JATO Aviation

Carl Mauck
CFI/Mentor Pilot

Cessna Aircraft.  Cessna Citation Mustang

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

Flight instructor in technically advanced aircraft and very light jets since 2007

Being able to share with others my enthusiasm for aviation.

Eliot Floersch
CFI/Mentor Pilot

Flying in the Bay Area since 1991. CFI since 1998, Turboprop instruction since 2002, Angel Flight Pilot

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.

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

Commercial Pilot, ASES, AMEL, ASEL, CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, ATP

Diamond DA-42, G1000-equipped Cessnas, Beechcraft King Air, TBM 700, TBM 850

Professional CFI and Pilot with experience in Part 91 Corporate and Part 135 Charter operations.

Started flying in 2002. Several years of instruction in technically advanced aircraft.

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

Commercial Pilot, CFI, CFII, MEI

Shane Sentz
CFI/Mentor Pilot

CFI, CFII, MEI

Cirrus Aircraft, Cessna Aircraft and G1000-equipped Aircraft, DA40

UND/Cirrus: CSIP. Over 3500  hours.  Flight experience throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas.

More than nine years as a professional pilot and instructor in technically advanced aircraft.  Over 3500 hours dual given.

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.

Roy Richardson
CFI/Mentor Pilot

Commercial Pilot- Single Engine Land and Sea, MEI, CFI, CFII, ATP, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic with Inspector Authorization

Cessna Aircraft; Multi-engine Aircraft; Older and Modified Aircraft

Began flying gliders nearly 30 years ago and have since accumulated over 12,000 hours in single-engine, multi-engine, tailwheel and sea planes.

Daniel Heraldez
CFI/Mentor Pilot

CFI, CFII, MEI

Cirrus Aircraft - SR20, SR22; G1000-equipped Cessna Aircraft C-172, C-182; PA28-181/161; DA20, DA40

UND/Cirrus: CSIP. Professional Flight Instructor and Pilot. Contractor for NASA Ames Research working on projects related to pilot performance and automation.

CFI since 2004 with over 1100 hours dual given.  

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.

John Murphy
CFI/Mentor Pilot

Gold Seal Flight Instructor, ASEL/MEL, IA, CFI, CFII, MEI

All Cessna SEL and MEL prop, all Mooney SEL, some Beechcraft SEL and MEL prop

Over 4000 hours as private pilot 1970-85.  Professional CFI since 1985.  Over 11,500 hours dual given in single and dual engine aircraft.

Flight Instructor and charter pilot from 1985-90. Chief Flight Instructor and FAR 141 Pilot Examiner for a company with 15 flight schools throughout the United States. Subsequent President of four of the flight schools within that company. Contract flight instructor since 2000.  Accident Prevention Counselor.

The moment when a student and I are on the last flight before their checkride.  Other than requesting the student perform tasks required for the checkride, very little is said and they are now truly "pilot-in-command."

Erin Hay
Aircraft Sales and Acquisition
Erin Hay has been an active aircraft sales professional in Northern California for the past 7 years successfully managing a Cessna aircraft dealership and developing an extensive network of customers, and aircraft industry partners.  Erin’s integrity, aircraft knowledge and her gift for building relationships are the cornerstones for her exceptional customer service.

Erin is a Private Pilot with a passion for aviation and an appreciation for the unique and interesting culture of pilots that make up the General Aviation community.   Her extensive knowledge of aircraft and enthusiasm for aviation originates with her family of military, commercial and general aviation pilots, and continues today with ongoing education, market research, and a well connected web of industry relationships.

I am a fan of personal transformation in its many forms.  Learning to fly is one of the most transformative adventures a person can experience.  The process often begins as I watch a student pilot dream of flying his or her family to Lake Tahoe for example.  Sometime later, I will work with that pilot to safely and intelligently choose the right aircraft for their skill, budget and family.  I then have the pleasure to watch that same family load up for a weekend trip to the lake in their new aircraft.  As I witness that transformation, I feel I am part of building lifelong memories for that family, and that feels incredibly satisfying.  As much as I am inspired by the aircraft I sell, it is equally about the people that fly them and the exceptional experiences we have as pilots that makes aviation dynamic and enjoyable.