New Pilots and Success Stories - Hixson Aviation Flying Club

Solo Flys & New Pilots!

Nancy Riley

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Congratulations to Nancy Riley on her first solo flight!

She is pictured here with Mike Merritt
Taught by Danielle Cummings’s
Soloed by Mike

Ethan Pettit

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Congratulations to Ethan Pettit on passing his private pilot checkride!

Jason Odom was his primary instructor through most of his training

Tucker Bolton

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Congratulations to Tucker Bolton for passing his private pilot checkride!

Tucker started out with Tom Bowen and finished up with Paul Ibach (the B-Team) Great job Tucker!
Picture here with DPE Mark Winton

Andrew Krohne

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDREW KROHNE ON PASSING HIS INSTRUMENT CHECKRIDE!!

Andrew started with Tom Bowen for most of his training and finished up with Paul Ibach (B-Team)
Excellent job Andrew
Pictured with DPE Mark Winton

Max Flasch

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CONGRATULATIONS TO MAX FLASCH ON PASSING HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECKRIDE!

Max was a team effort, starting with Jason and Danielle and finishing up with Joel Boudreau
Great job Max!!
He is pictured here with Mark Winton

Hanniel Krohne

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CONGRATULATIONS TO HANNIEL KROHNE ON HER FIRST SOLO FLIGHT!!

Hanniel started out with Tom Bowen and Mike Merritt and is currently training with Jason Odom Way to go Hanniel

Jim Poston

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CONGRATULATIONS TO JIM POSTON ON YOUR PASSING HIS INSTRUMENT CHECKRIDE

Jim’s instructors where Tom Bowen and Jason Odom
Pictured here with Mark Winton
Long time friend and DPE
Way to go Jim!!!!

Jason Palmer

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CONGRATULATIONS TO JASON PALMER ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT

Jason is pictured here with his instructor mike Merritt
Good job Jason!!!

Stephen Gremmels

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CONGRATULATIONS TO STEPHEN GREMMELS ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT

Pictured here with his instructor Noelle Eppleman Way to go Stephen!!!

Westley Bolton

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CONGRATULATIONS TO WESTLEY BOLTON ON PASSING HIS INSTRUMENT CHECKRIDE

Pictured here with his instructor Jason Odom Great job Westley!!!

Nancy Riley

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CONGRATULATIONS TO NANCY RILEY PASSING HER PRIVATE PILOT CHECK RIDE!

Her instructor was Mike Merritt
Picture here with Mark Winton

Dylan Keith

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CONGRATULATIONS TO DYLAN KEITH ON HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT

Fist solo flight
Pictured with his flight instructor Will Boles

Jeremiah Masters

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CONGRATULATIONS TO Jeremiah Masters PASSING HER PRIVATE PILOT CHECK RIDE!

He just passed his private pilot checkride
Pictures here with Mark Winton
Jeremiah is a team effort
I believe he has flown with every instructor at Hixson Aviation over the course of his training
Congratulations Jeremiah!!!!

Tim Land

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Congratulations to Tim Land on passing his Private Pilot checkride!

Pictured here with Mark Winton
Noelle Eppleman and Paul Ibach were his instructors

Cecil Bussey

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Congratulations to Cecil Bussey on his first solo flight!

Pictured here with his instructor Will Boles

Hunter Mickelson

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Congratulations to Hunter Mickelson on his first solo flight!

Pictured here with Jason Odom

Kevin Michael

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Congratulations to Kevin Michael on passing his instrument checkride!

Pictured here with Mark Winton
Tom Bowen was his instructor

Brittany Franklin

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Congratulations to Brittany Franklin on her first solo flight

Brittany has trained with several instructors at Hixson Aviation
Pictured here with Jason Odom

Steve Michael

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Congratulations to Steve Michael on passing his instrument checkride

His instructor was Tom Bowen

Jon Morris

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Congratulations to Jon Morris on his first solo flight!!

Picture here with Will Boles
Jon also trained with Noelle Eppleman
Way to go Jon!!

David Mercer

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Congratulations to David Mercer on his first solo flight!!

This is David Mercer first solo picture
Picture here with Jason Odom

Ben Sartin

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Congratulations to Ben Sartin on passing his instrument checkride!!

Pictured here with Mark Winton
His instructor was Jason Odom
Whitwell’s favorite son does good!

Hunter Mickelson

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Congratulations to Hunter Mickelson on passing his private pilot checkride!!

Pictured here with Mark Winton
Jason Odom was his instructor
Welcome to the club Hunter

Philip Evans

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Congratulations to Philip Evans on his first solo flight!!

Pictured here with his instructor Ethan Pettit

Ian Henderson

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Congratulations to Ian Henderson on passing your private pilot checkride!!

Pictured here with Mark Winton
Ian had several instructors during his time at Hixson Aviation
Welcome to the club Ian!

Lindsay Rudisill

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Congratulations to Lindsay Rudisill on her first solo flight

Pictured her with Jason Odom
Way to go Lindsay!!

David Morgan

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Congratulations to David Morgan on his first solo flight!

Great job David
Pictured with his instructor Will Boles

Nancy Riley

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Congratulations to Nancy Riley on passing her instrument checkride!

Great job Nancy!!!!

Avery Loyd

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Congratulations to Avery Loyd on her first solo flight!

Pictured with Ethan Petitt
Way to go Avery!!!

Kyle Loggins

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Congratulations to Kyle Loggins on passing his instrument checkride!

Way to go Kyle!!!

Jon Morris

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Congratulations to Jon Morris for passing his private pilot checkride!

Great job Jon!!

Lindsey Rudsill

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Congratulations to Lindsey Rudsill for passing her private pilot checkride!

Great job Lindsey!!

Dylan Keith

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Congratulations to Dylan Keith for passing his private pilot checkride!

Great job Dylan!!

Avery Lloyd

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Congratulations to Avery Lloyd for passing her private pilot checkride!

Great job Avery!!

Thomas Gregg

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Congratulations to Thomas Gregg on his first solo flight!!

Great job Thomas!!
Picture here with his instructor Omar Lopez!

Alan Duncan

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Congratulations to Alan Duncan on his first solo flight!!

Pictured here with Jason Odom – Great job!!!

Ju-Hsin Lusk

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Congratulations to Ju-Hsin Lusk on her first solo flight!!

Pictured here with Omar Lopez
Way to go Ju-Hsin!!

Nancy Riley

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Congratulations to Nancy Riley for passing her commercially checkride!!

Pictured here with her instructor Ethan Pettit and DPE Mark Winton Way to go Nancy!

Alan Duncan

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Congratulations to Alan Duncan on passing his private pilot checkride!!!

Great job Alan

Thomas Gregg

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Congratulations to Thomas Gregg on passing his private pilot checkride!!

Way to go Thomas

Tim Mercer

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Congratulations to Tim Mercer on his first solo flight!

Way to go Tim

Hayes Barnett

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Congratulations to Hayes Barnett on his first solo flight!

Welcome to the club Hayes
Good job

Cali Crum

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Congratulations to Cali Crum on her 1st solo flight

Great job Cali!!

Lance Robbins

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Congratulations to Lance Robbins on passing his CFI checkride!!

Way to go Lance!

Banning Stack

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Congratulations to Banning Stack on his first solo flight!

Great job Banning!!

Kirk Antal

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Congratulations to Kirk Antal on his first solo flight!

Great job Kirk!

Luke Bussey

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Congratulations to Luke Bussey on his passing his CFI checkride!!

Well done Luke! Now it’s time to start teaching others to fly.

Kevin Patel

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Congratulations to Kevin Patel on his first solo flight!!

Great job Kevin!!

Alex Wilcox

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Congratulations to Alex Wilcox on his first solo flight!!

Way to go Alex!!!!

Kevin Patel

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Congratulations to Kevin Patel on becoming a private!!

Great job Kevin!!!!

Westley Bolton

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Congratulations to Westley Bolton on passing his commercial check ride!!

Way to go Westley!!

Karter Saggio

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Congratulations to Karter Saggio on his first solo flight!!

Nice job Karter!!

Joe Galea

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Congratulations to Joe Galea on his first solo flight!!

Way to go Joe!!!

Joel Brown

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Congratulations to Joel Brown on his first solo flight!!

Great job Joel!

Haniel Krohne

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Congratulations to Haniel Krohne for getting her commercial license!!

Great job! Pictured here with Jason Odom DPE.

Dr Bradley Keel

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Congratulations to Dr Bradley Keel for getting his Private Pilot’s License!!

Pictured with Tony Walker DPE.

Brady Montgomery

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Congratulations to Brady Montgomery on getting his Private Pilots license!!

Pictures with Jason Odom DPE.

Stephen Kelly

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Congratulations to Stephen Kelley on his first solo flight!!

Picture with his instructor Luke Bussey.

Nancy Riley

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Congratulations to Nancy Riley for passing her CFI checkride!

Great job Nancy!!

Kevin Patel

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Congratulations to Kevin Patel for passing his instrument check ride.

Great job Kevin!

Zachary Dedenbach

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Congratulations to Zachary Dedenbach on his first solo flight.

Way to go Zach!

Becky Place

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Congratulations to Becky Place for soloing again.

Nice job Becky!

Maddox Cummings

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Congratulations to Maddox Cummings on his first solo flight.

Way to go Maddox!

Success Stories

Danielle Cummings

As a pilot, every step of my journey has been an adventure, but my flight training at Hixson Aviation was the foundation that set me on the path to success. The team at Hixson Aviation is dedicated and deeply passionate about aviation. They didn’t just teach me how to fly—they instilled in me a love for the skies that continues to inspire me every day. The instructors at Hixson Aviation were exceptional. They have a way of making complex concepts understandable while maintaining high standards of safety. Their approach was hands-on and supportive, and they tailored the training to my pace, ensuring that I not only learned the technical skills but also gained the confidence to make sound decisions in the airplane. Hixson Aviation provided the perfect environment for me to grow as a pilot, and I always felt supported in my learning. Whether it was my first solo flight or the final check ride each milestone felt like a testament to the hard work and dedication of both myself and my instructors. Thanks to the comprehensive training at Hixson Aviation, I built a strong foundation of knowledge, skill, and confidence, which set me up for a successful career in aviation. It’s no exaggeration to say that Hixson Aviation played a pivotal role in shaping me into the pilot I am today.

Brittany Franklin

I grew up in Chattanooga, TN, for a long time when I was a kid I’ve always had that urge to fly after seeing the Blue Angels perform, but never really thought it would be possible because I grew up in a family with no pilots. At 19 I decided to work as a ramp agent for Envoy which became my chance to get my foot in the door. Shortly after I took my very first discovery flight at Hixson Aviation, and fell in love almost immediately. I did most of my Private Pilot training there, then traveled to Dallas, TX to continue my ratings and certifications. Afterwards I started flight instruction in Charlotte NC. And in 4 years I finally became an Airline Pilot and it’s been the my proudest accomplishment ever since.

Nathaniel Trenum

My name is Nathaniel Trenum. I’m a First Officer at Mesa Airlines-3 years. I started my aviation journey with Hixson Aviation in Chattanooga,Tennessee in 2018. I owe much credit to Mark, Paul, & Jason for being a pilot. I still use their “nuggets” of advice still today in my aviation career. Their expertise was worth every dollar I spent there,and affordable(which is hard to find in this industry). I still keep in touch with them as of today because of the friendship that we have.
The DREAM, to fly for my favorite sports team-Indianapolis Colts,and my backup plan-international flying on a major.

Richard Whittemore

Richard Whittemore is from Chattanooga, he fell in love with aviation at the age of 14. Richard began his flying career at Dallas Bay where he soloed at 16 and got his Private at 17. At 18 he attended language school in Argentina. After becoming fluent in Spanish, Richard returned to Chattanooga and completed a degree in aviation management and began managing the Dallas Bay Skypark. During that time, he completed advanced flight training and began instructing for the flight school. A couple of years after, Richard began flying a Baron corporately for one of his students.
In 2011 Richard added his Commercial Seaplane rating, and in 2012 he added a Commercial helicopter rating. Later that year, Richard moved his family to the Amazon jungle in Brazil where he flew a float plane on the Amazon River as a missionary. After the government shut down the aviation program, Whittemore and his family adopted a young child and also started an orphanage. In search of a way to remain involved in aviation, he moved his family across the border to Colombia. After two years of persistently trying to get an air ambulance established, it became clear that the local political atmosphere would keep that from happening. So, after starting a local, fair labor company in Colombia he moved his family to Laredo, Texas.
There Whittemore started an aviation service company while working for a Part 91 operator. He also co- founded and acted as the chief instructor for the only dual rated flight school on the Texas/Mexico border. During the beginning of 2020 Whittemore and his family moved back closer to his roots in Birmingham, Alabama where he remains involved with the non-profit organization by serving on the board and managing the various entities his family started in the Amazon. He spent 2 years working as an Emergency Medical Helicopter pilot in the Southeast during the Covid Pandemic. He has completed the DPE training courses and looks forward to one day serving as a DPE.

Recently, Richard has moved back into running his own aviation business full time providing services as a contract pilot, consulting, aircraft brokerage and management. He also owns a flight school and maintenance shop. He is currently in the process of becoming a DPE.
Whittemore holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with Airplane Single / Multi-Engine Land and Rotorcraft-Helicopter as well as Commercial privileges for Airplane Single Engine Sea. He also holds a Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate for Airplane Single and Multi-Engine, Rotorcraft-Helicopter and Instrument – Airplane/Helicopter. He is also an Instrument Ground Instructor and Commercial Drone Operator. He currently holds Type ratings for the Hawker and CJ series of aircraft as well as SIC type ratings for the Beechcraft PremierJet and the Cessna Citation XLS+. He is also the current FAA Safety Team (FAAST) Representative with the Birmingham FSDO.
Richard began his diverse career at 16 at Dallas Bay Skypark and credits the family feel of the airport and the flight school for helping make him successful early on in his career.

Brandon Herrold

Hello! My name is Brandon Herrold and I am currently a First Officer with Republic Airways flying the Embraer E-175 based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I took my first discovery flight/lesson with Mark in 2011 when I was 13 and immediately fell in love with flying. I went on to continue my PPL training with Mark, Paul and Tom.

Shortly after High School, I went on to complete the rest of my ratings including my CFI, CFII and MEI and spent about a year and a half as an Instructor helping others achieve their dreams in aviation. I then spent the next 2 years working for two air charter companies flying the SA-227 Metroliner and Falcon 20 before I started flying for the airlines.

I had a great time flying with Mark, Paul and Tom and applied a lot of the lessons they taught me to the flying I do today! I can’t thank them enough for helping me get to where I am today and helping me make my dreams come true.

Tyler McFall

My name is Tyler McFall and I am a Captain on a Citation XLS+ based out of KCHA. My flying career started in 2007 at Hixson Aviation in N61655. After completing my CFI, CFI-I, and MEI, I began instructing at Hixson Aviation. In 2011, I was hired by Expressjet Airlines and flew in the 121 world for 8 years. I left the airlines in 2019 for my current corporate job and consider myself extremely blessed to be able to call flying, a “job”. Hixson Aviation gave me the flight training foundation and knowledge to be able to continually advance my career. I am forever grateful for the experiences, exceptional training and lifelong friends I acquired there.

Ben Pendergrass

My name is Ben Pendergrass and I am a 737 First Officer at American Airlines. I started my flying career at Hixson Aviation in 2000 and went on to instruct there for a little more that 4 and a half years. I then went on to fly for Endeavor and PSA Airlines. I spent 4 years as a captain at PSA before I was hired by American Airlines in 2019 flying Boeing 737s based in Washington DC. My time at Hixson Aviation and the lessons I learned from there have prepared me for the career I have now. I still use the knowledge and skills I learned at Hixson Aviation everyday. I owe them a huge thank you for preparing me for where I am now as a professional aviator.