Meet the Team - GREAT BASIN AVIATION

Every day we get to do what we love, living our lives off the ground and a lot of times behind a desk too. We maintain a comfortable yet very professional atmosphere, conducive to learning and growing as a pilot and enjoying the fellowship that comes with being an aviator. The team at Great Basin Aviation are skilled professionals with several years of experience preparing students for the aviation industry.

Jennifer Fonda Vincent

Owner

Jennifer is the proud owner of Great Basin Aviation and a licensed pilot with a lifelong love for all things that fly. She's not just in the business of aviation, she’s on a mission to inspire the next generation of pilots. A passionate advocate for aviation education, Jenn has a firm belief that flight training should be structured, empowering, and genuinely fun. She’s deeply involved in community outreach, regularly bringing aviation into schools and local programs to light that spark in future aviators.

Her favorite part of the job? Watching students crush their goals, from first solos to final checkrides, and celebrating every mile flown along the way. Outside the flight school, Jenn proudly serves in the Nevada Air National Guard, blending service and aviation into every aspect of her life. When she’s not at the airport, you’ll probably find her flying right seat with her husband, cheering on her favorite teams with her son at sporting events, or planning her next great adventure.

Contact Jenn

Richard Brong
Chief Flight Instructor and
Director of Aviation Education

Richard has been enamored with all things flying from an early age and earned his pilot's wings here in Reno in 2006. He has continued his training and has been active in many roles of the local aviation community ever since. He spent 20 years of his working life as a science educator here in Reno and has combined his talents with that and aviation for this next chapter. Richard came to Great Basin Aviation in 2018 as an Advanced Ground Instructor then earned further ratings including CFI/CFII as he grew in his roles. Jennifer has promised to keep him busy helping in many capacities around the school, too. He is an aircraft owner and a family guy and also enjoys cycling, running, and just about anything outdoor.

Contact Richard

Cassidy Bell
Office Coordinator

Cassidy grew up in Texas and has called Reno home for the past two years. She earned her undergraduate degree from Marshall University and her MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno, while also playing D1 soccer.

Aviation runs in her family—her dad is an airline pilot and inspired her to pursue the same path. Cassidy’s long-term goal is to fly for American Airlines, following in his footsteps. Outside of aviation, she enjoys running, hiking, lifting, reading, traveling and spending time with family. She also loves cheering on the Red Sox or the Cowboys! She is currently working towards her PPL and would love any study buddies :)

Monk
Office Assistant

Monk Mann is a retired engineer, former U.S. Marine, and Vietnam Veteran whose lifelong dedication to service continues to inspire. He has been both an Honor Flight honoree and an escort, honoring the sacrifices of his fellow veterans while keeping their stories alive.

These days, Monk brings that same commitment and passion to aviation. You can usually find him at Great Basin Aviation on Thursday afternoons, stop in and say hi! Just be warned: if you stick around too long, he might have you helping out with his ground school.

Noreen
Office Assistant

If Noreen’s in the office it must be Wednesday. Convinced by her dear friend Jenn to come out of retirement for five hours a week, Noreen is having lots of fun learning about flying and living vicariously through all of the GBA students and instructors. When asked about getting her pilots license, she said, “Don’t think so, but then again, one never knows.” Noreen, retired CEO of the Veterans Guest House, is still figuring out what to do with all this free time. She loves getting together with friends, traveling, good scotch, photography and “trying” to play the ukulele.

Josh Gilmore
Line Technician

Josh is from Las Vegas, NV and graduated from UNR with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. After 5 years in the corporate world, Josh decided he had enough of excel and decided to try flying instead. Josh is currently working on his instrument rating with hopes of having a career in aviation. When he’s not flying, Josh is likely mountain biking, snowboarding, camping, hiking up big mountains (Cotopaxi being the current highest (19,300 ft btw)), or playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends.

Brendan Gomez
Line Technician

Brendan was born and raised here in Reno, NV. He worked as an Audio Visual Tech for about 5 years and then eventually decided a career in the entertainment world wasn't for him. With that, Brendan decided to put his efforts toward a new ambition and decided to pursue becoming a professional pilot. A family friend recommended Brendan to GBA and started training soon after. Since then, Brendan's earned his private pilot license and is currently working on his instrument rating. In his free time, Brendan likes to spend his time at the gym, skiing locally, attempting to play golf, and finishing up his degree online.

Brayden Bishop

Line Technician

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Meet the GBA Team