The 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 and young, talented instructors who all share a passion and enthusiasm for flight instruction.

Doug Smith, Chief Flight Instructor

• FAA Designated Pilot Examiner
• Airline Transport Pilot Certificate: Airplane Single- and Multi-Engine Land & Sea
• Type Ratings: Airbus-310, DC-3, 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)

David Miller, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor

• Airline Transport Pilot: Airplane Multi-Engine Land
• Commercial Pilot: Airplane Single-Engine Land
• Type Ratings: D-328JET, CE-560XL; (CL-65)
• Certified Flight Instructor: Airplane, Instrument, Multi-Engine
• Specialties: Primary Instruction, Instrument Instruction, Advanced Instruction
• Past employment: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FAR 141 Flight School), Atlantic Coast Airlines (FAR 121 Air Carrier), Heritage Flight (FAR 135 Air Carrier)
• BS, Aeronautical Science, SCL (Embry-Riddle '99)

Ian Worley, Assistant Chief 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)

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)