Flight instruction for pilots ready to push beyond the basics. Tailwheel endorsements, spin training,
upset recovery, aerobatics, commercial prep, complex transition, and flight reviews — tailored to your experience and goals.
Disciplined, safety-focused pilot training. Make the airplane an extension of your body.
Every service is tailored to your certificate, experience level, and goals. Custom training programs focused on risk management and aircraft control.
01
Tailwheel Endorsement
Learn disciplined tailwheel technique from the ground up — taxi control, takeoffs, landings,
crosswind correction, and energy management. Ground training followed by dozens and dozens of landings,
adapted to your progress. Once you are safe and proficient, leave with a 61.31(i) endorsement.
Approx. 10–20 hours depending on prior experience and proficiency.
02
Spin Training
Recognition, prevention, entry, and recovery. Required for CFI applicants (61.183(i)) and
invaluable for all pilots who want a deep understanding and experience-driven confidence to recognize, avoid, and recover from stall/spin scenarios.
Ground instruction and 1–2 flights depending on pace and comfort.
03
Upset Recovery
Learn to recognize and recover from unusual and extreme flight attitudes before they become
emergencies. Emphasis on spatial orientation, recovery logic, energy management, and
maintaining aircraft control under stress and limited visual references.
Ground briefing + structured flights.
04
Aerobatic Training
Aerobatic instruction in the Super Decathlon focused on precision, orientation, and aircraft
control. This is deliberate, structured training, not thrill-seeking. A series of short flights build on each other to cover all aerobatic maneuvers in the Primary, Sportsman, and Intermediate IAC categories. Finish with acro upset recovery and a sign-off to fly solo acro in the Super D.
Tailwheel endorsement required (and provided if not already held). Ground training included.
05
Commercial Training
Commercial prep tailored to your existing experience and guided by the Commercial Pilot ACS
and Parts 61 and 91. Ground and flight instruction designed to build regulatory expertise, technical proficiency and professional-level aircraft control, not just checkride minimums.
Conducted in the Cessna 172 or 172RG. Scope and duration determined after initial assessment.
06
Flight Review & Refresher
For rusty pilots, pilots returning after a gap, or regular flyers. Training is adapted to your actual needs rather than following a generic biennial script. Whether it's a day or a series of refresher training, leave with a 61.56 endorsement and the confidence to be PIC.
Cessna 172, 172RG, or Super Decathlon depending on training focus. Scope and duration dependent on your proficiency, currency, and mission.
07
Discovery Flights
Acro-curious? This is a structured introduction to the Super Decathlon and the fundamentals
of three-dimensional flight. Not a sightseeing ride — a real first look at what aerobatic
and upset training actually involves.
Open to certificated pilots. No prior tailwheel or acro experience required.
08
Complex Endorsement
Transition training for retractable gear, constant-speed propeller, and flaps. Ground instruction covers systems theory, failure modes, and procedures; flight training focuses on smooth operation, decision-making, and muscle memory under realistic conditions. Finish with a 61.31(e) endorsement.
Typically 5-10 hours depending on prior experience. Conducted in the Cessna 172RG Cutlass. Private pilot certificate required.
Training Philosophy
How We Train
Training structure and approach built around your experience, pace, and actual needs.
Safety First and Always
You'll never be asked to do something that isn't safe or within your current skill level.
We build confidence through structured progression, not by throwing you in the deep end.
Foundations are Built on the Ground
Every training block starts on the ground. You'll understand the aerodynamics,
the systems, the failure modes, and the recovery logic before strapping in.
That foundation makes the flying part click.
Your Pace, Not Mine
There's no fixed timeline. Whether it's tailwheel, acro, or a flight review.
We keep flying until you're proficient, not until the syllabus says you're done.
Rushing builds bad habits. Waiting wastes money.
"Why" Matters
You'll understand the logic behind every maneuver and recovery technique—not just
how to execute it, but why it works that way. That knowledge sticks with you and
transfers to situations you haven't trained yet.
Real Scenarios Over Rote
Training isn't a checklist of maneuvers performed in a vacuum. We work scenarios
that actually matter—crosswind landings that are gusty, spins entered from a slip,
unusual attitudes you might actually encounter and need to recover from.
Instructor
Trevor Zink
Certified Flight Instructor
Trevor holds a flight instructor certificate for single engine airplanes as well as a ground instructor certificate with advanced and instrument ratings. He holds a commerial pilot certificate with single engine land privileges and an instrument rating. He also holds a private pilot certificate for single engine seaplanes (so fun!) and a remote pilot certificate (why not?). Trevor specializes in tailwheel, spin, upset, and aerobatic instruction in the 8KCAB
American Champion Super Decathlon, and teaches commercial students, complex transitions, and conducts flight
reviews in the Cessna 172 and 172RG.
His training philosophy emphasizes disciplined flying, precise aircraft control, and
sound judgment — and understanding the why behind every maneuver and recovery
technique, not just the mechanics of executing it.
Aircraft
Super Decathlon
8KCAB American Champion
Tailwheel training
Spin training
Upset recovery
Aerobatic instruction
Discovery flights
Cessna 172 / RG
Skyhawk
Commercial training
Complex transition
Flight reviews
Refresher & proficiency
Location
Based at Santa Monica Airport
Training is based out of KSMO. Training in your aircraft is also available
at airports across the greater Los Angeles area. Learn to navigate the world's busiest airspace, and you'll be proficient no matter where you fly.