2007. Worked in: PC-12NG, C-208B, US Navy F-14D, F-5F/N. Taught in: many others.
Teaching Experience
I’ve been teaching primarily in tailwheel and aerobatic aircraft including American Champion Citabria and Decathlon, Pitts S-2C, and Extra 300 since 2007
What is rewarding to you about being a CFI?
Aviation is my favorite subject. I love sharing it with everyone interested.