Sunrise Aviation  
HomeCourses EstimatesPrices / PurchaseEnrollmentShoppingRentalAerobaticsContact

Our Instructors undergo a unique internship program, and all are required to earn a tailwheel teaching endorsement in the first six months of employment. Our CFI's are employees of the company, not free-lance contractors, and no other institution in Southern California can match our record of successful instructor training: in addition to providing our own staff, we have placed instructors at many other major flight schools. More than 60 of our instructors have gone on to careers with the airlines.

Here are the current (January, 2010) statistics:

  • 22 Instructors, averaging 4,600 flight hours and 2,900 hours dual instruction given.
  • 20 are aerobatic pilots and have tailwheel endorsements, and 11 have aerobatic competition experience.
  • 9 are instrument instructors, 7 are multi-engine instructors.
  • 7 have glider ratings.
  • 12 now own or have owned at least one airplane.

Computer Testing
Student Loans
Contact Info
Location / Directions / Maps
Out-of-State- Students
Visitors from Abroad
FAQ
Gallery
Links
FaceBook Group Page
Library / Articles

Purchase Initial Flights

Search



Senior Staff


Michael Church--Chief Instructor
Church started in aviation as a sport parachutist and then moved to airplanes and gliders. He has been teaching flying--airplanes, aerobatics and soaring--for over 40 years and has given more than 12,000 hours of flight instruction. He is recognized as a Master Instructor and Master Aerobatic Instructor and was honored by the FAA in 2005 as National Safety Counselor of the Year. Selected articles by Church are published in the Library section.




Lyn Carlson--Director of Training
Lyn earned her Flight Instructor Certificate in 1978 and has since provided more than 5,000 hours flight instruction. Widely known and respected nationally, she earned National Flight Instructor of the Year honors from the FAA in 1995.
In addition to acting as Sunrise Director of Training, Lyn is an FAA Designated Examiner, responsible for providing FAA Pilot Checkrides to hundreds of Southern California pilots every year.




Pam Hengsteler--Assistant Chief Instructor
Pam has worked as a flight instructor since 1992 and has given more than 5000 hours of dual instruction. An assistant Chief Instructor at Sunrise for much of that time, she was honored by the FAA with the 2002 "Exceptional Aviator Award" in recognition of her career flight instructor accomplishments.



Diane Myers--Chief Multi-Engine Instructor
Diane is a Continental Airlines captain (retired), with extensive experience in that airline's training department. She owns and actively flies a cabin-class Cessna 414.


Chris Bebensee--Senior Instructor
Chris has worked as a flight instructor at Sunrise since 2001. He is active in every program we offer.
Daniel Wisehart--Senior Aerobatic Instructor
Daniel has worked as a flight instructor at Sunrise since 2007. He specializes in aerobatic instruction, but is active in every program we offer.


Staff List / Courses Taught

Legend
Instructor
Priv
Comm
IFR
Multi
TW
Aero
HP AB
TCI
G1000

Priv=Private

Comm=Commercial

IFR=Instrument

Multi=Multiengine

TW=Tailwheel

Cub= J3 Cub

Aero=Aerobatics

HP AB=Pitts / Extra

TCI=Cirrus Instructor

G1000=Garmin 1000

Michael Church
Chief Flight Instructor

           
   

Lyn Carlson
Director of Training

           
Pam Hengsteler
Assistant Chief Instructor
       
Diane Myers
Chief Instructor Multi
       
Daniel Wisehart            
   
Chris Bebensee                

James Smet

               
Ron Rapp          
 
   

Bill Hill

             
Rich Erickson            
Kenji Sato        
Marcelo Lemos          
David Smith          
Caroline Kinsbergen        
Mike Powers        
Mark Bishop        
George Bullman      
Teddy Nomura    
Adam Zeeman    
Mark Bishop        
Marcelo Padovani    
Brodie Vernola    
Josh Muncie
HomeGeneral InfoCourses / EstimatesPrices / PurchaseEnrollmentSchedulingRentalAerobatics