Club-Approved Flight Instructors

	Name: Dave Meilander, YJFC Chief Flight Instructor E-mail: Ratings: ATP, MEL, CFI, MEI YJFC Member Since: 1976 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Weekends, weekday evenings Comments: Unfortunately, a full time job and Chief CFI duties do not leave enough time for flight instruction outside of stage checks.
	Name: James P. Clay Jr. (Jim) E-mail: Rating: PPL, IFR, Commercial Single, CFI Comments: Jim is a 1991 graduate of the Georgia Tech ME program. He is also a former VP of Programs. Jim served eight years as on officer on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He flew the AV8B Harrier Jump jet on active duty and has nearly 150 carrier landings. Aircrew coordination instructor and Landing Signal officer as a few of his military attributes lending themselves to some application as a flight instructor. After 9-11 Jim joined the Air Force Reserve whereupon he was promptly activated providing opportunity to accumulate nearly a thousand hours in the venerable C-130 Hercules and hundreds of combat hours flying in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Jim’s civilian experience includes nearly two years of 121 experience flying with Atlantic Southeast Airline, over one year flying a Lear 35 for an on demand air charter company, and most importantly having owned a 1966 Mooney M20C. Jim obtained his CFI rating in March of 1999. Jim keeps his hand in the type of aviation he loves the most, general aviation at the “light-single” level by instructing part time in his favorite club-YJFC.
	Name: Sathya Silva E-mail: ssilva@gatech.edu Rating:CFI, CFII, MEL YJFC Member Since: 2004 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Weekends and Evenings Comments: I am a senior in Aerospace Engineering at Tech and began flying my freshman year. Since then I have earned Private, Instrument, Commercial, and CFI through the club. I became an instructor to give back to the community. The club helped foster my passion for aviation, and now I can do the same for my students.
	Name: Jim Stevens, Col, USAF (Ret) E-mail: Rating:CFI, CFII, ATP YJFC Member Since: 2007 Full or Part Time: Full Time Availability: Most anytime except Sunday afternoons Comments: I am a 1975 GT graduate in Industrial Management. Came to Tech in 1972 on a football scholarship as a quarterback. I was a starting quarterback for the Jackets and I also played baseball at GT. I was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC detachment at GT in 1975. Got my wings in 1976 and flew F-111 for over 10 years accumulating about 1500 hours. My last assignment in the Air Force was at GT as the Air Force ROTC detachment commander. I retired in 2003 with 27.5 years in the Air Force. I got my private pilots license right out of high school in 1970 and I am the proud owner of a 1968 Mooney M20F Executive that I have owned since 1993. I have about a 1000 hours in the Mooney and over 2500 hours total time. I love to fly and teach and being a part of GT and the club. It is a perfect fit for me and gives me the opportunity to give back a little to the GT community. Let's go fly.
	Name: Dhaval Dave' Ratings: CFI, CFII YJFC Member Since: 1991 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Any day, any time
	Name: Ben Hamilton E-mail: Ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI YJFC Member Since: 2001 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Weekends, weekday evenings
	Name: Doug Farrell Ratings: PPL, IFR, Commercial Single, CFI, CFII, MEI YJFC Member Since: May 2002 Full or Part Time: Full Time Availability: Weeday afternoons, weekends Comments: I have been flying since 1998 and earned my Private Pilot certificate in early 2000. I was working full-time as a Physical Therapist and found I had a much better "office window" in the cockpit of an airplane. I decided that if I enjoyed flying so much to spend my hard earned money on it as a hobby, I would truly enjoy it as a vocation and completed my Multi-engine, Instrument, Commercial and all Certified Flight Instructor (CFI, CFII, MEI) certificates in early 2002. I also work part-time, weekday mornings as a research Physical Therapist with Spinal Cord Injured patients at the Shepherd Center in Midtown Atlanta.
	Name: Tina Heil E-mail: Ratings: CFI, CFII YJFC Member Since: 1994 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Evenings, Fridays, Weekends Comments: Tina earned her private, instrument, commercial, CFI and CFII in the YJFC while a ME major at Tech between 1993 and 1996. She has trained several private pilots, instrument students, and two new flight instructors who are now, or have been, YJFC instructors. She says, "I do not aspire to have a career in aviation, but I intend to keep teaching part time because it's a lot of fun and it keeps my skills current."
	Name: Bob Lewallyn Ratings: PPL, IFR, Commercial Single, Commercial Multi, CFI YJFC Member Since: 1998 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Early morning, afternoon/evenings, weekends Comments: I graduated from Tech in 1991 with a B.M.E. and later earned an M.S.M.E. from the University of Houston. My "day job" is as a project engineer designing precision positioning mechanisms for antenna test ranges. I've been a pilot since 1998, and have logged more than 750 hours to date in a variety of makes and models of light airplane. I have been crew chief of the YJFC's flagship, Cessna 172RG N975GT, since early 1999 and have gained a good deal of knowledge in light plane systems and maintenance through this experience; if you have questions on these subjects, just ask. I enjoy working with students of all backgrounds to provide professional-grade flight instruction custom-tailored to meet personal interests and goals.
	Name: Yurii Pavel Roberts E-mail: Ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI YJFC Member Since: January 2002 Full or Part Time: Full Time Availability: Generally Sunday Thru Friday 8 - 6 and Tuesday evenings. Comments: In aviation everyone has a story. I started dreamed about becoming a pilot when I was 10. At the end of the 20th Century at 32 I finally earned my wings. A few years later I decided I would try to earn a living doing what I love. On Sep. 8th 2001 I gave notice at work so I could attend a flight school, and realize the dream. On Sep. 12th 2001 my boss offered me back my job. I declined and have never looked back. Teaching the art of flight is both the hardest, and most rewarding challenge I have ever undertaken. I learn from every student, and I thank you in advance. As you begin your journey I offer this quote which came along at just the right time for me. "LIFE SHRINKS OR EXPANDS IN PROPORTION TO ONE'S COURAGE" - Anias Nin
	Name: Bob Strevens E-mail: Ratings: PPL, IFR, Commercial Single, CFI, CFII Comments: Flying is my hobby and past time passion. Since my first general aviation flight in 1986, I’ve accumulated a little more than 2,000 hours. I currently hold a Commercial license with Multi-Engine-Instrument rating. I am a certified flight instructor for single engine airplane and instrument airplane. I work for a major computer company and therefore fly part time on weekends and evenings. I enjoy working with at most 2-3 students at a time who are interested in obtaining instrument, commercial or other advanced ratings. Although I have hundreds of hours in Cessna’s, I recently purchased a Piper Seneca III and plan to use it for vacation travel throughout the United States. My all time favorite flying destination is the Bahamas with Abaco, Eleuthera and Cat Islands topping my list of awesome vacation spots!
	Name: James Weisberg Ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI Comments: James Weisberg is a CFI-AI, MEI (Instrument airplane single and multi-engine) with six years and over 600 hours of instruction given. As a full-time faculty member of the Emory University School of Medicine, he understands and appreciates the balancing act of school and flying. James combines his expertise in human behavior with a focus on ADM (Aeronautical Decision Making) and pilot judgment. James’ most rewarding aviation-related experience was volunteering as a Red Cross disaster medical worker immediately following 911, where he combined his expertise in mental health with his knowledge of aviation to work day and night with the flight crews of United Airlines immediately following the 911 attacks (James lived in New York at the time). He was again honored to volunteer as an Angel Flight pilot with fellow YJFC club member Chad VonHoven to fly relief missions to Mississippi and Houston the day Hurricane Rita approached the Texas Coast. James especially enjoys teaching for the instrument and multi-engine ratings and conducting flight reviews. James flies with YJFC evenings and weekends and whenever his very understanding wife and children allow him.
	Name: Joe Zyzniewski Ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI YJFC Member Since: 2002 Full or Part Time: Part Time Availability: Evenings and Weekends (by request) Comments: I require you to work hard, but I also require you to have fun! Remember, flying is FUN!
	Name: Travis Byers E-mail: Ratings: CFI, CFII, MEI YJFC Member Since: 2005 Availability: Part-time, days vary by appointment Comments: Travis has been flying since 1993 and holds a B.S. degree in Aerospace Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. His extensive aviation experience includes ten years of aviation management, eight of which were in Airside Operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Travis is most recently employed as a First Officer on the CRJ-200, finally realizing his lifelong dream. He is a conscientious instructor who will help you realize your dream of flight or that next rating.