Active Member Instructors
Mike Calabrese | Chief Instructor
Certifications: CFI / CFII / MEI
Phone: (310) 947-2896
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | CFI/II | MEI | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays – Weekends – Weeknights
Type Ratings: A-320, B-757, B-767, B-737, multiple corporate jets.
FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
In October 2025, Mike was recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, honoring 50 years of safe flight experience, professionalism, and a sustained commitment to aviation safety. We are proud to have Mike as part of the A&E Flying Club. Being awarded the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is a rare distinction that speaks to a lifetime of safe flying, professionalism, and dedication. Mike’s passion for aviation and commitment to mentoring others continue to have a lasting impact on our members.
Bio: I earned my private pilot certificate in 1976 and have been teaching pilots at all levels since 1978. I retired from airline flying in 2004 and from corporate aviation in 2020. An active member of A & E Flying Club since 2016, I especially enjoy working with student pilots as well as experienced aviators who are eager to refine their skills and fly with greater confidence.
Rick Sharp
Certifications: CFI / CFII / MEI
Phone: (714) 863-2145
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | CFI/II | MEI | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays – Weeknights
Bio: I have been instructing full-time since 2008. I provide training for complex, high-performance, and tailwheel endorsements, as well as CFI and CFII certificates. I have experience instructing in several experimental aircraft types and Piper singles and twins, Mooney and Beechcraft singles, and nearly every Cessna single, including the 170, 180/185, 172, 177A/B/RG, 182, T206, and T210.
Sean Flynn
Certifications: MEI / CFI / CFII
Phone: (310) 686-5524
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | CFI/II | MEI | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weeknights
Bio: I’ve been proud to serve as a club instructor since 2004 and have found it deeply rewarding to teach, support our members, and grow alongside the club over the years. While my current work and family commitments limit my availability at times, I remain enthusiastic about contributing through checkouts, stage checks, FRs, IPCs, and helping pilots improve their flying proficiency whenever possible.
Dimitrios Chamizidis
Certifications: HELO / CFI / CFII
Phone: (626) 639-4394
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | HELO | CFI/II | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays – Weekends – Weeknights
Qualifications: ASEL / AMEL; Type ratings: CE-500, CL-30, CL-600, CL-604, G7500, LR-60
Bio: I started my aviation career as a helicopter pilot and currently fly in a corporate fixed-wing flight department.
Sanny Omar
Certifications: CFI / CFII
Phone: (502) 216-2168
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | CFI/II | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weeknights – Weekends
Bio: I’ve been a pilot since 2011 and a Certified Flight Instructor since 2020. I blend real-world flying with my day job in spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control systems—yes, rockets by day, airplanes by night. I instruct part-time and am typically available evenings and weekends, about two to three days per week. Learn more at www.sannyomar.com
Joshua Brown
Certifications: CFI / CFII / ATP / MEI / Commercial
Phone: (310) 346-4228
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Club Checkout
Availability: Weeknights – Weekends
Type Ratings: CL-65, B-737, B-787
Bio: With nearly three decades as a flight instructor and active airline pilot, I bring a depth of experience that bridges general aviation and professional airline operations. I specialize in aircraft checkouts, advanced proficiency work, and targeted skill development rather than full certificate or rating programs. My instruction emphasizes real-world judgment, risk management, and polished stick-and-rudder skills.
Dan Mikkelsen
Certifications: CFI / CFII
Phone: 909-528-8446
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | CFI/II | Instrument | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays Weeknights
Bio: I am an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) for United Airlines, a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFII), a twelve-year veteran public-school teacher, and the founder of Giving Kids Wings Flight Academy (GKWFA). GKWFA is a 501(c)(3) organization that teaches math and science through aviation, introduces students to aviation careers, and provides career flight training. I am also credentialed at both the middle and secondary levels to teach Social Studies and Career Technical Education in the Transportation sector. I have earned a CLAD credential, which makes me highly qualified to teach English language learners in my subject area, and I am bilingual in Spanish. I completed an MBA from Loyola Marymount University, as well as an integrated bachelor’s degree in History, Business/Economics, and Political Science, along with a teaching credential program at Wheaton College near Chicago, Illinois. I currently reside in Torrance, California.
Inactive Member Instructors
Zeus Lehel
Certifications: HELO / CFI / CFII
Phone: (310) 880-7404
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | CFI/II | HELO | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays – Weeknights – Weekends
Bio: I’m a full-time corporate pilot with over 6,000 total flight hours, including approximately 4,500 hours in rotorcraft and 1,500 hours in fixed-wing aircraft. I’ve logged more than 2,000 hours of dual instruction given and bring extensive real-world experience to every flight.
Eric Roth
Certifications: CFI / CFII
Phone: (310) 213-8386
Email: ejroth98@gmail
Instruction: Club Checkout
Availability: Weekndays
Type Ratings: E170/190 – B737 – B757/B767
Bio: I’ve been a Boeing engineer for over 20 years. I’ve been flying since 1999 and instructing since 2012, and I’ve served as an airline pilot since 2018. I specialize in aircraft checkouts, proficiency flights, and focused training sessions, and I maintain a flexible schedule that’s well suited for pilots seeking targeted instruction rather than recurring lessons.
Paul Storaasli
Certifications: CFI / CFII / MEI
Phone: (818) 396-6628
Email: cfi.paul@gmail
Instruction: Private | Commercial | Instrument | CFI/II | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekends
Bio: I’m a CFI with 19 years of experience and an aircraft owner who enjoys helping pilots build confidence, sharpen their skills, and fly safely in the real world.
Jim Oates
Certifications: CFI / CFII
Phone: (310) 739-2924
Availability: Weekdays – Weeknights – Weekends
Bio: I bring 30 years of aviation experience and 20 years as a dedicated member of A&E Flying Club.
Carl Indriago
Certifications: CFI / CFII / MEI / ATP
Phone: (508) 317-6427
Email: [email protected]
Instruction: Private | Commercial | ATP | CFI/II | HELO | Club Checkout
Availability: Weekdays – Weeknights – Weekends
Bio: I am an FAA Airline Transport Pilot and Gold Seal Certified Flight Instructor with expertise in floatplane flying. My real-world flying experience spans diverse Part 91 and Part 135 Captain roles from Alaska to Florida, as well as Mexico, the Bahamas, and Canada, with over 3,000 flight hours. I have achieved a student pass rate of over 92%, having trained more than 50 student pilots in Airplane Single Engine Land & Sea and Airplane Multi Engine Land.