Instructors of Vermont Flight Academy

Vermont Flight Academy has a diverse group of flight instructors with a wide range of backgrounds. Our instructors are an ideal mix of seasoned professional pilots who all share a passion and enthusiasm for flight instruction. They individually and collectively represent many decades of experience in professional aviation and flight instruction. Below are some of our current flight instructors:

Instructor Hourly Rates:

Private:      $55.00

Instrument:    $60.00

Commercial:    $60.00

Multi-Engine:      $70.00

Doug Smith,
Chief Flight Instructor

• FAA Designated Pilot Examiner
• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Single & Multi-Engine Land & Sea
• Type Ratings: DC-3, A-310, B-727, B-757, B-767, B-777
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument, Multi-Engine
• Certified Ground Instructor Certificates: Advanced, Instrument
• Specialties: Primary Instruction, Tailwheel Instruction, Seaplane Instruction
• Airline pilot career: Delta Air Lines, Inc., 29 years; Eos Airline, Air India, 2 years
• Standards work as airline check pilot: B-727, B-757, B-767
• Former Auburn University School of Aviation Chief Flight Instructor
• BS, Psychology (Purdue '71); MS Clinical Psychology (Wisconsin '80)

Jenn Hoy,
Flight Instructor

• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land
• Type Ratings: BAe J41, A320, B-757, B-767
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument, Multi-Engine
• Specialties: Primary Instruction, Instrument Instruction, Advanced Instruction
• Past employment: FlightSafety International (FAR 141 Flight School), Charter Fleet International (FAR 135), Atlantic Coast Airlines (FAR 121 Air Carrier), Independence Air (FAR 121 Air Carrier), North American Airlines (FAR 121 Air Carrier)
• BA, English:  (University of Vermont ’93)

Dick Ferno,
Flight Instructor

• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land
• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
  
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument
• Specialties: Primary Instruction, Instrument Instruction, Advanced Instruction
• Past employment: Air Traffic Controller (Retired) for 32 Years
• Fast Team Representative for 20 Years
• Tractor Trailer Milk Hauler for 8 Plus Years.
• Associates Degree, Agriculture:  (Vermont Technical College)

Corbin Smith,
Flight Instructor

• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single Engine Land & Sea, Instrument
  Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane Single Engine Land & Sea
  Specialties: Primary Instruction, Float Plane Instruction, Complex Training, and Commercial Instructio
  Soloed 10 students (some on their 16th birthday!) in 2011 at VFA
  BS Degree in Music Production & Engineering (Berklee College of Music, 2002)
  Grew up flying J-3 Cubs on wheels, floats, and skis, Cessna 172s in the Lake Champlain Islands of Vermont, mostly out of grass airports or the lake.
  Soloed a Cessna 172 on his 16th Birthday in 1994 off Allenholm Airport

Michael Ricciardi,
Flight Instructor

• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single & Multi -Engine Land, Instrument
• Certificated Flight Instructor: Airplane, Single Engine Land
• Certificated Ground Instructor: Advanced
• Specialties: Primary instruction, Advanced Instruction
• BA, Political Science (Saint Michael's College '08)
• Grew up and learned to fly on Cape Cod

Ian Worley,
Flight Instructor

• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument
• Specialities: Primary instruction, Advanced Instruction
• Aviation experience in gliders, seaplanes, ski-planes
• Extensive aerial survey background
• BA, Physics, SCL (Youngstown '64); BS, Math, SCL (Youngstown '64); MSc, Botany, CL (Univ of Canterbury '66); PhD, Botany (Univ of BC '71)

Hans Smith,
Flight Instructor

• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land & Sea
• Type Ratings: BA-3100, CE-560XL
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument
• Specialties: Primary Instruction, Advanced Instruction, Seaplane Instruction
• Past employment: CFI, Boston-Maine Airways (FAR 121 Air Carrier), Heritage Flight (FAR 135 Air Carrier)
• BA, Economics (University of Vermont '03)

Kathy Daily,
Flight Instructor

• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land & Sea
• • Type Ratings: CE-500, DC-3
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument, Multi-Engine, Airplane Ground
• Specialities: Primary instruction, Advanced Instruction, Tailwheel Instruction
• Aviation experience in scheduled service, charter flight, corporate flight, aircraft delivery, aerobatics, airshow production, and more

Dave Bahnson,
Flight Instructor

• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land, Glider
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Glider
• Specialties: Primary Instruction (Airplane and Glider)
• Retired Orthopedic Surgeon (Vermont Orthopedic Clinic)
• BA (Middlebury '69); MD (Univ of Pittsburgh '73)