Flight Instruction
Great Basin Aviation is a full-service flight school and aviation resource center. We specialize in flight training from student pilot to Airline Transport Pilot; with special emphasis on Mountain Flying techniques and Safety priorities. Great Basin Aviation is Northern Nevada’s only flight school offering modern Cessna aircraft, manufactured in this century; sporting Garmin glass cockpits, and autopilot. Our business model provides professional, experienced full-time Flight Instructor- Pilots who are committed to the achievement of your aeronautical aspirations; rather than that of their own.
In addition to basic flight instruction, our instructors are also certified for certain endorsements, IFR instruction, commercial, CFI, biennial flight reviews, and more. Please call or email (goflying@greatbasinaviation.com) for rates and questions.
In addition to basic flight instruction, our instructors are also certified for certain endorsements, IFR instruction, commercial, CFI, biennial flight reviews, and more. Please call or email (goflying@greatbasinaviation.com) for rates and questions.
Ground Instruction
We offer ground school through the Cessna Sport/Private Pilot Course and Cessna Instrument Rating Course.
Have you dreamt of becoming a pilot or earning your instrument rating? Make it a reality! We offer Cessna's new scenario-based flight training course, developed exclusively for Cessna by the experts at King Schools. This web-based course provides everything you need to obtain your Sport, Private Pilot Certificate or Instrument Rating. It's been designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to embrace your future in aviation.
This course is for the pilot who is training in either a technically-advanced full-glass cockpit airplane or in an airplane with analog gauges. The training includes flight preview videos and full-motion diagrams of the course material, plus a complete FAA knowledge exam review program—and it's available anywhere you have Internet access. Your personal login will maintain a record of which sessions you have completed and will allow you to continue where you left off if you are interrupted. The course never expires and it is always kept up-to-date, so you'll have access to all of the in-depth knowledge sessions and flight previews well after you have completed your training.
You can take your Cessna Sport/Private Pilot course on your iPad—even when offline! The Cessna Sport/Private Pilot and Instrument Rating course lessons can be downloaded onto an iPad/tablet and viewed later when online or offline, with the Cessna Companion App.
Kits include flight bag and Garmin Pilot access. Other Cessna courses are available. Please give us a call to let us know if you are looking for a specific course.
Have you dreamt of becoming a pilot or earning your instrument rating? Make it a reality! We offer Cessna's new scenario-based flight training course, developed exclusively for Cessna by the experts at King Schools. This web-based course provides everything you need to obtain your Sport, Private Pilot Certificate or Instrument Rating. It's been designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to embrace your future in aviation.
This course is for the pilot who is training in either a technically-advanced full-glass cockpit airplane or in an airplane with analog gauges. The training includes flight preview videos and full-motion diagrams of the course material, plus a complete FAA knowledge exam review program—and it's available anywhere you have Internet access. Your personal login will maintain a record of which sessions you have completed and will allow you to continue where you left off if you are interrupted. The course never expires and it is always kept up-to-date, so you'll have access to all of the in-depth knowledge sessions and flight previews well after you have completed your training.
You can take your Cessna Sport/Private Pilot course on your iPad—even when offline! The Cessna Sport/Private Pilot and Instrument Rating course lessons can be downloaded onto an iPad/tablet and viewed later when online or offline, with the Cessna Companion App.
Kits include flight bag and Garmin Pilot access. Other Cessna courses are available. Please give us a call to let us know if you are looking for a specific course.
Cessna Pilot Center
Great Basin Aviation is proud and privileged to be affiliated with Cessna as a Cessna Pilot Center (CPC). A Cessna Pilot Center is a specially selected flight school that represents top-quality, professional flight training. Each CPC is hand picked by Cessna to ensure that they maintain Cessna’s high standards for flight training.
Talk to any certified pilot. They will likely tell you they learned to fly in a Cessna. More people have obtained their private pilot certificate in Cessna aircraft than all other aircraft types combined. There is a reason for that: Cessna's are easy to fly and safe.
A Cessna Pilot Center is where you go to take advantage of Cessna's years of experience in training most of the world's pilots to fly. At a CPC, you learn to fly in less time than other programs while following Cessna's computer-based curriculum that stresses safety (on a National average).
When you learn to fly from a Cessna Pilot Center, you are truly learning from the best. It’s not just that you’ll learn from the world’s best-trained instructors. Or that you’ll train with innovative computer-based instruction. What really matters is that you will be learning to fly in the world’s greatest aircraft, Cessna’s forgiving, reliable single engine airplanes. For more information on the advantages and benefits of training at a Cessna Pilot Center visit: cessnaflighttraining.kingschools.com/Index.aspx
Talk to any certified pilot. They will likely tell you they learned to fly in a Cessna. More people have obtained their private pilot certificate in Cessna aircraft than all other aircraft types combined. There is a reason for that: Cessna's are easy to fly and safe.
A Cessna Pilot Center is where you go to take advantage of Cessna's years of experience in training most of the world's pilots to fly. At a CPC, you learn to fly in less time than other programs while following Cessna's computer-based curriculum that stresses safety (on a National average).
When you learn to fly from a Cessna Pilot Center, you are truly learning from the best. It’s not just that you’ll learn from the world’s best-trained instructors. Or that you’ll train with innovative computer-based instruction. What really matters is that you will be learning to fly in the world’s greatest aircraft, Cessna’s forgiving, reliable single engine airplanes. For more information on the advantages and benefits of training at a Cessna Pilot Center visit: cessnaflighttraining.kingschools.com/Index.aspx
Our Instructors
Jeff Sanders
Jeff is a CFI and our Chief Flight Instructor. He has 1100 hours flying GA aircraft, a seaplane rating from Alaska, and is teaching beginning private pilot students, discovery/sightseeing flights, and loving it! He taught physics and coached baseball in WI, and then a PhD in physics led to U.S. Navy research, scientific patent, and a stint as a physics prof at an aeronautical university where he earned all his ratings and flew 900+ hours all over from Key West, Florida to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Come take a discovery flight with Jeff!
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Emmett CastellanEmmett is a CFI, MEI and CFII. Outside of flying, Emmett loves spending time with his family. He takes full advantage of our proximity to the Tahoe area and enjoys snowboarding, skiing, backpacking, mountain biking and traveling the globe. Emmett speaks fluent French and has a Masters degree in Business.
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Dane MeyerhoffDane is a CFI/CFII and has been with Great Basin Aviation since 2017. He trains students for private pilot license, instrument rating, and commercial license. He also is currently a full time student at the University of Nevada, Reno pursuing a B.S. in Economics.
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Earl Kessler
Earl is a CFII/ATP with Great Basin Aviation. He has been instructing for over 20 years and has been flying since 1970. Earl also flies as a corporate pilot with international flight experience. He has flown everything from light sport airplanes to turbine power aircraft and has instructed in each of them. He also specializes in basic, instrument, and advanced instruction.
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Bob BennettBob is a CFI/CFII instructing 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 instruction, flight reviews, endorsements, and discovery flights.
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Al Hayes
Al soloed a Cessna 120 at age 16, earned his Private Pilots License at age 17. Instructed as a 20 year old kid that eventually led to a 36 year United Airlines career, retiring as Captain on the B-747-400. Then flew as Captain for NetJets for 9 more years. Now here he is back to square one, in good old Cessna's. Instructing - and loving every minute of it!
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Paul JolleyPaul Jolley was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and started his flight training at Reno Flying Service and finished at ATP in Sacramento. He flight instructed at Sierra Academy of Aeronautics in Atwater, California before heading to Bethel, Alaska for 2 1/2 years to be a Bush pilot and company instructor for Yute Air, a part 135 operator. He is currently a first officer at Skywest Airlines. He has had numerous mentors along his route to becoming an airline pilot and is looking to share his experiences with others!
Alex Infantino
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Lee GriffinLee Griffin, call sign “Thumper”, brings a wealth of operational experience and technical know how to the complex and challenging world of aviation. Mr. Griffin has flown over 135 different aircraft and started his flying career as an single-engine multi-eng, and instrument instructor , crop duster, and corporate pilot flying a DC-3 for a politician. He joined the U.S. Navy and after graduating at the top of his class was selected to fly fighters. Joining Fighter Squadron 114 on-board USS Kitty Hawk on Yankee station in Southeast Asia. Lee Logged multiple combat missions over North Vietnam, and served as an Landing Signal Officer. During his 21 years of service with the Navy, Lee flew five different Navy tactical jet aircraft while assigned to seven different Fighter Squadrons, a Missile Test Squadron, and also served as an Pacific fleet aggressor pilot flying the nimble A-4 Super Fox aircraft. He served as an Air Combat Maneuvering, Instrument, and Carrier landing instructor in both the F-4 Phantom and the A-4 Skyhawk aircraft. He was awarded multiple decorations for valor including the Navy Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, multiple Air Medals, Sea Service Ribbon, Expert Pistol, Expert Rifle, and many other citations. and numerous awards and Letters of Commendation and Appreciation for missile testing and evaluation while stationed at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Pt Mugu Ca. During his Navy career Mr. Griffin amassed 831 carrier arrested landings, 400 of them at night.
After the military, Lee resumed corporate flying and instructing in both single and multi engine aircraft, and soon was hired by Federal Express Airlines, where he retired as a Captain. While Chief pilot for the Cactus Air Force, from 2001-2015, Lee had the opportunity to participate in many air shows throughout the United States. During this time he flew various museum aircraft in movies as well as air to air commercials. Lee flew the Specline Special, a highly modified T-33 jet aircraft in the 2007 National Championship Air Races at Reno Nv., and set an all-class record for the fastest qualifying lap in the history of the air races at over 525MPH. A published author, Lee was also qualified to fly and instruct in all of the museums fixed-winged aircraft including the T-33 Silver Star, OV-10A Bronco, T-6G Texan, T-41 Mescalero, T-34 Mentor, T-28 Trojan and the F-86 Sabre. He currently owns and flies a Beechcraft Baron. |
Taylor PhillipsA highly experienced pilot, Taylor is an ATP, CFI/CFII, MEI, CFI-G, and FAA Safety Team Member. His aviation career roots in gliders from the Great Basin, to cargo operations in Alaska, and currently as a pilot for SkyWest Airlines. He now instructs at Great Basin Aviation as an amazing addition to our staff! (at least, when he isn’t out having fun flying something else!) You’ll find that his 15+ years of experience has served him well in the cockpit, passing it onto you! His personalized instruction technique will leave you very pleased!
Richard |