Like anything truly worthwhile, pilothood is a journey. It's a journey of challenge. Of excitement. Of self-discovery. It's a journey that ends with a monumental sense of achievement - your pilot's license! And then begins anew each time you climb into the cockpit and take to the sky. You cannot get there without solid instruction. Great Basin Aviation is proud to employ the best instructors in Northern Nevada that will aide you in becoming a safe, proficient pilot. Read on below for a more detailed description of our offerings.
Our Instructors
Certified Flight Instructors
Danny Britson
Chief CFI Danny is a part-time CFI/CFII who enjoys all aspects of flight training, especially primary and instrument training. He learned to fly and received his instructor ratings while serving in the US Air Force, since then he has flown as a corporate pilot and has over 1600 hours as an instructor. Danny has a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Aeronautics with a minor in Aviation Safety from Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University.
Danny enjoys skiing, home improvement, watching his kids play sports and flying his Cessna 421C all over the West Coast. Danny is an avid Manchester United fan who does not allow any Liverpool or Manchester City clothing on any of his flights. Danny's Email Danny's Phone Number |
Bob Bennett
Check Instructor Bob is a CFI/CFII who has instructed with Great Basin Aviation for the last several years. Bob has been a pilot since 1972 and a flight instructor since 1988, with over 8000 flight hours in general aviation aircraft. Bob is an advanced instructor with Great Basin Aviation and specializes in advanced instruction including CFI/CFII, flight reviews, endorsements, and discovery flights.
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Richard Brong
Check Instructor Richard learned to fly in Reno in 2006 and has been active in the local flying community ever since. His FAA certificates include CFI, CFII, Instrument, Commercial, Advanced Ground Instructor, and UAS Remote. Richard attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he earned a Master of Aeronautical Science with a specialization in Educational Technology and spent about 20 years as a high school science teacher. He also volunteered in the Civil Air Patrol for several years. Richard is an educator at heart and enjoys using his background in education and aviation to help students reach their goals to their highest potential.
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Chazz Sandoval
Chazz was born and raised here in Reno. He entered the world of aviation in 2017 when he took a discovery flight in the Bay Area. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge from the air and cruising past the San Francisco skyline he was absolutely hooked. He completed his flight training in the Pacific Northwest where he earned his CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates. After flying aerial survey missions all over the country he is back in Northern Nevada ready to share his aeronautical knowledge with the community. Outside of flying, there’s a good chance Chazz is spending time with his Husky or watching his favorite sports teams.
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Austin WhiteRather than being afraid of flying after overlooking the eye of a hurricane on a flight from Houston to Reno, Austin was thrilled as he watched the storm unfold from his vantage point in the sky. And from this beginning came Austin’s interest in aviation. Starting out as a project manager in civil construction, Austin was ready for a change, and after giving it some thought, Austin decided to get his PPL from GBA. With this successful start, Austin decided to take the fast track to his instrument and commercial rating at ATP, and after some time away, Austin came back to his favorite flight school to get his CFI. Austin is originally from Boise, Idaho and came down to Reno to live with his wife and chocolate lab. In his free time, you can find him hiking with his amazing family.
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Grant MuzzioGrant is a full time CFI and a Chinook pilot for the Nevada National Guard. Grant is back in Reno after taking a 3-year hiatus to fly helicopters for the Nevada National Guard and getting his private through CFI airplane certificates. Grant enjoys sharing his passion for aviation with aspiring aviators as well as the challenge of mountain flying. When he isn’t flying, you can find Grant wishing he was flying or enjoying the snow, rocks & golf the Tahoe Basin has to offer.
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Nik Joshi
Nikul (Nik) grew up in East Africa, Tanzania. He moved to USA when he was 11. He began his aviation career at Stead Airport. He then finished his Commercial single, multi-engine rating and CFI rating in Reno. Nikul earned a college degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he received a degree in BA in Aeronautics from ERAU in 2009. Nikul is in the Nevada Air Guard, he enlisted in 2013, then commissioned in 2018. When he isn't working and flying, he likes to mountain bike, hike and camp.
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Ryan Mill
Ryan's passion for Aviation began when he was young, watching TV shows like Coast Guard Alaska with his grandfather. He grew up always wanting to pursue a career in becoming a Helicopter pilot, however he quickly learned fixed wing was a much better path :) Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Ryan moved to Reno, NV in 2016 to pursue his bachelors degree at The University of Nevada, Reno and has lived here ever since. Ryan started his Aviation career with GBA in 2021 with no experience and worked his way up to becoming a CFI. When he is not flying you can usually find him somewhere in the mountains skiing, biking, or fishing.
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Josh Bunker
As an ATP, Josh spends his days flying for Frontier and instructing part-time with Great Basin Aviation, specializing in Rotor Transitions. Most of his flight hours were as a Chinook pilot, instructor pilot, and instrument flight examiner for the Nevada National Guard. Nevada has always been home for Josh and he and his wife are lucky enough to raise their two young boys in Northern Nevada. When he is not flying he enjoys spending time with his beautiful family and creating fun, delicious, intoxicating home brews (and sharing them with GBA staff).
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Greg Rudman
Greg is a CFI/CFII that completed most of his training here in northern Nevada at Great Basin Aviation. He grew up in Florida but decided to make Reno his home after seeing how beautiful it was. Greg’s career started by earning a Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity and working in the tech industry, but he quickly realized flying was more fun. A discovery flight and several checkrides later, he is now an instructor looking forward to helping others achieve their aviation goals.
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Nathan Morin
Born and raised in Reno, NV, Nathan graduated from McQueen High School in 2019 and has known he wanted to be a pilot since he was 6 years old. When it comes to aviation, be it any flight, Nathan has always been more interested in the journey rather than the destination. It's as if the vacations his parents planned weren't for the actual get-away, but rather for the plane ride there and back. Nathan has completed all of his training at Great Basin Aviation and is no stranger to aviation... some of you may actually know him for his photography skills from his social media page, the Reno Plane Spotter. When Nathan's not out flying, you can find him outdoors fishing, riding dirt bikes, and going camping or hunting.
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