Jeff is an engineer by training but has spent much of the past 26 years teaching people to fly. After 8 years as a project engineer for the local power company, Jeff spent 25 more years in the U.S. Space Program as a Space Shuttle Flight controller working in Mission Control for 83 missions and in several management roles for the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. In 2011, he retired from the space program and turned to full time flight instruction. He earned his private license in exactly 40 hours in a Cessna 150 during the summer of 1984. Jeff now holds FAA certificates for ATP (ASEL, AMEL ASES), CFI, CFII, MEI, A&P and UAS. Jeff has provided more than 10,000 hours of dual instruction in fixed wing aircraft. He is a FAAST Team representative for the Houston FSDO and has volunteered for many organizations to provide outreach to introduce people to the world of general aviation.
Since leaving the space program, Jeff is “living the dream” as a full-time flight instructor. He is both the chief CFI and the chief mechanic at Kling Aviation, Inc., a small Houston, Texas area flight school that he and his wife have owned and operated since 2002. They provide training for all fixed wing certificates and ratings and specifically enjoy training and mentoring new flight instructors. Jeff and his wife live in a private airpark in Friendswood, TX and have owned the same dependable Cessna 205 for almost 30 years.
Participants in this session will learn effective techniques to ensure that the student will trust the instructor, the aircraft, the process, and enjoy their flight training experience.