Aniseh Shapiro

Anise first found her love of flying in 1997 and hasn’t stopped training or teaching since.  She completed all her training in the Dallas/Ft Worth area but has experience in most of the country.  She has loved flying long trips with students as far as northern New York as well as her experience flying as a copilot in several jets throughout the US and Canada.  Even when flying corporate, she never stopped instructing.  Not only is it a wonderful experience sharing your passion, but that is when you learn the most and become the safest pilot yourself.

Bob Niedwiecki

Bob joined TFC in 1983 with a private and instrument rating. He then went on to earn his commerical license and became a CFI in 1985. An active student as well as instructor Bob went to to get his CFII, his  multi engine rating and then his MEI and ATP tickets.  Bob worked as a pilot, first flying freight out of Love Field and then Mesa Air, flying twin tuboprops.  Bob continues  teach and be an active member of the club.

Bob is also our membership VP and works to bring new members into the club and run our monthly club meetings.

Bruce Orsmond

Calvin Coffey

Calvin started flying with his parents in 1965.  With over 2200 hrs instructing and more than 4200 hrs flying, Calvin has has flown a wide variety of aircraft and missions, from conventional (tailwheel) to experimental aircraft, and from towing gliders to aerobatics.. Calvin has owned a Beechcraft Baron and currently owns a Cessna 170.  A TFC member since 1984, Calvin previously served the local EAA chapter as Vice President, and is a past Texins Flying Club President.

Dinu Catona

Dinu is a Gold Seal CFI. He started flying for fun in 2002 after riding in the front  seat of a Extra 300L at the Aerobatic Experience in Las Vegas. He earned his ratings at the Armed Forces Aeroclub in San Diego where Dinu also served on the board of directors for 2 years before moving to Texas in 2005. He attended the CFI Academy at American Flyers where he received his CFII rating. Dinu enjoys flying a lot and is looking forward to sharing his passion with others.

Gerhard Deffner

Gerhard learned to fly single engine airplanes while going to school for a year in the US. Back in Germany, he learned to fly gliders, and then started flying powered aircraft again when joining TFC in 1988, becoming a CFI in 1993.  After leaving TI in 1998, he moved to McKinney and began training flight students in his Cessna 150. Over the years, many of those students were successful in making the transition to Private Pilot or better, a success rate the FAA recognized by awarding Gold Seal Credentials.

Gerhard is also a designated pilot examiner in this area.

Hank Eilts

Hank has been flying for 17 years  and has been an instructor for 8 years.  He enjoys sport flying, gliders, experimental aircraft, and aircraft technology (he considers himself an aviation geek). Flying is fun and rewarding, and one of his enjoyments is passing that along to others.

Hank is the cross-country maintenance officer. He is a technical guru as well as a great instructor. Hank has a lot of knowledge about keeping older planes and temperamental engines running. He is a great help to the operations VP, providing his time for ferrying operations as well as expertise in troubleshooting various problems with planes and engines. Hank brings great aviation instincts and experience to our club.

Jeff Thomas

Kurtis B Sampson

Kurtis received his Private pilot certification in 2008 and his  instrument certification in 2009 followed by his commercial and CFI  through TFC.  Kurtis is passionate about flying and being able to share  his love of flying with others.  He is active with the Angel Flight  program and Challenge Air for Kids.  He is a Board Member for EAA  Chapter 1246 at McKinney and has recently joined the board for Challenge Air.

Larry Eckhart

I started flying in 1969 (my dad was my instructor), finished the private, commercial and instrument on the GI bill while on active duty in the USAF. Obtained the CFI in 1976 (my dad was my first student – a checkout in a 172 – he was an airline pilot).  I worked full time as a CFI from 1979 to 1984 at Addison, Love Field and Meacham.  Completed the CFII and MEI in 1979, and the Multi ATP in 1980 and was on track for the airlines until I discovered that I really loved teaching aviation.  I have always instructed part-time except for the full-time years.  I taught for many years in the aviation program at Mountain View College in Dallas, teaching Private Pilot Ground and I especially enjoyed teaching Aerodynamics and Meteorology.  Currently I teach the Private Pilot Ground School at Collin College.  My total flight time is about 5200 hours and 4300 of that is instructing.  I also got a commercial glider rating in 1999 just for fun!

Richard Graham

Rich’s dad soloed him out at age 18 and he’s been flying ever since.  Rich has over 12,000 hours (3,000 as Instructor Pilot) flying in the USAF for 25 years and at American Airlines for 13 years.  He’s flown combat in the F-4 Phantom and at Mach 3+ in the SR-71 Blackbird.  He volunteers as a mission pilot for the Civil Air Patrol in the Dallas area. Rich has written a number of books about his experiences in the SR-71 program and helped get the SR-71 simulator into the Dallas Frontiers of Flight museum at Love Field.

Richard Klein

Richard earned his private in 1965, and became a CFI in 1974 at Love Field. He’s logged 14,000+ hours, 12,000+ as CFI and has graduated 190+ students in numerous ratings: Private, Commercial, Instrument, Multiengine, CFI, CFII. A major portion of these graduates have been in the TFC.

Richard Stephens

Dick’s love of flying began during WW II watching war planes fly over the farm. Dick received PPSEL 1/10/1958 in a tail-dragger, no tricycle gear trainer were available then. He earned Instrument and Commercial rating 1970, Instructor, Multiengine, and Instrument Instructor Ratings in 1971. Dick has over 3,000 hours instructor time and almost 4,000 hours total time. He has built an RV-6 and is currently building a Hatz Classic Bi-Plane. Dick is an EAA Flight Advisor and is the TFC Safety Officer. He has logged time in 32 makes and models of commercially built planes and 17 different types of experimental planes.

Taylor Lasecki

Taylor has had a passion for aviation since he was a young child. He took his first discovery flight when he was 9 years old and has been hooked ever since. Taylor received his Private, Instrument, and Commercial certificates here at the TFC and received his CFI and CFII through American Flyers CFI academy. He loves sharing his knowledge and passion for aviation with others.

Tom Guyton

Tom provides ground and  flight instruction for private, instrument,  commercial, multi-engine,  flight instructor, and instrument instructor  certificates and ratings.  He also does check out flights, flight  reviews and instrument  proficiency checks. Tom began flight training  after college.  While  serving as an instructor navigator in the Air  Force on KC-135 inflight  refueling aircraft, he continued flying  general aviation aircraft.  After military service, and a career in the computer industry, he now  devotes full time to flight instruction.   Tom is a member of EAA, AOPA,  Angel Flight, the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, and the National Association of Flight Instructors.  Each  student has individual needs and Tom especially enjoys helping  each one  to achieve his/her flying goals. (More at www.tguyton.com)