Christian was born and raised in Savannah and went to high school in nearby Richmond Hill.  He is a Navy veteran having served four years as an air traffic controller before pursuing his true love as a pilot and flight instructor.  Christian is Savannah Aviation's first and only qualified Airline Transport Pilot with a tailwheel endorsement.  His hobbies include flying for fun and spending time with family.

Ricky was raised in Forsyth, GA but has lived in Panama City Beach, Fl since 2016. He and his wife Danielle just welcomed their daughter Riley this past May. He’s been flying since 2018 and did most of his training in Tampa, Fl. His plans are to go to the airlines after reaching his ATP minimums. When he’s not flying he enjoys being outside with his family, long boarding, or playing volleyball.

Chandler was born and raised in Savannah, GA. He recently moved back to Savannah to instruct after graduating from Georgia College with a Management Information Systems degree. Chandler started his flight training in 2020 while working as an airport lineman in Milledgeville, GA. In his free time, Chandler loves to hangout with his friends, be outdoors, and watch sports. Chandler wants to eventually fly with Gulfstream as a test pilot.

Sydney was born and raised in Claxton, GA and graduated with a mathematics degree from Georgia Southern University.  Her  grandfather was in the Air Force which sparked her interest in aviation.  Sydney earned her CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates at ATP in Jacksonville came back to the Savannah area to be closer to family.  her goals are to fly corporate or with United Airlines and being able to travel internationally visiting every European country. 

Tripp was born and raised in Savannah, and recently moved back after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in marketing. He started his flight training in 2016 with Savannah Aviation, and went on to complete his ratings in the Athens area where he has been instructing for the last year. Tripp’s ultimate goal is to become a demo pilot. When he’s not flying he enjoys biking and being outdoors.

 Cory is from Richmond, VA and earned his private, instrument, commercial, multi engine, and instructor ratings at nearby Hanover Airport.  His goal is to eventually transition to the airlines and looks forward to travel opportunities across the country. Before flying, he was in the United States Air Force for 4 years doing aircraft structural maintenance stationed at Yokota Air Base Japan and Shaw Air Force Base, SC.  He enjoys golfing, the beach, and other outdoor activities. 

Hunter was born in the great state of Texas but has lived in Georgia for the past 9 years in Richmond Hill area south of Savannah.  Having earned his flight instructor rating at Savannah Aviation, his career goals are to eventually be an airline pilot.  When he's not flying with students, you can find Hunter attending car shows and dabbling in art.  He is the oldest of the Sims brothers by a year and 6 months.  

Tizi was born and raised in Trieste, Italy and moved to the U.S. in 2011.  He was trained at Florida Tech, earning a degree in aerospace engineering, a masters in flight test engineering, and a Ph.D. in cognitive engineering.  He is an avionics specialist, having designed flight decks at the Human-Centered Design Institute and at GARMIN International and now works “next door” at Gulfstream as an experimental flight test engineer.  He received his pilot licenses at Florida Tech, GARMIN, and Savannah Aviation.  Follow him on instagram and YouTube @FlyWithTizi! 

Jon was born in Hattiesburg, MS, and lived in nearby Foxworth until he graduated high school and moved to Starkville, MS to attend Mississippi State University.  Jon started flight training while attending college and became a Flight Instructor in 2001.  He graduated from Mississippi State in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and currently holds CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings while being full-time at Gulfstream Aerospace Engineer.

John has always enjoyed aviation since he was a kid and is now a full-time employee at Gulfstream but makes time to teach students on weekends.  John spent time as a Naval Flight Officer / Tactical Coordinator hunting Russian submarines on P3 Orion Aircraft and earned his private pilot license out of college, but has pursued furthering his skills as a flight instructor because he loves aviation and loves helping people learn to fly.  

Michael was born and raised in Lawrenceville, GA and went to Auburn University where he received his degree in professional flight.  He enrolled with American Flyers in Pompano Beach Florida and received his CFI and CFII ratings in the spring of 2022.  He moved to Savannah, GA after accepting the job with Savannah aviation at the start of June 2022.

Matt was born near Chicago, IL but moved to Spartanburg, SC while in high school. In 2013 he commissioned as an Air Force officer through AFROTC at the University of South Florida. He spent 5 years on Active Duty as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer before transferring to the Georgia Air National Guard where he continues to serve as a maintenance officer with the 165th Airlift Wing. Matt finished his CFI with Savannah Aviation in August 2022 where he began instructing right after.

Simon was born and grew up in the southwest of England before joining the Royal Air Force and working on Tornado GR4’s for 6 years. He left the Air Force pursued a career for 13 years with Gulfstream in the London and Savannah in a variety or positions obtaining his EASA licenses and FAA A&P / IA. Simon turned his passion for aviation to flying and now enjoys teaching as a CFI. His hobbies include building an RV 10 and being out on the water.

Haley Rae grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and always wanted to be a pilot. She attended Middle Tennessee State University where she earned a degree in Aerospace moved down to Savannah for a fun change and different scenery. Haley also loves to play golf and is a member of the Women in Aviation professional networking organization.

Neal grew up in Laurel, MS and attended school at Mississippi State University earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering. While in college he received his Private Pilot Certificate and has been flying ever since. He moved to Savannah in 2018 to work as a Certification Engineer at Gulfstream Aerospace, where he still works today. In 2022 he became a Flight Instructor and looks forward to teaching the next generation of pilots.

Landon moved to the Savannah area from her hometown of Richmond, Virginia where she earned her private, instrument, commercial, multi engine, and instructor ratings.  She has been flying for about 4 years and is looking forward to opportunities in commercial aviation and even the airlines.  She is an avid gardening and when she is not at the airport, she can be found walking her dog at the beach or nearby parks. 

Just like his older brother Hunter, Garrett was also born in Texas and has lived in Georgia for the past 9 years in Richmond Hill area.  He earned his flight instructor certificate at Savannah Aviation and is going to college at Middle Georgia State in Eastman for a Aviation Science and Business Degree.  Garrett hopes to become an airline pilot and enjoys flying, cars, and basketball in his off time.  Both he and his brother are fourth generation aviators starting back with his Great Grandfather.  

Joe is a native of Orlando, Florida who retired in 2017 after serving 22 years as a logistics officer in the U.S. Air Force.  Joe started his aviation journey in 2012 and through the years earned his private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and helicopter ratings culminating in his instructor certifications in 2019/2020.  Joe is also a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot and Savannah Aviation's first Gold Seal Certified Flight Instructor.  He enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and son.

After graduating from the Royal Military College of Canada (Canada’s West Point), Brian flew as a Navigator/Tactical Coordinator at sea on Royal Canadian Sea King helicopters and P3 Orions.  Brian started flying in 1992 as a private pilot and is now a commercial single and multi-engine instrument pilot with a CFI and CFII certificate.  He lives and teaches mostly on Saint Simons Island but is also available in Jesup.