Flight Training: Instructors
One of the things which sets Chesapeake Sport Pilot apart from most other flight schools is our commitment to hiring only the most dedicated and experienced instructors. Unlike most other flight schools, our instructors are experienced pilots and teachers, who instruct out of a passion for sharing their love of flight with others.
Tim Adelman: Owner
Tim started flying with his father in 1982. Two months before his 16th birthday, Tim started taking flying lessons. His goal was to solo before he got his driver's license. On the morning of his 16th birthday he soled at Frederick Municipal Airport and then walked over to the MVA to get his driver's license. During college Tim added his instrument rating and commercial rating. While in law school, he became a certificated flight instructor. He has been instructor for the past ten years and now focuses on light sport aircraft.
Luther Alexander
Luther Alexander grew-up in Wichita, Kansas, which calls itself "The Air Capital of the World," because it was the home of the Cessna, Boeing, Beech, and LearJet aircraft manufacturing companies. Due to work-related moves as an adult, Luther has flown (and instructed) in the Great Plains, New England, Florida, California, Hawaii and, of course, the mid-Atlantic states. He has been a Flight Instructor for nearly 30 years and is licensed to give Instrument Airplane and Multi-Engine flight instruction. Luther and his wife live in Annapolis, and have two adult daughters.
Mike Bangert
Mike, a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, Class of 1970, began his aviation career with Navy flight training at Pensacola, FL. He went on to fly the P-3 Orion, both on active duty and in the Naval Reserve. His first introduction to general aviation took place in 1977at BWI flying the Grumman American Tiger, AA-5B, in the Naval Academy Flying Club. Later, he would serve as president of that club. In 1980, while living in Ohio, he began training for his Flight Instructor - Airplane, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and Glider Ratings. He enjoyed a successful career as a pilot for United Airlines, flying the Boeing 727, 757, 767, and 777 aircraft, retiring in 2007. With 18,000+ total hours and 1500+ hours of instruction given, he looks forward to expanding his range of knowledge and experience in Light Sport Aircraft and bringing the joy of flight to those he instructs.
Rose Bult
After marrying and raising three great kids, Rose Noyes decided to become a flight instructor and realize her dream of chasing sunbeams in the endless blue sky. Flying full time has been her profession since 1999 and she has worked at a variety of flight places from friendly "mom and pop" schools to military flying clubs to big "airline training" academies. After so many hours flying and instructing her outlook on flying is basic- have fun and show each student the right way to think in an airplane. She loves it when a student has an "aha!" moment and takes another step up the ladder to his or her goal. She doesn't let the seemingly complex rules of flight and the airplane systems intimidate her students- mastery of the details is fun and fulfilling. When she is not flying, she logs a lot of flight time on commercial airliners traveling the world with her husband Jan and getting an occasional jump seat privilege with European carriers. She enjoys windsurfing, road cycling, cross country skiing, painting, and cooking. She only wishes she didn’t have to sleep!
Tim Collins
Tim Collins has been flying with Chesapeake Sport Pilot since 2008, but has been involved with aviation since 1978. He is an Air Force command pilot and has flown the A-10, E-3 B/C, F-16 A/B/C/D, KC-10, RQ-4, T-37, T-38, T-41, as well as a wide range of general aviation aircraft. With over 3,400 flying hours (including 1,000+ hours as an instructor and evaluator pilot) and extensive flying experience in combat, Tim has FAA Commercial Privileges (Airplane Single and Multi-engine Land; Glider; Instrument), Instructor Privileges (original issue 1980), and holds a Type Rating (Boeing 707/720). He is a certified ‘Board President’ for aviation accidents/mishaps. Tim is an adjunct instructor for aviation safety-related undergraduate/graduate courses for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in addition to teaching advanced aviation technologies for graduate students at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering. Tim is professionally associated with the National Affiliation of Flight Instructors, the Order of Dadelians, and serves as a designated Soaring Society of America Flight Instructor. Tim has been an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor, and spends his free time flying and playing golf.
Chris Criswell
Chris began flying in 2000 while completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Salisbury University. Chris is licensed as a CFI for single engine airplanes and plans to soon earn his CFII. On the weekdays, Chris works full-time for the FAA as a Cartographer within the Aeronautical Information Management group. When he’s not flying, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife Sarah and three children, Ryan, Tyler and Lauren.
Jim Ferrari
Jim became interested in flying at a very young age and pursued his passion with part time work as he earned money to pay for his flying lessons. A Private Pilot in 1973 at the end of his senior year in High School, he attended and graduated from college at Nathaniel Hawthorne in New Hampshire, earning in addition to his degrees in Business and Aviation, his commercial, instrument, multi-engine and Certified Flight Instructor licenses. After graduation, and stints as an instructor at several different flight schools, he started flying night freight on DC-3 and Beech 18 aircraft. In 1979, he went to work for Metro Airlines in Houston Texas, flying Twin Otter and Shorts 330 turbine aircraft. During this time, he earned an MBA at the University of Houston. In 1985, he began a career at United Airlines, beginning as a Flight Engineer on the DC-10, then progressing through First Officer and Captain positions on B-737, A-320, B-757, B-767 and is currently a Captain flying primarily international routes on the B-777. All through his airline career, he has been an active flight instructor and check airman on both light and turbo jet aircraft. With over 25,000 hours in the air, he still enjoys the challenge of flying light sport aircraft and wishes to introduce the joy of flying to a new generation of pilots, and to embrace the unique and spectacular flying the Chesapeake Bay area has to offer.
David Frostbutter
Dave’s his first airplane ride was soon after birth. He spent many hours (maybe more upside down than right side up) as a passenger with his father. Needless to say he was smitten at an early age. He obtained his Private license in 1970, the commercial, instrument and CFI in 1976, the CFII in 2001 and has been an active flight instructor since 1976. Dave has worked as an Aerospace Engineer at The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory for 34 years and currently working in the R&D area with the FAA. He was a team member that developed the ADS-B technology which is now in the nation-wide implementation phase. Flying has been a life-long passion and looks forward to many more years in the air, sharing the experience with all who want a higher education.
Neal Guernsey
Neal was focused on flying from an early age. He joined Civil Air Patrol in high school just to get involved. As a midshipman at the Naval Academy, he earned his degree in Aerospace Engineering and also helped run the Midshipmen Flight Training Program in 1975. He was the first student to earn his Private Certificate from Friendship Flying Service at BWI under that program. He earned his Naval Aviator wings in 1976 and joined the fleet flying the A-7E Corsair off the USS Kitty Hawk (216 Carrier landings, but who’s counting?). Neal began instructing in A-7s for the Navy in 1980 at NAS Lemoore, CA. He earned his civilian CFI the same year and became President of the NAS Lemoore Flying Club. He enjoyed teaching in the same T-34B that he had soloed in Pensacola five years earlier. Neal left Active Duty in 1982 and joined the Reserves. He spent three years flying the UC-12B (Beechcraft King Air) from Andrews AFB. He has since retired from the Navy Reserves. After spending time in corporate America he has returned to his love of teaching flying. He recently taught midshipmen at Lee Airport through the Navy Annapolis Flight Center and has now decided to share the fun of Sport Flying. During the week, Neal works for the company that produces Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and Disney On Ice.
Fred Lagno
Fred started his flying career in San Angelo, Texas while attending Air Force Intelligence School at Goodfellow Air Force Base. He soloed in 1966 and began flying full time as a flight instructor at Bay Bridge Airport in 1971. In 1972 he started the first aviation ground school at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, MD. Fred’s experience includes cargo, commuter and airline flying in various aircraft including the Boeing 727, the DC9 and the Boeing 737-200, 300, and 400 models with 25,000+ hours flying time. He retired from USAirways in 2002. Fred is also the designer of numerous supplemental type certificates for electrical modifications to antique aircraft. He holds airline transport pilot, flight instructor airplane and instrument with a gold seal, ground instructor, flight engineer, airframe & powerplant mechanic, and aircraft inspector certificates.
Tom McKnight
Tom’s passion for airplanes began in the 1950’s when his uncle, a former Tuskegee Airman raised on the Eastern Shore, landed his surplus WWII aircraft on a grass strip near his home in Ridgely, Maryland. He soloed in 1972 at College Park airport while studying aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland. After graduation, Tom attended navigator training and was assigned to the old Strategic Air Command as a KC-135 tanker navigator. He still has fond memories of navigating over the ocean at 420 knots with only a sextant and dead reckoning! After retiring from the Air Force in 1994, he joined the faculty of Delaware State University as Chairman of the Airway Science Department. For the past couple of years, he has taught algebra at the same middle school he attended 45 years ago. Tom holds an airline transport pilot certificate, Gold Seal CFII/MEI, and advanced ground instructor certificates.
Dan Meier
Dan began flight lessons in 1956 at New Hanover county airport near Wilmington NC with Mr. Warren K. Penning ton, who soloed his jenny in 1919 and during the 1920s made a young man's living barnstorming around the country. After college, military service, marriage, Dan resumed the process of earning a private pilot certificate in 1971 at Lee Airport in Annapolis and by 1973 had acquired a commercial and flight instructor certificates. From 1974 until 1987 he served as an instructor for Annapolis flying service. In 1984 he was granted a designated pilot examiner authority by the Baltimore Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and served in that capacity until 1987 when he was hired by the FAA and trained as an Aviation Safety Inspector for flight operations. He retired from the FAA in July 2006. Dan holds an airline transport pilot certificate, glider and single-engine seaplane ratings and a certificates for single, multi-engine airplane and instrument and a basic ground instruction
Bob Snyder
Bob started flying in July of 1973 and obtained his private license in April of 1974. Bob became interested in the lighter side of aviation in 2003 by building and flying a Challenger II aircraft. Obtaining a seaplane rating in 2005 and converting the Challenger II to amphibious operations renewed a passion for flying while opening new experiences. Bob began teaching Sport Pilot and Ultra light flying in 2006. Currently an EAA Chapter president, Bob has completed three experimental aircraft and is currently building his fourth - the RV7. Teaching people to fly has been one of the most rewarding aviation experiences for Bob.
Dan Wroe
Dan’s interest in aviation started with tales told by his dad of flight training and combat missions over Hilter’s Germany in a B-24. Far too much of his childhood allowance money was spent on plastic models, and, later, far too much paycheck went into R/C models. In 1994, he finally found his way into the pilot seat of a venerable Piper J-3 Cub, taking private pilot training at a now-closed grass field near Clarksville, MD. A few years later, he added on a seaplane rating, which he exercises every chance he gets. That early shade-tree aviation experience set the tone for much of the flying he has done since. He soon also became involved in ultralight aircraft. He is the former president and current newsletter editor for Experimental Aircraft Association chapter 571 and the central MD Challenger kitplane dealer. He has also been the test pilot for the first flight of numerous homebuilts. After a number of years providing occasional ultralight flight training, Dan got his Sport Pilot Instructor rating in 2010. When he is not instructing, or helping out in the CSP maintenance shop, you will usually still find him wrenching on a variety of homebuilt and ultralight aircraft, or flying them into places without airport identifier codes, or even runways.
Chuck Wilson
Chuck started flying in 1959 at College Park and obtained his private pilot license in September 1960 at Lee Airport outside Annapolis. After military service, he used the G. I. Bill to obtain his commercial and airline transport pilot as well as flight instructor ratings for airplane, multi-engine airplane, instrument, and ground instructor. He began his flight instructing career at the Freeway Airport in Bowie in 1968 and taught there until 1980. He soon moved back to Lee Airport to continue instructing and was promoted to Chief Flight Instructor in 1994, when he was able to retire from the Capital Police Force and resume instructing full time. Chuck's resume also includes such interesting adventures as flying Spearman's in Mississippi at Johnny Door's Agricultural School, seaplanes in Florida at Jack Brown's Seaplane School, at J-3 Cubs at College Park.
Jim Wohlleber
Jim started flying in 1971 in Syracuse, New York after 5 years in the U.S.Navy. In 1972 he went to Greeley, Colorado to a professional flight school and later attended Colorado State University where he became the Chief Flight Instructor. From there, he became the Chief Pilot for a Denver company. Moving to Illinois in 1977, he flew a Falcon 10 and Westwind for corporations in the Midwest. Jim was soon hired by a commuter airline to fly Metro-liners out of O’Hare in 1986 and then was hired by Continental Airlines in 1987. He retired from Continental in 2005 after flying Boeing 737-300’s, the Airbus A300B4 and the Boeing 757 and 767-200/400 Internationally. Becoming bored with retirement he went to work as a B767 pilot for Vision Airlines in Virginia in April of 2008and flew government contract missions into Europe and the Middle East. He retired for the last time in January of 2009. Jim has been a CFI for 37 years and enjoys flying the Sky Arrow at CSP with new pilots and taking people up on introductory flights. He has about 25,000 hours of flying time.
Helen Woods
Helen has been a passionate general aviation pilot since 1998. A biologist by training, she spent several years serving as a search and rescue pilot and managing a search and rescue training program prior to accepting a job as a wildlife survey pilot. She earned recognition from the National Association of Flight Instructors as a Master Flight Instructor in 2009 and 2011. Today, as flight instructor and manager of Chesapeake Sport Pilot, she is dedicated to sharing her love of aviation with others through affordable, quality flight training.