Gary’s flying career started in Chicago at the Sky Harbor airport. With less than seven hours, he soloed a Cessna 150 and shortly thereafter received his Private Pilot’s Certificate.  Within the next two years, while at the same time attending college, he received his Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor’s (CFIA) Ratings.  For the next three years, he held the position as Manager and Chief Flight Instructor for a large Flying Club having 110 Pilots and 10 Aircraft. During the same time, he obtained his Instrument Rating, Instrument Instructor (CFII), Airplane Multi-engine Land (AMEL), Seaplane (ASES), Basic Ground Instructor (BGI), Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI), Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI), Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Rating and then  took his Primary and Instructor Aerobatic Training from Duane Cole and continued to train hundreds of pilots. In addition, he flew in numerous and various Airshows and Aerobatic Competitions.  At this point, Gary had flown approximately 50 different makes and models of aircraft.  After finishing college, he was actively seeking a professional pilot’s position with the major airlines.  They just were not hiring!  Gary decided to stay in aviation.  He bought a set of plans for a Pitts Special and began building.  What started out to be a six-month to one year project turned out to be five year way of life!  Upon completion, he was awarded the “Best Home Built Award” for his Pitts Special because the judges could easily see that he paid meticulous attention to details and produced a very high quality Aerobatic Aircraft.  Shortly thereafter, Gary moved to Florida in 1979 and brought his Pitts Special with him.

From 1979 to current, Gary has received Part 135 Training at each of the following Air Charter Companies:

Trained with Harvey Hop and flew Learjet 25’s and 35’s at Hop-A-Jet
Flew Learjet 24’s and 25’s at Aero Group;
Flew Learjet 24’s at Jet America (had Military contract with NASA for weather reporting for all unmanned Spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center )
Flew a Learjet 35 for a Private Investor
Flew Learjet 25’s and 35’s for True North
Flew Learjet 25’s and 35’s for Creston Aviation, Inc.

In addition to flying the Learjet 24’s, 25’s and 35’s, Gary has flown the following Jet Fighter Aircraft:

Fouga Magister, Canadair CL 41G Tebuan (Canadian Snowbird Aerobatic Team Aircraft), BD-10, Paris I, Paris IIB, T33, L-39C, and L-39ZO.  

Also, in addition to all of the above referenced FAA Ratings, Gary also currently holds a Type Rating in the L-39 (Authorized Experimental Aircraft: AV-L39) and a LOOA (Authorized Instructor: AV-L39).  

Summary of Gary ’s Ratings:

Private Pilot Certificate
Commercial Pilot Rating
Certified Flight Instructor (CFIA)
Instrument Rating
Instrument Instructor (CFII)
Airplane Multi-engine Land (AMEL)
Seaplane Rating (ASES)
Basic Ground Instructor (BGI)
Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI)
Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI)
Airline Transport Rating (ATP)
Primary Aerobatic Training
Instructor Aerobatic Training
Trained at 5 Different Part 135 Co’s
Type Rated in L-39
Authorized Instructor in L-39  

Safety is Gary’s Number 1 Priority.  Perhaps that’s why Gary’s Safety Record is impeccable because he has never had an accident, violation or incident in all of his years and thousands of hours of flying!  

Gary’s passion is flying and his love of it certainly shows through especially when he is Instructing, being an Airshow Performer or just  simply “Hangar Flying”.  

In 2000 while flying to Europe with the intention of purchasing L-39’s from various governments, Gary had the privilege of being a “Crew Member” on Air France’s Concorde.  He flew from New York to Paris in only 3 hours and 23 minutes at an Altitude of 70,000 feet and Speed of Mach 2.04!!!  Because the Captain of the Concorde knew that Gary was an active Learjet Pilot, he invited him into the cockpit.  For more than two-thirds of the actual flight time, the Captain “Instructed Gary” on numerous procedures for Supersonic Flight.  He showed Gary how to penetrate the speed of sound shortly after takeoff then accelerate to beyond Mach 2 then maintain Mach 2 across the Atlantic Ocean and then how to slow the Supersonic Concorde down to below Mach 1 prior to landing at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris France.  An Incredible Adventure!!!