Instructors
Michael Bennett
Chief Flight Instructor
Gold Seal CFI, CFII, IGI
Michael is an Arkansas native who grew up in Fayetteville. He graduated from John Brown University with a degree in Business, but fell in love with aviation after taking a discovery flight. Knowing that flying was for him, he started working on his Private Pilot Certificate and soon changed careers to aviation. He did all of his training here at Thaden Field and now also instructs with us! When he isn't flying, Michael loves traveling, adventures and seeing new places. He also loves racquet sports, hiking, piano, kayaking, skiing, and good food.
Chip Gibbons
Gold Seal CFI, CFII, MEI, IGI Backcountry Instructor, Tailwheel Instructor
Chip is an Arkansas native and a long time Northwest Arkansas resident. He learned to fly at the Springdale airport while he was in high school, then with encouragement from his father and father-in-law began building time in earnest several years later. Chip is an FAA FAASTeam member and his current flying passion is backcountry aviation.
Emma Kisic
CFI, CFII, AGI
Emma is an Arkansas native who grew up in Eureka Springs. Her interest in aviation stemmed from her fascination with the sky at a very young age. Emma fell in love with flying after receiving a discovery flight for her 16th birthday, and after that Emma quickly became an airport rat by never missing an opportunity to be around airplanes. Emma started working at the airport, washing the school fleet and fueling planes as she worked on her ratings before she became one of our instructors. When she’s not instructing, Emma enjoys playing her bass with friends, being outside, climbing, and sketching.
McKenzie Moser
CFI, CFII
Mckenzie is a NWA native who grew up around aviation and has been fascinated with it for as long as she can remember. As a 5th generation pilot Mckenzie was behind the controls at a very early age. She completed her private training in Bentonville, and after graduating high school she completed her remaining training in Kansas City.
Ethan Rushing
CFI, CFII
Ethan Rushing was born and raised in Pampa, Texas. After high school he went to college in Dodge City, Kansas where he was a hammer & weight thrower on the Track and Field team. Realizing he couldn’t sit in a classroom for another day he decided to chase after his dream of becoming a pilot. He moved to Kansas City for flight training and after grabbing dinner at Louise on a cross country training flight he knew he wanted to work here. Ethan’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, snowboarding, and flying into the grass strips around NWA.
Kori Wilkinson
Certificated Flight Instructor
Kori started her aviation journey as a flight attendant in San Francisco. She is glad to be back in Arkansas sharing her passion for aviation with others. When she isn’t flying, you’ll most likely find her exploring the Ozarks with her bulldog, Festus.
Katrina Willis
Chief Flight Instructor
CFI, CFII
Katrina grew up in "the sticks" of Southwest Missouri. She was 8 years old and flying as a passenger on her first commercial flight when her airplane got caught in severe turbulence. Passengers were scared but, to her parents' horror, Katrina thought the turbulence was fun and giggled throughout the flight. After this experience, her family encouraged her growing passion for aviation. Kat started training in high school and trained with various flight schools until finishing her CFI training. Outside of being a CFI, Kat is an artist, most commonly commissioned to paint with acrylic. When she isn’t painting or flying, she enjoys hiking with her two dogs and traveling with her family.
Ben Goins
Certified Flight Instructor
Ben moved to Bentonville in early 2023 to pursue his PPL after a career as a loan officer. He completed all of his flight training here in Bentonville. When he isn't flying, he likes to hike with his dog Goose, ski and play board games.
Jackson Ramon
CFI, CFII
Jackson is from a small town in southern Oklahoma where his interest in aviation sparked at a very young age. He grew up watching his grandpa, uncle, and step-father fly Cessnas, landing on grass strips in their back yards. In 2021 Jackson moved to NWA to begin his flight training at this school where he completed his private, instrument, and commercial. If he is not up in the air, you can probably find him with his girlfriend on the golf course.
Abby Scholl
Certified Flight Instructor
Abby grew up in Northwest Arkansas and originally got involved with aviation when she became a Flight Attendant for the airlines. Her passion for aviation quickly grew from wanting to serve drinks in the back to taking the controls up front. She completed her flight training in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Riverside Flight Center, and she is happy to now be able to share her love for aviation with others in her hometown. Outside of flying she enjoys spending time with friends and family and the outdoors.
Gary Withrow
CFI, CFII, AGI, IGI
Gary relocated to Northwest Arkansas in 1999, with his wife and two children. Having worked in the corporate world for over 30 years he was introduced to aviation by a colleague on a business trip in 2017; Gary’s wife still blames this colleague for Gary’s obsession with aviation. One discovery flight later and it was off to flight school right here, where he completed his training. Gary has been a member of FLY OZ Club (formerly OZ1 Flying Club) since 2018, serves in the Civil Air Patrol in Rogers, and joined the team as a Flight Instructor in 2022. In addition to flying, Gary enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and scuba diving.
Bailey Roberts
CFI, CFII
Bailey began flying lessons after graduating college and quickly decided to pursue aviation as a career. A third generation aviator, she loves to travel and spends as much time as possible outdoors! She has visited 26 National Parks and counting. When she's not flying, Bailey can often be found hiking and camping with her daughter, Presley and dog, Magneto."
Kori started her aviation journey as a flight attendant in San Francisco. She is glad to be back in Arkansas sharing her passion for aviation with others. When she isn’t flying, you’ll most likely find her exploring the Ozarks with her bulldog, Festus.
Parker Cantrell
Certified Flight Instructor
Parker's fascination for aviation sparked hearing stories from his grandpa who flew B-17s in WWII. At a young age, he began working at Thaden fueling, marshaling, and cleaning airplanes. Being around airplanes fueled his passion to begin flight training and he has never looked back. Parker has enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, graduating from The University of Arkansas with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. When Parker is not flying, you will find him bringing vintage motorcycles back to life and working on cars. Parker also enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Steve Johnson
Gold Seal CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI, Backcountry Instructor, Tailwheel Instructor
Steve’s beginnings in aviation were decidedly unusual. Fear of flying on commercial airliners led him to confront the fear and start taking flying lessons in 1997. He had a rocky start, including an accident as a low-time pilot, but this only fueled his determination to learn all he could about flying. He is now a 6500+ hour pilot, a Gold Seal flight instructor, and a dedicated advocate of aviation and aviation safety. Steve also runs SuperCub.Org, a website for Super Cub and backcountry aviation enthusiasts which continues to grow. Steve strongly believes that through proper introduction and education, we can help others understand why backcountry aviation is viable, valuable, safe – and a whole lot of fun.
Carson Miller
Certified Flight Instructor
Originally from Carl Junction, MO, Carson first fell in love with aviation in 2019 when his uncle decided to take him up for a spin in his Cessna Cardinal. He immediately began flight training in 2020 and earned his private pilot's license shortly after graduating high school. Carson then attended Kansas State University where he continued his flight training and earned a Bachelor's degree in aeronautical technology. When not in the cockpit, Carson enjoys working out, cooking, various outdoor activities, and staying actively involved in the aviation community.
Alex Ranson
CFI, CFII, MEI
After serving as an infantryman in the U.S. Army for five years, Alex decided to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He is currently enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide and will graduate in 2024 with a B.S. in Aeronautics. Alex received all of his primary flight training here in Bentonville. Beyond aviation, he enjoys snowboarding, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and spending time with family. Alex, his wife, and their two dogs are excited to be part of the Northwest Arkansas community, where he aims to share his love for aviation and fly any chance he gets.
Phillip Sneed
Certificated Flight Instructor, Tailwheel Instructor, A&P Mechanic
Phillip is no only a tailwheel instructor, but also one of the aircraft mechanics at Thaden Field. He started flying at a young age, soloed on his 16th birthday and received my pilot certificate the same day as his father. He received his A&P certificate anticipating going to the mission field. Phillip thinks tailwheel flying is the best type of flying there is! It’s both extremely rewarding, challenging, and just simply fun.
Noah Wright
CFI, CFII
Noah grew up in Springdale and got bit by the aviation bug during his senior year of high school. Soon after graduating he enrolled at Spartan College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He finished up his flight training in May of 2023 and immediately began instructing. Noah is happy to be back home in NWA where he likes to hike, cook, and spend time with family.