© Theresa Whiting 2011
About Me
I am a flight instructor with a passion for flying! Whether you are a multi-engine instructor or a first time student, I will work to make your flight training enjoyable, safe, and professional.
I am the 2011 Flight Instructor of the Year for the FAA Great Lakes Region: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This recognition is conferred by the General Aviation Awards Program, a partnership between more than a dozen general aviation industry sponsors and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
I am the Chief Flight Instructor at Solo Aviation, Inc, one of the busiest flight schools in Michigan. I am also the instructor of a Private Pilot Ground School held through the Washtenaw Community College Life-Long Learning Program. I have trained students and flight instructors of every level, spoken at workshops and seminars, and held numerous ground schools.
I maintain a high first-time pass rate among my students and hold a Gold Seal License for this accomplishment. My other ratings include Commercial Single and Multi-Engine Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor for Airplane, Instrument, and Multi-Engine, Advanced Ground Instructor, Instrument Ground Instructor, and Commercial Glider Pilot.
Former students of mine are flying and instructing in many facets of the aviation industry.
Activities
I am the president and a co-founder of the Yankee Ladies, an active chapter of Women in Aviation, International.
Last summer, I had a wonderful adventure participating in the Air Race Classic, a national all-women's air race. My teammate and I and blogged about the experience.
I am proud to be a "Role Model" for Girls with Wings, an organization aimed at exposing young girls to career opportunities.
One of the most surprising moments of my career was when one of my students, Otto Sorg, won a Cessna 172 in the 2007 Sporty's Pilot Shop Sweepstakes! He used the plane to earn his license and has been flying ever since.
A few years ago, I flew a Cessna 172 solo from Marshall, Michigan to Fresno, California and put together a slide show of the flight. The trip took 25.8 hours and covered 2141 nautical miles.
Background
I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the College of Aviation at Western Michigan University in 2003 with a degree in Aviation Flight Science and a minor in Business Management. While there, I received the Delta Air Lines Undergraduate Diversity Scholarship, the WMU Board of Trustees Scholarship, and the WMU Cultural Diversity Recognition Award.
After graduation from college, I started flight instructing at Brooks Field in Marshall, Michigan, which still holds a warm place in my heart. I returned to my hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2007 and began instructing full-time at Solo Aviation, Inc.
